Where do we invest?
Where do we invest?
Philip Arthur Fisher was an American stock investor best known as the author of Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits, a guide to investing that has remained in print ever since it was first published in 1958. He says, “The stock market is filled with individuals who know the price of everything, but the value of nothing."
This Sunday's reading talks about spiritual investment. The first reading from the book of Ecclesiates (1:2,2:21-23), which is one of the Wisdom books. In this passage, the voice of the narrator (Qoheleth) talks about “Vanity.” Qoheleth means one who gathers or a preacher. The author identifies himself as “Son of David, king of Jerusalem.” According to the scriptural scholars, the author is Solomon.
Qoheleth said, “All things are vanity.” The Hebrew word used for vanity means something without substance. He describes his pursuits of pleasure, wealth, and accomplishments, and the emptiness he found in it all. The idea developed throughout the book is that it is vain and futile to pursue wisdom that is not rooted in the fear of God. An excessive concern for the goods and pleasures of earthly life leads to futility.
Solomon sets out to pursue three common human goals, three pursuits to which many people devote their entire lives: 1. Pleasure or joy, which we see in Ecclesiastes 2:1 “Come, now, let me try you with pleasure and the enjoyment of good things.” See, this too was vanity. 2. Wisdom which we read in 2:12-17, “What about one who succeeds a king? He can do only what has already been done. I went on to the consideration of wisdom, madness, and folly… Therefore, I detested life, since for me the work that is done under the sun is bad; for all is vanity and a chase after wind.” 3. Toil or labor for possessions which we read in 2:18-26, “I detested all the fruits of my toil under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who is to come after me… For to the one who pleases God, he gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the one who displeases, God gives the task of gathering possessions for the one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chase after the wind.”
In 2016, at World Youth Day in Kraków, Pope Francis mentioned the sport, and young people cheered. He was a big soccer fan. When he referred to the World Cup, it brought even louder cheers. Then he paused, looked at the sea of youth, and said, "Jesus is the true champion. Jesus is the true Lord. And I ask you: Is Jesus the Lord of your life?" And then, he said, "Jesus is a greater prize than the World Cup!" Young people stood, raised their hands, and gave a sustained cheer.
Jesus is the one grand prize. That's what we see in today's readings. In comparison to Jesus, everything else in this world is vanity. Only Jesus has ultimate worth, and only in him does anything have value. Ecclesiastes says, “Vanity of vanities, All is vanity.”
In the Gospel (Luke 12:13-21), Jesus tells us the parable of the rich fool. This parable teaches that life centered on greedy ambition and satisfaction is empty of meaning. The fool is oblivious that his life will end, together with all his accumulated material possessions. Rich tells “…so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry” (Luke 12:19).
Jesus is not disregarding his skills and ability to acquire wealth, but instead of his greed. Greed is undoubtedly dangerous. IT is one of the capital sins. Jesus was called the rich fool because he lost his aptitude to invest wisely. His life was consumed with his possessions, and his only interests were in himself. WE don’t see the farmer did any wrongdoings, but it is about sins of omission. We have to be careful in how we use God’s blessings. Jesus is not talking against wealth, but he is talking about how it is used. A fruitful life involves charity towards others and detachment from material goods.
Christian life is about happiness. We are happy people. The question is where we find happiness. Our ultimate goal in life is to achieve eternal happiness. Without God, all life is meaningless. But with God, every aspect of our lives proclaims the reason for our creation: to know him, to love him, to serve him. He is our true treasure.