Our highest treasure

Luke 12 : 13 - 21

Man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions

In the midst of the global economic crisis, how do Jesus' words sound? It might seem crazy not to worry about our finances because whatever we have has gone done in value so much already. It might seem that we have to be concerned and act wisely with regard to economics at such a time. But how can we still heed Jesus' warning?

It all depends on our inner attitude. The rich man in the parable was not just being wise and industrious. He had moved on towards egoism and self-centeredness. He was consumed with his possessions. It was all self-talk. He had lost the capacity to be concerned about others. His whole focus was on himself - his rich harvest, his plans to build more storage space, his desire to enjoy life for himself in the years to come. Nowhere is there thought or regard for anyone else, least of all his Creator.

Jesus' message about possessions and treasures is always that they are but means towards the goal. The real goal, the lasting treasure is our life with God. As long as we can keep things in the right perspective, we will not fall into the trap of the rich man in the story. God does know that we need to use our talents and energies in the pursuit of money, for the right reasons (to provide for our families, to be able to help the poor and needy, to be self sufficient, and so on). God knows that we can also get carried away in this pursuit, as in so many other areas. This happens when the focus shifts - when we make the means graciously given by God, the goal of our life. That would be the core of Jesus' message. At a time like this, economics matter to us, and we do need to be responsible. But first and foremost, comes the need to be 'rich toward God'.