August 3, 2019

18th Sunday - C (August 4, 2019)


“You Fool”

Prior to today’s Gospel, Jesus was preaching to the crowd.  Among the things Jesus said to them were these two verses, “Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?  Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.  Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12: 6-7)

And here, in the same crowd, a person asks Jesus to be a judge of a family matter over their inheritance. 

That context gives us some possible insights to the parable. 

It is the land that “produced a bountiful harvest.”  In other words, the rich man could hardly take credit for his wealth [1] .

He does not acknowledge God who has given him the harvest.  Nor does he pay attention to the poor people around him, and there were many poor people in Palestine at the time of Jesus.

The rich man’s self-centeredness costs him his sensibility, the purpose of his life, and in fact, life itself. 

He has become a fool. 

----------------------
[1] www.progressiveinvolvement.com

 
Image source:  www.agnusday.org
 

No comments: