When we hear today’s
Gospel most of us would thing, at least the beginning of the Gospel where it
says, ‘sell your possessions and give alms’, (Luke 12:33) is not for us who are
poor who consider ourselves underprivileged, but it’s only for the rich, who
have more. Is it? But in my reflection it’s for all of us. To everyone. Word of
God is not partial, not one sided, when it speaks, it speaks for all. I feel
that most of the times we consider the Words of God which is favorable to us,
the rest we think it’s for others.
In the beginning of the
Gospel we read that, 1. Sell your possessions and give alms, 2. Make purses for
yourselves that do not wear out, and 3. Where your treasure is there your heart
will be also. Don’t you feel that first two verses are seems a bit
contradictory? We have purse to have our possessions, or money; when we sell
and give it up, they why we need purse? Here it says that you make purses that
do not wear out, it did not say keep the purse with you for yourselves. We make
the purse that do not wear out and keep it in heaven to store our treasures of
blessings that we will receive through giving up all in charity by selling them
up. All, everyone should sell out and give to others. What does it mean? A
simple thing. HELP. Make your possession to be avail to those who are in most
need of them. Possession means not only our properties, but also our time and
talents. “Each of you must give as you
have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) Those who can give from their abundance of
wealth let them give from that, those who can give the time to be with or to
listen to others let them do so, or those who can extend their talents and
knowledge let them do so. Let everyone give according to what one has. Why should
we give? To make ourselves purse that will not worn out to gather and treasure
the abundant blessings of God. For St. Paul continues to say the effect of
giving cheerfully is that, ‘God is able to provide you with every blessing in
abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share
abundantly in every good work.’ (2 Corinthians 9:8) This is what follows next in
today’s Gospel, when we give our possessions (of this world) which will be
destroyed by moths or stolen by thief, ‘an unfailing treasure in heaven, where
no thief comes near and no moth destroys.’ (Luke 12:33) will be in store for
us.
The third point of our
discussion says that ‘where your treasure is, there your hearts will be also.’
(Luke 12:34) Where do our hearts go usually? When the parents happen to go far
away their children and house, they say that their thought would be always
there with them, on the children and on the possession. The same could be
applied to close friends. Mean to say that always thinking of that person. Why?
Because we consider them as our valuable treasure, or treasured possession.
Most of the time our hearts are roaming around on this earth as we have all our
possessions only here on earth. That’s the reason Jesus today inviting us to
have some possession in heaven by giving up what we have here on earth which
will be practically useless for us after our death.
God says in 2 Chronicles
7:16 that his eyes and heart will be always there. Where? Among us. ‘I will
live in them and walk among them’ (2 Corinthians 6:16; Cref. Leviticus 26:12
& Revelation 21:3) Why should his eyes and heart should be here and why
should he live among men? That’s because we are his treasured possession. “For
you are a people holy to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you out
of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession.”
(Deuteronomy 7:6) Only we are his treasured possession among all things on this
earth. As God’s heart and thoughts are here, our hearts and thoughts should be
there on God.
Another point of my
reflection was, ‘From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be
required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be
demanded.’ (Luke 12:48) This is a reminder for us all those who want to acquire
much, possess more on this earth. It’s obvious that when we store up our
treasure in heaven, we no need to give account, because it is already a given
account, much will not be required of us or we need not to pay tax for our
heavenly possession. But for whatever we desire and possess much on this earth
we have to give account of them all, it is a requirement and it will be
demanded.
Who is a beggar? One who
begs? Nope, beggar is the one who don’t have anything. Since he does not have
anything he begs. And no one will go and ask him to give account for anything
or ask him to pay any tax. Who is a King? One who has everything? Nope, king is
the one to whom everything is given. Nothing belong to him as such, everything
is given. He has to give account for everything he do as the protector of the
people. Much is given to him so much will be demanded of him. If you just
remove all that is given to him, he is just one with the beggar. We never think
of this, is it not? We just risk our time, talents and health to possess more, acquire
more, and have more and more. We don’t think that none of these is ours and
none of these will give us real happiness.
Our real treasure is God which will never be taken away from us.
Once there was a king
on his birthday he made an announcement that all the people in his kingdom can
come to the Treasury of the palace and take whatever and how much ever they
want. As much as they can carry. So, the people were waiting eagerly for the
birthday of the king. When the day came from dawn to dusk people were flocking
with all their members in their family who could carry something. They all were
restless in making their choice in the treasury of the king, what to take what
to leave. When the king was coming around the treasury watching people, some
are very busy in accumulating things and valuables to carry home, others, a
very few come and fell at him feet and thanked him, some kiss his hand as sign
of gratitude. But the king noticed that there was one little girl standing
alone and watching everyone without touching anything. The king went to her and
asked, ‘hey little girl. Why are you standing here? You like any of the
treasure in my kingdom?’ The little girl in reply answered, ‘Yes my King, I do
would like to take some treasure for me home.’ ‘Then go and take it, it’s all
getting over’, the king replied. The asked him, ‘My king, is the promise you
made is true? Whatever I touch will be mine?’ ‘Oh yea, I am king, I don’t
withdraw my promise for whatever cause’, was the proud answer of the King. Then
the little girl pausing for awhile when the king was puzzled in wonder, she
touched the King. She said that she did not want anything else except him. And
according to the promise the King became her treasured possession and all that
belongs him too.
Now where is our hearts
and where will it be? Let us store our treasures in heaven in purses that will
not worn out, so that our heart will be there. Let us live together in one mind
and heart intend upon God.
Help us Lord Jesus, to
give away what we have to others with joyful hearts so that we will have you as
our treasured possession because you live among us especially among the poor
and the broken hearted. May we recognize you and care for you by caring our
neighbors so that we may have treasure in heaven. Amen.
