When We Lie Down in Death

Fr. Mark Link wrote that in 1923 an important meeting took place at the Chicago Edgewater Beach Hotel.  Attending were the following VIP’s: the president of the largest steel company, the president of the largest utility company, the president of the largest gas company, the president of the New York Stock Exchange, the president of the Bank of International Settlements, the greatest wheat speculator, the greatest investor on Wall Street, the head of the world’s greatest monopoly, and a member of President Harding’s cabinet.

That’s pretty impressive line-up of VIP’s.  Yet, 25 years later, where were those nine industrial giants?  The president of the largest steel company, Charles Schwab, died bankrupt; the president of the largest utility company, Samuel Insull, died penniless; the president of the largest gas company, Howard Hobson, had gone insane; the president of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, was just released from prison; the bank president, Leone Fraser, committed suicide; the wheat speculator, Arthur Cutten, died penniless; the Wall Street investor, Jesse Livermore, committed suicide; the head of the world’s largest monopoly, Ivar Kruegar, committed suicide; the member of President Harding’s cabinet, Albert Fall, was just given pardon from prison so that he could die at home.

That story dramatizes the point behind Jesus’ parable of the foolish farmer.  Jesus does not say that money in itself is evil.  But from the point of the Bible, the fool is the man who lives as if God did not exist.  He is the practical atheist. 

The rich man of this parable is wise in a sense – from the strictly human point of view.  He has foresight and common sense.  He knows very well that fortunes have been lost for lack of adequate storage.  As for him, he will not risk being taken unprepared.  He will build larger barns. 

Finally, regarding his retirement, he sees it as comfortable and in abundance.  Our man knows how to have a good time with the money that a lifetime of honest work has accumulated.  What can be wrong with that?

And yet, the verdict of Jesus cracks like a thunder, “You fool!”  This rich man had constantly reasoned as if God did not exist, as if the poor and needy do not exist, as if he could dispose of the future, “I’ve got an abundance of goods in store, enough to last me for many years,” he had thought. 

That is where he went wrong.  His possessions were only lent to him, and this for a period over which he had no control.  A man’s life does not depend on his wealth.  Against death there is no wealth that can withstand.  Heart attack and cancer do not take fortunes into account. 

Nowadays anyone can be robbed, kidnapped, or murdered.  And his fortunes can be lost to criminal elements.  Fire, accidents, and other calamities can consume his properties.

The stupidity of the man was in the false security, which he drew from his wealth.  He should have staked his security on God rather than on material possessions.

Must we then live in insecurity?  No, Jesus is saying that our priority in life should be on becoming a person, not on acquiring wealth. 

Concretely, we violate the priority Jesus speaks about when we acquire wealth at the expense of becoming dishonest; when we acquire power at the expense of becoming ruthless; when we acquire popularity in the community at the expense of neglecting our own family.

“A man’s life does not depend on his wealth.”

Jesus is not referring merely to biological life.  The life of a person is made of everything, which give him joy and happiness, drive and creativity.  That also is not guaranteed by wealth. 

To take only a commonplace example, the rate of suicide is much higher in industrialized countries than in poor countries, among the rich than among the poor.  The people of modest income as a whole are more optimistic in facing life, more capable of laughter and games, than the well-to-do classes. 

Happiness cannot be bought.

If a person is rich in anything whatsoever, rich in talent, intelligence, know-how, good looks, popularity, character, love, and enjoys that wealth without reference to God, that person is no less in danger than the man in the parable. 

That is why prosperity and success may sometimes be harmful to us, whereas failure and trials may well be a blessing.  The essential thing is we belong to the Lord.  It matters little whether we belong to him in success or in failure, in life or in death.  In short, we violate the priority Jesus speaks of when we acquire passing treasures in this life at the expense of losing eternal treasures in the life to come.

One morning many years ago Alfred Nobel opened his newspaper and read his own obituary.  A reporter carelessly reported Alfred’s death in place of his brother’s.  Alfred was shocked.  For the first time in his life, he saw himself as others saw him.  He saw himself as the “dynamite king” who had spent his life making instruments of death and destruction.

That morning Alfred Nobel resolved to change his image.  His resolution resulted in the annual Nobel prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, and Peace.

Today we have come to know the insecurity under many forms – nuclear threat, terrorist bombing, kidnapping, cultural and technical upheavals, psychological hang-ups, etc.  This is a blessing in disguise, for we are, so to say, driven to face the fundamental issues: either escape into the various forms of diversion – alcoholism, drugs, sex, compulsive work, party-hopping, etc. – or face up to our insecurity and seek in Christ a solution to it. 

The last sentence of the Gospel tells us: “I will be with you always, to the end of time.”  Those who have opted for Christ can testify that it is true.

Today’s Gospel invites us to do what Alfred Nobel did.  It invites us – in our imagination – to read our own obituary.  It invites us to see ourselves as others see us.  It invites us to see ourselves as we really are.  It invites us to see ourselves as God sees us.

There’s a story of three apprentice devils in hell, who were about to accompany their teacher to earth for some on-the-job experience as devil interns.  Their internship supervisor asked them what techniques they planned to use to get people to sin.

The first little devil said, “I think I’ll use the classic approach.  I’ll tell people, ‘There’s no God, so sin as much as you can.  Sin up a storm and enjoy life.’”

The second little devil said, “I think I’ll use a more subtle approach.  I’ll tell people, ‘There’s no hell, so sin up a storm and enjoy life.’”

The third devil said, “I think I’ll use a less intellectual approach.  I’ll tell people, ‘There’s no hurry, you have plenty of time, so sin up and enjoy life.”’

To which the little devil have you listened to lately?  What are you putting off in your life? Today’s parable invites us to ask ourselves: “If we were to appear before God tonight to give an account of our life, would God have to say to us at this moment what He said to the farmer, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?”

Let’s close with a prayer:

Lord, You said to your disciples,

“What profit is there for one

to gain the whole world?

Yet lose or forfeit himself?”

Help us see ourselves as we really are.

Above all, help us see

That what counts when we lie down in death

Is not the wealth we acquired during life?

But the person we become

in the process of living.

Amen.