You just can’t take it with you

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

A reflection on the daily readings, for Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

+ James, in his letter, continues this theme of condemnation against the rich, especially the rich who have, “withheld wages from the workers who have harvested your fields.”

But in general, again, James is concerned with people who place so much value on wealth and are too blind to see that wealth itself doesn’t account for much. In the end, the real wealth we should all seek is God’s love and grace, and walking hand-in-hand with the Lord!

Once again, James states clearly as he critiques the wealthy who adore and love their wealth —

“At his death he will not take along anything,
his glory will not go down after him.”

James.

And for what it is worth, accepting the era when James was writing this, everyone thought that heaven was up and hell was down. The wealthy, then, as went down to hell, will lose all of that wealth and will not have the wealth of God’s love they should have been seeking and preserving.

It is, clearly, a simple and even simplistic look at heaven, hell, wealth, spiritual poverty, etc. But it does make the point quite well that the person who is wealthy in their relationship with God clearly has the better outlook and better experience on which to trust.

Money has its limits!

God’s love is without limits or conditions. Or simply put — it is eternal!

Jesus, once again and as always, goes much deeper and makes the point in an almost scary way. Jesus proclaims —

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.”

“And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.”

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.”

“And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna.”

Again, one should suppose it is a little more complex or layered than that, but the point is well taken.

If one was to put all of their money in one bucket — or as they say, “place all their bets” on one thing — my suggestion would be to place it in the one labeled “God“!