By V. Fr. Luke Veronis
There was a rich man whose land
produced abundantly. In fact, he was so wealthy, that he decided to take early
retirement. He said to himself, "Soul, you have done so well; you have
enough for many, many years to come. Therefore, take it easy - relax, eat,
drink and be merry."
What do we think, when we hear
about such a man? Obviously, many of us would think, he is a very successful
person. When we hear about his life, and about his opportunity to retire early,
with comfort and abundance, many of us would envy his life. We would call him a
success. And yet, in today's Gospel lesson, God calls such a person a
"fool!"
No where is it said that the man
is a dishonest business man. No where is it said that he cheated his workers.
Nothing negative is said about the man in the Gospel. So why does God call him
a fool? Can it be that sometimes what the world sees as success is foolishness
in the eyes of God? St. Paul himself often wrote that the friendship with the
standards of the world are contrary to friendship with God.
Look at how the world views
success. For many people, success is related to money and possessions. When you
have much money and become rich, you are a success. When you build a big home,
you are a success. When you have a nice car, you are a success. When you have
many possessions, and you can sit back, take it easy, and enjoy life, you are a
success in the eyes of the world.
But the mistake with this view of
success is that it is totally centered on one's self, on what we do for
ourselves, how we improve our life. Life is not seen from a communal
perspective, where we are interested in the needs of our brother, but from an
individualistic, self-centered perspective where our ego becomes the center of
the world.
This was the sin of the rich man.
This is why he is a "fool" in the eyes of God. His focus is on what
he has, on how his possessions will bring him comfort, on how he can enjoy his
life. He has forgotten that life isn't about what we do for ourselves, but how
we serve others.
Jesus said, "The Son of Man
came not to be served, but to serve others." On the night when Christ
washed the feet of his disciples, he said to them, 'You call me Teacher and
Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have
set you an example, that you also should do as I have done." We followers
of Christ are not to fulfill our own desires and pleasures, but our call in
life is to take care of others. It is in denying ourselves, that we discover what
true life is.
Success in the eyes of God does
not depend on how many possessions we have, but on how few possessions we need
to be content in life. Success in the eyes of God does not depend on how much
we can acquire, but on how much we can give away to help others. Success in the
eyes of God does not depend on how comfortable and easy our life is, but on how
we strive without ceasing to sacrifice for the sake of others, to make the
lives of others more comfortable.
One holy person said, "God
did not call me to be successful in the eyes of the world, but to be faithful
in His eyes." Being faithful is different then successful. Being faithful
implies living a life of self-sacrifice, self-denial, taking up one's cross,
and following the example of Christ. This is true success in God's eyes.
The mistake of the rich man is
that he thought he could enjoy all his riches for a long time. And yet, none of
us know when death will come. We may die today, tomorrow, or after many years.
When the rich man was ready to relax and enjoy his possessions, God said to
him, "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And
the things you have prepared, whose will they be." Jesus ended the parable
by saying, "And so it is with those who store up treasures for themselves
but are not rich toward God."
Since no one knows when the end
will come, we must always be vigilant. One of our Church Fathers said,
"The present age is not a time for rest and sleep, but it is a continuous
struggle and combat ... therefore we must devote ourselves to holy
action.". While we're still here on earth, let us be alert, striving to be
rich toward God through serving our fellow man. God blesses us with riches so
that we can use them to help others. Remember, we are only stewards of all our
possessions. God has lent them to us, hoping that we will use them to alleviate
the needs of others.
There is a beautiful story from
the life of St. Makarios of Alexandria. One day, a certain brother brought a
bunch of grapes to the holy Makarios; but he, who for love's sake did not think
of his own needs but instead thought of others, carried the grapes to another
brother who seemed to be in greater need. This sick brother gave thanks to God
for the kindness of Makarios, but he also decided that his neighbor had greater
need for it, so he took the grapes to another brother. This brother acted in
the same way, until the same bunch of grapes were passed around to all the
cells, scattered as they were far over the desert, and no one knowing who first
had sent them. Finally, they were brought once again to the first giver, St.
Makarios, who praised God for the love and generosity of all the brothers.
How does God view each of us
today? Is he also saying to us, "You fool!" or is he looking upon us
with joy, seeing that we are acting as good and faithful stewards with all that
he has given us!