Even in Old Testament times, it seems, humankind struggled
to discern what was of value in life.
The Book of Ecclesiastes, situated within the tradition of wisdom literature,
exhorts readers to avoid the emptiness of excessive labor and the anxiety such overworking can cause in order to prevent the sin of vanity: For
what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he
has labored under the sun? It is
God, not the idol of work, that should occupy the human mind; without God,
Psalm 90 reminds us, human life is a transitory and pitiable mess: Return,
O Lord! the psalmist sings. His request for a renewed relationship with God
includes an acknowledgement of the fallibility of human judgment: Teach
us to number our days aright, he asks the Lord, so that his community might
best appreciate the fullness of covenant with God: Prosper
the work of our hands!
In Luke's Gospel, Jesus likewise encourages the crowds to focus on God rather
than on the transitory, material possessions of this world. His parable of the rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest, only to lose his
life before he could make use of it, underscores the idea that worldly treasure is nothing when compared to the
riches that matter to God. Similarly, Paul encourages the Colossians
to think of what is above, not of what is
on earth, for their lives are hidden
with Christ in God. In baptism, they
have put on the new self, in the image of its creator; it is a life in
God, with God, that allows us to embrace holy indifference to the material
rather than the vanity of property of which Qoheleth speaks. Ultimately, it is our commitment to God’s
creation as stewards, rather than as possessive masters, that will make us rich in what matters to God, and that will
allow us truly to appreciate God’s kindness
and gracious care.
This post is based on OLMC's Scripture class.
Image source: Wordle
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