You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you

22 OCTOBER (Lk 12,13-21)

In ancient Israel it was up to the judge to settle issues between a man and another. They had been set up precisely for this reason: to act as intermediaries of peace in the endless disputes that necessarily arise in all human relationships. A dispute is the result of sin, vice, a not conquered virtue, a moral perfection not yet attained. Being man always imperfect, more or less justified, mild, heavy quarrels, which may also result in a killing; will always arise around him.

“You shall appoint judges and officials throughout your tribes to administer true justice for the people in all the communities which the Lord, your God, is giving you. You shall not distort justice; you must be impartial. You shall not take a bribe; for a bribe blinds the eyes even of the wise and twists the words even of the just. Justice and justice alone shall be your aim, that you may have life and may possess the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you” (Dt 16,18-20). “One witness alone shall not take the stand against a man in regard to any crime or any offense of which he may be guilty; a judicial fact shall be established only on the testimony of two or three witnesses. “If an unjust witness takes the stand against a man to accuse him of a defection from the law, the two parties in the dispute shall appear before the LORD in the presence of the priests or judges in office at that time; and if after a thorough investigation the judges find that the witness is a false witness and has accused his kinsman falsely, you shall do to him as he planned to do to his kinsman. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst. The rest, on hearing of it, shall fear, and never again do a thing so evil among you. Do not look on such a man with pity. Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot! (Dt 19,15-21).

On disputes it is really worth listening to and putting in our hearts this truth drawn from the Wisdom of Israel. Never is a man so wise as to avoid all disputes.

“The start of strife is like the opening of a dam; therefore, check a quarrel before it begins!” (Pr 17, 14). For the stirring of milk brings forth curds, and the stirring of anger brings forth blood” (Pr 30, 33). For lack of wood, the fire dies out; and when there is no talebearer, strife subsides” (Pr 26, 20). Avoid strife and your sins will be fewer, for a quarrelsome man kindles disputes, Commits the sin of disrupting friendship and sows discord among those at peace. The more wood, the greater the fire, the more underlying it, the fiercer the fight; The greater a man’s strength, the sterner his anger, the greater his power, the greater his wrath. Pitch and resin make fires flare up, and insistent quarrels provoke bloodshed. If you blow upon a spark, it quickens into flame, if you spit on it, it dies out; yet both you do with your mouth! (Sir 28,8-12).

Today Jesus is thought of as one of the many judges who are in Israel. They ask him to intervene, to mediate in a dispute between brothers. Jesus strongly rejects the invitation. He strongly avoids to let himself be involved. Why? He did not come to settle issues between a man and another, but between God and all of humanity.

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!” But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”

Settled matters with God, there are no longer issues with men. It is truth. Who lives in holy relationship with God will always live in holy relationships with men. The quarrel attests the falsity or imperfection of our relationship with God. If we are not real with God, never might we be with men. It is the truth with God that makes us to be true with men. Jesus Christ came for this: to give us grace and truth.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels, and Saints make us wise, learned, and true.