To Place God Above All Our Possessions

09-25-2016HomiliesFr. Tony Okolo

Listening to the harsh words of Prophet Amos directed against the rich and wealthy in the first reading and the condemnation of the rich man to hell in today’s Gospel, one may think that God is against the rich or that the wealthy are cut off from the kingdom of God. But such an idea is far from the truth. After all, we are told in (1 Samuel 2:7 “The Lord makes poor and makes rich, he brings low and, he also exalts”), (1 Chronicle 29:12 says, “Both riches and honour come from God, and you rule over all.”), (Ecclesiastes 5:19 says, “Every man also to whom God has given wealth and possession and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lots and find enjoyment in his toil this is the gift of God.”) Therefore, since both wealth and riches come from God, he is not against riches or those who possess wealth but rather he is against those who have lost sight of God because of their wealth, those who exploit others and those who treat others with contempt and indifference, and those who show no care and attention towards the poor.

It is these evils that Prophet Amos, who carried out his prophetic mission around 760bc in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, condemns among the people of his time. At that time there was economic prosperity which produced a very wealthy class of merchants and rulers who felt much secured in their wealth. As such, their wealth made them complacent, had no place for God in their lives and indifference towards the needy around them.  At that time, as their economy grew and prospered there was little or no thought given to the moral responsibility which each person should have towards their neighbor. It is against this background that Amos tells the wealthy individuals of the society that they will go to hell.

The same message is seen in the Gospel of today. In the parable, Jesus tells the story of a rich man and poor Lazarus. The rich man has no name but feasted and enjoyed his wealth without caring for the poor Lazarus who stands at his door. The rich man was not punished because of his wealth or was he condemned to hell because he was rich. He suffers the pain of hell because he could not see beyond his material wealth and possession. He had everything he needed and selfishly spent all he had on himself. He was so absorbed in his possession that he hardly notices the needs of those around him like the poor Lazarus.  Just like we read, in the story of the rich young man in the Gospel of (Matt 19:16-25) who wanted to enter eternal life was not condemned because he was rich but because he was so attached to his wealth that he has no place for God. So, when Jesus told him to sell what he has and give to the poor and come and follow him he could not give up his wealth. He was so attached to his possessions that giving it up for the sake of eternal life was an uphill task for him. Thus, the rich man in today’s Gospel reading lost sight of God and the treasure of heaven because he was preoccupied with seeking happiness in material things. He served wealth and material things rather than God. In the end the rich man became a beggar.

On the other hand, the poor Lazarus did not go to heaven because he was poor. It is not his poverty nature that gained him a place among the saints and angels in heaven. It was because he trusted in God. He hoped in God and he did not lose hope in God. That corresponds to the meaning of his name Lazarus “God is my Help.” Despite a life of misfortune and suffering, Lazarus did not lose hope and trust in God.  His eyes were set on a treasure stored up for him in heaven.

Application and Lessons

The first lesson we learn from the readings of today is that in God’s economy, those who hold on possessively to what they have lose it all in the end, while those who share generously receive back many times more than they give away.

We should never be so absorbed with wealth, riches and material things that we lose sight of God in our lives. God should always be given the first priority in our lives.

We should always trust and hope in God despite whatever suffering and misfortune we may go through in this life. It was the trust and hope Lazarus had in God despite his life misfortune that gained him a place in heaven.

We should never treat others with contempt or become indifferent to the sufferings and needy ones around us because no matter what we have, it will never follow us beyond here. We may not have all the resource to give out but we can give good encouragement, appreciation and recognition or a smile. A smile does not cost us much but it does a lot of good when we give it to those who need it. 

We also learn from these readings that it is not just sins of commission that lead to eternal death, but sins of omission lead to the same (when we omit compassion and mercy and gentleness and kindness to others). Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “The hunger of today is much more. It is hunger for love, to be wanted, to be appreciated, and to be cared for, to be somebody.”

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