{"id":5815,"date":"2025-08-02T09:43:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-02T08:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/?p=5815"},"modified":"2025-07-15T13:30:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T12:30:59","slug":"commentary-on-18th-sunday-of-the-year-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/commentary-on-18th-sunday-of-the-year-c\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary on 18th Sunday of the year C 03.08.2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TEXT \u2014 Luke 12: 13\u201321 \u2014 Disciples\u2019 attitude towards wealth and possessions<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Request to act in dispute<\/strong><\/p>\n

13 One of the multitude said to him, \u201cTeacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Jesus refuses<\/strong><\/p>\n

14 But he said to him, \u201cMan, who made me a judge or divider over you?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Warning on greed<\/strong><\/p>\n

15 And he said to them, \u201cTake heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man\u2019s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Parable of rich man<\/strong><\/p>\n

16 And he told them a parable, saying, \u201cThe land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; 17 and he thought to himself, \u2018What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?\u2019 18 And he said, \u2018I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.\u2019<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Sudden death<\/strong><\/p>\n

20 But God said to him, \u2018Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Be rich toward God<\/strong><\/p>\n

21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

EXPLANATION<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

13 One of the multitude said to him, \u201cTeacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the multitude said to him, \u201cTeacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Laws of inheritance were judged by the Rabbis. The questioner was having difficulties with his brother over his share of the inheritance and he approached Jesus for help, addressing him as Rabbi or \u201cTeacher<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

14 But he said to him, \u201cMan, who made me a judge or divider over you?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBut he said to him, \u201cMan, who made me a judge or divider over you?<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Jesus addresses the man sternly and condescendingly with the title \u201cman<\/em>\u201d (Lk. 22: 60).<\/p>\n

Jesus does not accept a role as judge over matters of inheritance and money. As has been said, \u201cHe came to bring men to God, not property to men\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Catechism of the Catholic Church<\/em> quotes verses 13\u201314 to make the following comment: \u201cBy freeing some individuals from the earthly evils of hunger, injustice, illness and death, Jesus performed messianic signs. Nevertheless he did not come to abolish all evils here below (Lk. 12: 13\u201314), but to free men from the gravest slavery, sin, which thwarts them in their vocation as God\u2019s sons and causes all forms of human bondage\u201d (CCC<\/em> 549).<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

15 And he said to them, \u201cTake heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man\u2019s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he said to them, \u201cTake heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man\u2019s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The double warning, \u201cTake heed, and beware<\/em>\u201d is particularly strong. The Greek for \u201cbeware<\/em>\u201d means \u2018defend oneself against an attacker\u2019. In Greek the word for \u201ccovetousness<\/em>\u201d means \u201cgrasping for more\u201d, in such a way that the attacker is never satisfied and would injure and even kill the person attacked to gain possession. Paul says that greed is idolatry (Col. 3: 5. It is quite clear that greed and covetousness can and do commit all sorts of serious crimes and sins.<\/p>\n

Jesus judges that the underlying reason for the request by one of the brothers is greed. He does not indicate which of the brothers is the greedy one, either he who will not give to the younger his share in the inheritance or the younger who is seeking more than he should from the older. The implication is that both brothers are seeking \u201cthe abundance of his possessions<\/em>\u201d, more than is due to each.<\/p>\n

The reason for the warning against greed, avarice and covetousness is a fundamental principle: a person\u2019s life, which is an everlasting gift from God, can never be measured by possessions which are always temporal.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

16 And he told them a parable, saying, \u201cThe land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; 17 and he thought to himself, `What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?\u2019 18 And he said, \u2018I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he told them a parable, saying, \u2018The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 the abundance was a sign of God\u2019s blessing which enriched the land.<\/p>\n

\u201cand he thought to himself, \u2018What shall I do <\/em>for I have nowhere to store my crops?<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 The man lived in a world of his own. He spoke not to other people but to himself; he spoke in the singular about himself with no thought for others, including God and his family.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he said, \u2018I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 The man continued to consider only himself. As he saw it his future was secure for many years to come. He ignored the Jewish Law which imposed a duty on him to help the poor from his abundance: \u201cWhen you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God<\/em>\u201d. (Lv. 19: 9\u201310; 23: 22; Dt. 24: 21).<\/p>\n

\u201ceat, drink, be merry<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 This is the classic expression of hedonism. The rich man addressed his \u201csoul<\/em>\u201d when he used these words, showing that he had no consideration for an after\u2013life. What he wanted for his \u201csoul<\/em>\u201d, a spiritual entity, was only material things such as food, drink and a good time. Jesus will say \u201clife is more than food<\/em>\u201d (Lk. 12: 23).<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

