The readings for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) May be found at:
Now, I don’t know about you, but the thing that sticks out to me most about this gospel passage is the fact that God calls this man a fool.
Now, this isn’t like you or me thinking that someone is a fool or even saying to someone else that we think someone is a fool or even looking straight at someone and calling them a fool - which is not something we should really do. No. This is God calling this man a fool. God.
Now, the word “fool” literally means a person without reason, without common sense, or devoid of sense. Fool. That’s a pretty serious word, isn’t it? I am sure that Jesus doesn’t take the word “Fool” lightly, and yet in this passage God calls the man a fool. He doesn’t call him that because he’s a crook. He doesn’t call him that because he’s dishonest. He doesn’t call him that because he fails to plan ahead. Right? I mean this guy is talking about building bigger barns and storing away years of bountiful harvests. What’s wrong with planning for the future? To tell you the truth, in our society, this man would be considered a success. The fool, in this case, is a person who lives as though God does not exist. He may not actually say it, but in his actions, in his lifestyle, in his priorities, in the way he spends his time, in the things he does, he lives as though God does not exist. We see this clearly in the parable Jesus told.
A foolish person is a thankless person. This man says “I” or “Me” or “My” a dozen times. In four verses, he thinks or talks about himself, his stuff, what he has accomplished, and what he will do 12 times! Not once in this whole parable does he ever think, mention, or say, “Thank you”. Not one time. He could plant and till. He could harvest and collect. He could tear down and build, but he could not cause it to rain. He did not cause the sun to shine. He did not keep the bugs and disease away. He did not cause the seed to grow, and yet he thought he had accomplished all that he saw and was grateful to no one. He never thanked God for what he had. He never thanked God for his health. He never thanked God for the blessings he had. He thought it had all come as a result of his efforts. We live in a society today that is marked by this kind of selfishness. We live in a society where many believe that all they have is the result of their own efforts, don’t we?
A foolish person is also often blinded by lies. What will I do? I’ll build better barns, store up my stuff, and then enjoy myself. More will make me happy. Oh, the lies that have blind us. If I have more stuff, it will make me content. We never say it like that though. Instead, it sounds like, “I really want this or that …” believing the lies on TV that a new car, a bigger house, whiter teeth, or shinier hair (yes, I said hair) will make me happy. We have bought into the lie that more is better when the opposite is often true.
A foolish person also forgets others. Why do you we think God left us here and gave us the gift of faith? It was to witness to and to serve others. Now that doesn’t mean we have to be Mother Theresa, but it can’t always be about us. Do we consider those around us? Those in need? And not just those in our own family. Do we remember the Church? Are we generous with our time, our talent, our treasure?
Finally, a foolish person forgets the future. What would you do if you knew that tonight your life were to be demanded from you? Might that change the way you spend the rest of your day? Would that change who you spend it with? The decisions that you make? You might even pray like you have never prayed before. This man, this foolish man, had not prepared for the real, the lasting, eternal future, instead focusing on the here and now.
This week. As you are driving around or if you have a quiet moment, I’d like to ask you to think a bit. Think about all that you have, rather than all that you want. Are you thankful to God? I mean, truly thankful? Are you living a life of truth and storing up the kind of treasures that truly matter to God and for eternal life? Are you considerate of others and their needs, and if you are able, do you make an effort to help those that don’t have as much as you do? Are you examining your conscience and investing in what truly matters in your relationship with God and those around you?
If you are doing all of things, I say congratulations - you are on track.
If not, there may still be some time left so as to not be thought of a fool.
