Covetousness

Today’s Gospel Text: One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 16 And he told them a parable, saying, "The 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?' 18 And he said, 'I 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.' 20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Luke 12:13-21

Reflection: "Extreme desires about what does not belong to you," that’s what covetousness is all about!

Who could that covetous character be in the gospel story? Was it the man who wanted his brother to divide the inheritance or the man who asked Jesus to be the arbiter to divide the property?

It could be either, yet what is important is that things may not belong to us and yet we may be covetous about life and situations.

We could be covetous about other people’s property or wealth or belongings or we could be covetous about other people’s gifts and talents or we could be covetous about the clothing’s of others.

In the spiritual realm, we could be covetous about other people’s spiritual gifts or we could be covetous about their positions and power or the privileges they enjoy on account of their positions. The later could exist even in the secular world, which often leads to work place politicking.

We could be covetous about the creative actions of others too.

In all these things, the real problem arises when one degrades oneself to such an extent that they would find their identity in having much rather then in being; as for us Christians it is a being that is reconciled with God in Christ Jesus.

Ones life is made up by the abundance of God’s grace offered to us freely through faith by the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. Further, this life can only progress as we attach ourselves more and more to him by being detached from the worldly attachments of sin and bondages.

Prayer: God our Father, free your children from every bondage of covetousness and possessions, so as to walk freely in your grace.

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