Ordinary 26

The Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2015 – Cycle B Numbers 11:25-29; Psalm 19; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

“Woe to the complacent in Zion, to the overconfident lying upon beds of ivory.  They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best of oil; yet are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph!”

             [See Amos 6:1ff]

Jesus said: “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.” [Luke 6:24]

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for a person who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a person who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” [Matthew 19: 23-24]

“Come now, you rich, your wealth has rotted away, your gold and silver have corroded. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.” [See James 5:1-6]

The wealthy do not fare well throughout the Scriptures challenged and condemned as they are by the Hebrew prophets, Jesus and the early Christian community. What is there about being rich that warrants such contempt and condemnation?

Might we begin by asking, who are the wealthy of this world? Consider that almost all of us have a comfortable and safe place to live. Most of us are employed offering benefits of a guaranteed wage, retirement and health insurance. Most of us have resources to guarantee regular and healthy nourishment. We have means of transportation to take us wherever we want to go for travel, work, entertainment, and shopping. By most standards, you and I are rich. All human beings who have ever lived on this planet for millennia have not enjoyed the standard of living that many of us experience. Most of the people with whom we share life on this planet do not live as well as many of us do. We are rich.

Are we to be included and do we deserve the condemnation levied against rich people? Are not these words meant for the Warren Buffets, the David Kochs, the Michael Bloombergs, the Mark Zuckermans, and the Bill Gates of this world? The answer to both questions is, not necessarily.

So why the biblical contempt and condemnation of the rich?

The answer may be found in a recurring theme of Pope Francis very evident in his speech to the United States Congress. Like the continual splash of ocean waves on a beach we hear the refrain: “demanding pursuit of the common good…”      “A political society…as a vocation, to satisfy common needs…”     “Building a future of freedom requires love of the common good…”      “We must move forward together…cooperating generously for the common good.”      “Politics is…an expression…to build as one, the greatest common good…”

Many people have called Francis a Marxist and a Communist, an enemy of the capitalist system. They are wrong. He stated, quoting from his Encyclical, Laudato Si’: “Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving the world. It can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the area in which it operates especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good.” [Laudato Si’, 129]

What biblical and papal teaching criticizes is not wealth per se but the blindness, greed, envy and selfishness that can be characteristic of the life of a rich person. Blindness to the poor in our midst. Greed and envy that seek to accumulate more for the sake of having more rather than supporting the common good. Warning is given about the enslavement that can be forged through the inordinate love of wealth.

Remember the ghost of Jacob Marley weighted down by his chain of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds and heavy purses wrought in steel. “I wear the chain I forged in life,” replied Marley. “I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will.” [Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol]  Ebenezer Scrooge thought it was indigestion.

In this light, consider the rich young man who, through he followed the Mosaic Law faithfully, when told by Jesus to sell what he had and give to the poor and then become a follower – went away sad, for he had many possession. [See Matthew 19:16ff] How many of us are faithful to the Gospel in so many ways and yet are weighted down by our possessions?

The prophet Amos accuses Israel of blindness and lacking any compassion: “Woe to the complacent in Zion, lying upon beds of ivory; yet are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph! The blindness of Israel to the poverty of their sisters and brothers may be likened to the parable of the rich man who is oblivious to Lazarus, the poor, sick and hungry man, sitting on his doorstep. Did the rich man walk around or over Lazarus when he left his home? Surely the rich man wasn’t blind, he just didn’t care. [See Luke 17:19ff] What goes on inside of us when we see a person who is unkempt, possibly will ask for a hand-out, is mentally ill?

Can we understand why the biblical tradition seems harsh on the wealthy? It is not the person who is condemned but rather the values of compassion and care that can be distorted, even extinguished, by wealth and power.

Together with the comforts and opportunities that our standard of life brings come responsibilities. It is this sense of responsibility toward others, the common good, and the care for people that must be at the heart of a person with riches. This is experienced in our generosity in sharing our personal resources with those who are less well-off than ourselves.

• Contributions to Christ At Our Table, the annual Mission Appeal, Bread for the World, Food for the Poor, Cross Catholic, and the emergency appeals for those suffering natural disasters are a sharing of wealth.

• Volunteering time at Saturday’s Bread, Saint Mary’s Food Pantry, Salvation Army and other organizations of the church, state and society is a sharing of wealth.

The properly disposed person freely shares their wealth because they are concerned about sisters and brothers and know that what they have is a result of God’s generosity and therefore must be used for God’s purposes. Recall the parable and the greed and anger of the vineyard workers who, working for twelve hours, thought they would get paid more than those who worked for an hour. “The landowner said in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’” [See Matthew 20:1-15]

Being rich does not necessarily mean being selfish or sinful. But the rich have more of a responsibility of being attentive to needs of brothers and sisters, to the issues of justice, especially in the workplace, and of being generous; generous because God has first been generous.

“Come now, you rich,…” Is the letter of James addressing you?