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The problem of the rich man in the parable is not his excessive wealth but his inability to use his riches to bring help and comfort to others.
Luke 12: 13-21
Many parents often chide their young charges when they fuss and complain that another sibling gets more than the other when in fact there was no need for the particular want. Some years ago I went shopping with a friend and before she reached the cashier she took up each item from the trolley and asked herself, “is this a ‘need’ or a want’”. Today’s passage brought to mind that penchant we all have for hoarding things we do not really need.
The problem of the rich man in the parable is not his excessive wealth but his inability to use his riches to bring help and comfort to others. He did not give himself the opportunity to discover that it is in giving that one receives abundantly.
We are all aware how easily avarice can creep into our lives and how we can justify our not helping others but this Gospel calls us to strive to become rich in God’s sight by using our material possessions to help others by narrowing the gap between the rich and poor.
