18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
3rd August 2025
Lectionary Readings: Eccl 1:2, 2:21-23; Ps 89 (90):3-6, 12-14, 17; Col 3:1-5, 9-11; Lk 12:13-21
Theme: The Rich Man and His Storehouse
In vv.16-20 of the gospel of today, Jesus instructs his disciples with a Jewish mashal (a parable or allegory that illustrates a moral or religious lesson}. This is followed by a nimshal (a verse that is the key that unlocks the meaning of the mashal), V. 21, “So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God”. The mashal then is about the focus of our lives, which determines how we view possessions (Snodgrass KR, 400). The story, as Luke tells it, extends beyond the reading in the lectionary to v.23, and verses 15 and 23 frame the parable, further emphasizing its meaning:
v.15 “…for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions”
v.23 “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing”
Jesus would have been very aware no doubt of the way in which the Hebrew scriptures had argued about the question of dying and leaving things to others. Sirach holds the negative view expressed above:
“A person becomes rich…(and) 19 when he says, ‘and now I shall feast on my goods!’ he does not realize how time passes by; he will leave them to others and will die” (Si 11:18-19).
This is echoed in the later Mishnah, as in b. Ta’anit 11a:
“And behold joy and gladness…eating flesh and drinking wine – ‘Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die’. What follows after this [verse]? — And the Lord of Hosts revealed Himself in my ears; surely this iniquity shall not be expiated by you till you die”.
In contrast, Deuteronomy 31:14-30 about the impending death of Moses offers a positive approach:
“Your time to die is near…19 Now therefore write this song…22That very day Moses wrote this song and taught it to the Israelites…30 Then Moses recited the words of this song, to the very end…”
What follows is the beautiful and reassuring Song of Moses expressing God’s love and faithfulness to his people far into the future.
Scripture scholar Barbara Green notes that having a barn or storehouse is not the issue. We all need to provide for the future. What is at issue is the question as to how much is too little, or how much is too much? Jesus’ story is a metaphor – we are all the landowner. It challenges us to look at our acquisitive attitude towards money and material possessions, but what else do we keep in our storehouses? Such things as public esteem, the approval of others, our lifetime achievements, the number of awards we have been given, the qualifications we hold, the famous people we know…etc? Note that the parable is unfinished in that we are not told the response, if any, of the rich man to Jesus’ promptings. Luke leaves each of us to finish the story in our own lives (Green 127-132).
For Reflection and Discussion:
1. What do you find in your storehouse that you don’t really need? 2. Discuss with others what it feels like to take Jesus’ words seriously.
Bibliography: Green, B. Like a Tree Planted: An Explorations of Psalms and Parables Through Metaphor (Collegeville MN, 1997); Snodgrass, K.R. Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus (Eerdmanns, Grand Rapids MI, 2008).
This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Kevin L. McDonnell cfc, Australia, Bat Kol Alumnus: 2003, 2004, 2005
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