Schegge di vangelo a cura di don Stefano Bimbi
Venerdì Santo a cura di Ermes Dovico

GOSPEL PEARLS

Your idols fall on you

This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God, (Luke 12: 21)

Schegge di vangelo 19_10_2020

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:13-21)

Since each and every one of us is created in God's image, God alone can fulfil our needs. It is He, Who gives us true meaning. When we vainly try and fulfil our desire for meaning by way of God’s creatures and material goods, as happens to the foolish rich man in Christ’s parable, we fall prey to idolatry. This happens because our highest desires are focused on anything but God. Since, sooner or later, idols fall on and crush their worshipers, we perfectly understand why Jesus says the wealthy man will be accused of foolishness at the time of his particular judgment, because he did not entrust himself to God. We must ask ourselves about how we use our time. Is it used to enrich ourselves with perishable goods or do use our time, rather, to enrich our souls while placing our trust in God?