When Much Is Given, Much Is Expected

Meditation For the 26th Sunday

It is common to see, when passing by a corner store, a sign out front advertising the latest Lottery jackpot. Often the numbers can be a million plus. Imagine winning such a lottery. Suddenly you are a multimillionaire – all your problems solved! Perhaps not. In a resent study it is suggested that 70% of people who come into a sudden large windfall will lose it within a few years Indeed, and according to today’s gospel having great wealth is hazard to your eternal life. But why? In Luke Jesus says: From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Lk 12:48 In last Sunday’s gospel, Jesus uses the example of a delinquent and dishonest servant to illustrate how wealth can corrupt. This Sunday the rich man – perhaps same man who commended his dishonest servant, is the focus. “You cannot serve two masters”. It all comes down to understanding who we are and why we are here. We did not choose to come into this life, we were created and sent into the world by God. Nor is this world a product of our doing, it too is created. We did not make it and we do not own it. This world and all life in it belongs to God – we are not owners of anything by right. That is why comparing us to servants is a most accurate analogy. The reason why the rich man in today’s gospel finds himself in big trouble is not that being rich is wrong in itself, but that, “to whom much is given, much more is expected.” He is doing nothing fruitful with what has been entrusted to him. In the account of the rich young man whom Jesus invites to become his follower, the wealth of this young man controls him rather than the other way around. “And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! (Lk 18:24) With life comes responsibility and with wealth comes even more responsibility. I was raised by parents who were products of the great depression. For us having was a blessing – wasting was a sin. In those days, parishes were lifelines for their people, parishioners helping each other survive. They understood these gospels teaching we are reading – related to them. Perhaps the improved conditions of resent times is having a negative impact on us today. Who needs God when I am doing quite well thank you. May we never lose site of who we truly are, God’s servants, and that . . . “ From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked”.