The first reading for today is not exactly uplifting. The author of this book is a total spiritual Debbie-downer. Some think that this book of Ecclesiastics was either written by King Solomon in his last days or about him from someone who knew his thoughts and feelings at the end of his life.
If we recall Solomon, we remember he was one of the most blessed men that ever lived. His father, king David, left him a prosperous and powerful kingdom. Before he ever ascended to the throne, he had wealth, peace, and a powerful army. As a young man, God came to him and said what do you want from me? Solomon said just give me wisdom, which pleased God greatly at the time.
However, as the years went by, Solomon, even though he was continually blessed with every good thing this world can offer, continued to store up these things apart from God. He stopped developing his relationship with the Lord and eventually the wealth, the power, the hundreds of wives, and the massive armies could not fulfill this once wise man. The more he tried to find happiness and fulfillment in these things, the emptier he became. If you read the complete book of Ecclesiastes, you will detect a deep sense of bitterness and cynicism. The conclusions of the author? Nothing in life lasts. Good people and bad people both die in the end. Wisdom won’t save you. Just have a good time. Eat drink and be merry.
How depressing if this is all there is to life! Why in the world would the church use this at mass, much less keep this in the bible?!
I think for two reasons: One, many people struggle with this dilemma. In our time, we are in the position of Solomon. We have so many good material things. We are wealthy in comparison to 90% of the planet. We have more food than we can eat. We have easy access to knowledge and education. We take for granted so much that the rest of the world only dreams of. And yet, so many are profoundly unhappy and feel empty. Our riches and abundance, apart from God, do not fulfill us. The dissatisfaction of Solomon resonates deeply with modern culture. Our wise Church knows that this book can speak to us and offers it to us as a sort of spiritual warning not to rely only on human wisdom or resources to get through our time on earth.
The second and more important reason is that there is an answer for the sadness and despair of Solomon just as there is an answer for the despair and depression of modern society. That answer can only be Jesus. He is the true wisdom that Solomon lost. He is the bridge to a relationship with the living God. He is the victor over death who brings meaning and strength to every triumph and tragedy, to good times and bad. The first reading doesn’t make sense in the bible or at Mass unless we read it with Jesus as the answer. If we just stay at the level of the author, it simply expresses the limits of human wisdom and understanding which isn’t enough to get through the mysteries of this life.
The parable of Jesus in the gospel builds on this theme of trying to find fulfillment in the things of this world. The Lord’s remark that, “...though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions” is particularly appropriate for our society: In our society having is equated with being and having more is interpreted as being more. The reverse side of this coin is that having less is interpreted as being less and the glaring inequality in having is echoed in the terrible inequality of respect offered to those who have less.
We want to remember that every parable of Jesus is meant to be applied on three levels: first, as it applies to our world, second as it applies to the Church, and lastly, as it applies to us as individuals. Jesus’ stories and wisdom found the parables can’t reach their fullest power and relevance unless we reflect on them in this three-fold way. When we do, it’s amazing how relevant and powerful they still are!
With this in mind, the story of the rich man offers two points worthy of consideration. The first point is the rich man’s self-centeredness. The wealth resulting from his abundant harvest will be enjoyed by him alone. An abundant harvest would most likely require a larger work force, but the idea of sharing with the laborers the benefits of the bumper crop never crossed the rich man’s mind. We may not be rich farmers ourselves, but we have all been blessed with a variety of gifts, an abundant crop. We need to be willing to share with others the benefits of that crop or risk becoming the man who is completely unprepared to meet God when his life is over.
The other point in the parable is the trust and energy he puts in the harvest. He is banking on this abundance to be his refuge and happiness. It’s his safety net. And yet, once he dies, it is absolutely meaningless. The things he spent so much time and energy building up can do nothing for him in death and just crumble away.
These are sobering lessons to reflect on. But better to think about them now and make the necessary adjustments and changes than to realize it when it is too late! And so today we ask ourselves, “Are there worldly things in which I put my trust, trust that is only meant for God?” Do I hope to find fulfillment and happiness in the things of this world, things which can be very good, but which ultimately will crumble away. Lastly, how much of my time and energy am I putting into developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? The one thing that will last and bring perspective to the good and bad times of life? This is the most important thing that death cannot take away!
If there are changes we need to make to our thinking and acting, that’s ok. But let’s not put it off until tomorrow. Most importantly, let's never forget that our peace, happiness, and security can never come from what what material things we have stored up for ourselves but only through a living relationship with Jesus Christ!
