For those of us who live with more than we need it’s impossible not to be unsettled by today’s gospel. Having been asked to arbitrate about a disputed inheritance Jesus challenges the whole principle of consumerism. He calls us to look again at our possessions and how we relate to them.
Our society tells us that possessions are the way to a fulfilled and happy life. It promises that possessions are the road to peace, happiness and contentment. We are all too willing to surrender ourselves to this idea, though our own experiences repeatedly tell us the opposite.
Talking to his disciples in today’s gospel Jesus warns of the dangers of this view:
“Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for life is not made secure by what we own, even when we have more than we need.’”
He then tells a parable of a man responds to a better than expected harvest by pulling down his barns and building bigger ones, congratulating himself on a secure future. We all recognise that temptation. We use our possessions to make us feel secure, comfortable and in control. The parable ends when the man dies before he is able to benefit from his hoarding.
This challenges us to reflect seriously on how we view our possessions. It also offers us hope and freedom. Unlike the world Jesus values each of us for who we are, not for what we do or don’t possess. He challenges us to put aside our need to possess so that we can come to him vulnerable and empty handed, trusting his promise of a deeper and more secure fulfilment.
Where is Christ inviting you to come to him empty handed today?