生命與財富
那時候，人群中有一個人向耶穌說：「師傅，請吩咐我的兄弟與我分家吧！」耶穌對他說：「人哪！誰立了我做你們的判官，為你們分家呢？」遂對他們說：「你們要謹慎，躲避一切貪婪，因為一個人縱然富裕，他的生命並不在於他的資產。」
耶穌對他們設了一個比喻說：「有一個富翁，他的田地出產豐富。他心裏想道：我可怎麼辦呢？因為我已沒有地方收藏我的物產。他遂說：我要這樣做：我要拆毀我的倉房，另建更大的，好在那裏收藏我的一切穀類及財物。以後，我要對我的靈魂說：靈魂哪！你存有大量的財物，足夠多年之用，你休息吧！吃喝宴樂吧！天主卻對他說：糊塗人哪！今夜就要索回你的靈魂，你所儲備的，將歸誰呢？那為自己厚積財產而不在天主面前致富的，也是如此。」
路加福音 12:13-21
© Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. (www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/)
從過去到現在，對財物的貪戀一直是人類的一大誘惑。就算不是基於貪婪，一般人還是希望積聚財產，令生活得到保障。財產可以包括物質的財物、金錢、投資，也可以是地位、名譽、工作、人際關係等等。這些事物本身並沒有問題，問題在於人如果過分重視這些世上的事物，會影響我們與天主的關係，因為如此一來，我們就如耶穌所形容的「糊塗的富翁」，倚賴的不再是天主，而是這些短暫的事物，自以為它們能確保我們生活的安穩。其實耶穌多次提醒我們，地上的一切都可以被盜賊偷竊，或被蟲損壞，只有我們在天上積聚的，才是永恆。
耶穌說：「人的生命並不在於他的資產」，所以我們該做個聰明的門徒，把天主放在生命的中心，把眼光放在天主所應許的永恆寶藏上，因耶穌說：「你們不能事奉天主而又事奉錢財。」(路16:13)
你的生命紮根於甚麼？甚麼是你生命中的財寶?
「你的財寶在那裏，你的心也必在那裏。」(瑪6:21)
這篇默想由生命恩泉文摘編輯小組撰寫，內容以下列文章為根據: Commentaries on the daily readings by Sacred Space, 常年期第廿九週星期一.
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “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!$2"0$ 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.”
Luke 12:13-21
Throughout history, it's always been one of the greatest temptations for human beings to crave for money and wealth. Even in some cases, it is not due to greed, people still wish to own more to feel more secure in life. These possessions can be materialistic such as properties, money, and investment; or it can be one's reputation, social status, job, relationships, etc. The possession itself is usually neutral, but the problem is if we attach too much to these possessions, it would affect our relationship with God. We would then become whom Jesus called the “foolish rich man”, because we rely on temporal things more than God and yet blinded to believe these things will bring us security in life.
Jesus warned us that “one's life does not consist of possessions”. Therefore we should be wise disciples, and fix our eyes on God and His promise of eternal treasure in heaven, rather than things in this life that will eventually pass away. For Jesus said, “No servant can serve two masters... You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:13) It is a choice we have to make.
What are your attachments in life? What do you see as your treasure in life?
"For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." (Matthew 6:21)
This reflection is prepared by the FLL Inspire editorial team as a digest of the following two articles: Commentaries on the daily readings by Sacred Space, 常年期第廿九週星期一.