20 But God said to him, \u2018Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBut God said to him, \u2018Fool!<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Again, the title addressed to the owner of the land and its produce was very stern. The word \u201cFool<\/em>\u201d implied not stupidity but maliciousness in refusing to be wise. It was God who called the man \u201cFool<\/em>\u201d in this context because he refused to be wise and left God out of his future which depended on God and which was swiftly drawing to a close that very night. The man made no provision for his death. That was real stupidity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis night your soul is required of you<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The Greek here means that God required the man\u2019s soul. The man was a \u201cfool\u201d because he acted as if he had full control over his future.<\/p>\n

\u201cand the things you have prepared, whose will they be?<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 The man had planned his future with no consideration for anyone but himself. He lived for himself. He judged himself on his possessions and wealth. He judged that he was \u201csomebody\u201d because he possessed abundantly. Then when he lost everything he had nothing. That meant, according to his thinking, that he was \u201cnobody\u201d, nothing.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSo is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Jesus added his conclusion \u2014 the person who accumulates wealth for himself, and does not share with those in need, has no lasting possession. Wealth is not condemned but what one does with it can be either laudable or blame\u2013worthy. Because a person has nothing set aside for God he\/she has no future with God. With death he loses his wealth and he has already lost God. That is foolishness!<\/p>\n

A major theme in Luke\u2019s Gospel is the danger of riches (Lk. 1: 53; 3: 25; 6: 24; 8; 14; 12: 16, 21; 14: 12; 16: 1, 19\u201322; 21: 1).<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

APPLICATION<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Jesus<\/strong><\/p>\n

What does this passage tell us about Jesus? First, it tells us that there are two worlds, the material and the spiritual. Jesus lived for the spiritual and all that this meant. We know that Jesus was born into the material world after he had the choice of selecting his own family. He chose that this would be a poor family. In his public ministry, when he left his home, he continued to live a life of austerity: he had no place he could call his own on which to lay his head. He depended on others for his sustenance. He had no material security but depended on God his Father. This meant that he could teach about greed as something to be avoided and that he and his disciples had to put God as first place in their lives.<\/p>\n

He lived for God his Father. That was his way of living: he always did what pleased his Father. He did not put himself first, before his Father. His most frequent saying, expressed in various forms, was \u2018God\u2019s will be done, not mine\u2019. By giving his life, he gave himself utterly and completely for others and their salvation.<\/p>\n

In his life and death the salvation of people, a spiritual not material blessing, had priority. He never sought material possessions, only what was necessary to survive.<\/p>\n

He showed his disciples how to live for the poor. He did not condemn riches as such but he did not approve of hoarding wealth as if it was given without any responsibility. Wealth is a gift from God but, like all God\u2019s gifts, is given not for oneself but with moral responsibility.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The fundamental treasure?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The main point of this parable is to make all disciples think about their attitude to wealth and possessions, their trust in divine providence and living for God as the priority in their lives. All are challenged to answer the question, \u2018What is the fundamental treasure in your heart? What is it that you set your heart on and work for more than anything else, including God and your neighbour?\u2019<\/p>\n

The example in the parable is of a rich man who thought of nothing but his own enrichment. He saw possessions and wealth as his security for life. He did not cast a thought about another life, eternal life, and how to attain it. St. Paul expresses this as follows: \u201cThose who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains<\/em>\u201d (I Tm. 6: 9\u201310).<\/p>\n

Jesus was much stronger: \u201cBut woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation<\/em>\u201d (Lk. 6: 24). \u201cNo slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth<\/em>\u201d (Lk. 16: 13). For Jesus one who is a slave to money and possessions commits idolatry by making wealth his\/her false god called mammon or materialism. One\u2019s possessions become obsessions.<\/p>\n

There are seven \u201cdeadly sins\u201d. The name is given to those sins which produce other sins. They are pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth. Covetousness, mentioned in the ninth and tenth commandments, includes greed which is the desire to acquire more than we need and is not good for us. It is accompanied by causing damage to ourselves or to others.<\/p>\n

Generosity is the antithesis of greed. Jesus was generous, giving his very life for others. He kept nothing for himself. The poor widow had only two cents to live on and, being generous, she gave \u201call she had to live on<\/em>\u201d to the Temple. To use the final words in today\u2019s Gospel passage, she was \u201crich in the sight of God<\/em>\u201d. She had her priorities and knew the real value of living for God. Not alone was she generous to God in giving him all she had but down through the centuries she has enriched countless people by her example.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TEXT \u2014 Luke 12: 13\u201321 \u2014 Disciples\u2019 attitude towards wealth and possessions Request to act in dispute 13 One of the multitude said to him, \u201cTeacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.\u201d Jesus refuses 14 But he said to him, \u201cMan, who made me a judge or divider over you?\u201d Warning on greed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3616,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5815"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5815\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8404,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5815\/revisions\/8404"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}