Selfishness


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Our Gospel lesson is startling/shocking to us to say the least! It’s one of those things that makes you think deeply about life, and about making it count. It’s as if a curtain was opened so that we can see what our afterlife will look like. I tried to stay with the story and realized something: The story isn’t about the rich and the poor as much as it is about the wicked and the righteous as the Bible often describes it, but more like selfishness and godliness. Could it be possible that we are born with selfishness? I mean think about it, who teach toddlers to say this is mine! Dr. Peter Blake believes that: “As we get older, we get better at managing our wants and needs in a more socially acceptable manner, but face it: We never outgrow our desire for possessions. We always define ourselves, at least in part, by what we own”. Ok, you might not agree with Dr. Blake, but look at how respond to ads targeting what we desire: On one hand, we can choose to lean into the desire, just like Eve leaned into hers with the forbidden tree in the Garden. That way, we desire what the world has to offer and act on it. Here is the danger: When all we can think of is ourselves, this can quickly lead us into Selfishness. On the other hand, we can lean into the power of God to help us defeat the powerful magnet-like things of the world that pull us down with it and rather turn towards Christ and seek to live godly lives.
To me, it’s like all material things are screaming to us: “BUY ME, BUY ME, if you would buy me, you would be happy!” Sometimes, we listen to it and other times we don’t. Jesus’ parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus wakes us up to see (1) how much our undue love of this world can turn us away from God, and (2) how perhaps we could consider a peaceful, and much simpler life. A life lived in repentance and turning to God every moment, and (3) how our belief in Jesus Christ assures us of eternal life. In the story, one ended up in a happy place and the other ended up where he was tormented. This obviously terrifies us for good reasons.
Let me just say this: In God, there is peace/ love! Both now and in the afterlife. When we are at peace with God, we become content, nothing else we need but God. There is a website that claims to measure happiness country by country. Finland was found to be number one: 2 years in a row! They considered parameters like Income/freedom/no corruption/life expectancy/social support and generosity! Those are really great! But Jesus idea is slightly different. We have two choices no matter where we live: Orienting our desires either towards the glory of God or towards our own glory!  This is the real question for us! Could it be that when we put our trust in the love of this world, its stuff and the good feelings the stuff brings to us, that we are in danger of forgetting our creator? Even more dangerous is when we are unaware of how so tightly attached, we are to these worldly goods, trusting in them more than we trust God. The world and its stuff can become our idols, look at how much time we spend on them! God wants our love! But we keep misdirecting our love elsewhere than the creator!
Last Tue, we read Ps 78. It recounts how God intervened in feeding Israelites with Manna and Quails yet their hearts were not loyal to God, they were not faithful. God gave them the food that they craved and still, it wasn’t enough. We are no different from our ancestors: We crave for more and certainly; the world doesn’t help when it tells us in our face: “Quench your thirst! Indulge, no boundaries whatsoever! Do whatever you desire” Should we? No. Why? There are boundaries: Bible! That’s why Jesus is opening our eyes to the reality of eternal life, to realize that how we behave in this world, has real consequences in our afterlife. The question comes back in retrospect: Who have we been trying to honor? God or ourselves?
Paul said that as children of God, we shouldn’t allow the love of this world and all it has to offer to dominate us, we should rather pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Jesus said to Pontius Pilate: “My Kingdom is not of this world” This should pull us towards Christ and away from the love of this world. Paul says peace with God brings contentment, this is the best benefit to have!
Let us walk accordingly!

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