Grace and Space

Lk 12:13-21
Guard against greed: Jesus is asked to arbitrate in a dispute involving inheritance. He responds by saying that he does not judge such matters, then he raises the issue to a higher plane—the greed which gives rise to the request. Jesus cautions against all greed. A person is not defined by his or her riches.
 Then, Jesus tells the parable of a rich man who, because of a miraculous harvest, has grown even richer.
According to Luke, riches are given by God to a person in order that they be shared with others. Riches are for the good of the community. Because there is only a limited supply of riches, the only way that others can have some is if the rich man shares what he has with them.
The rich man in the parable, however, is greedy; he wants to hoard his abundance. The rich man believes that his possessions are his security. Thus, he has committed idolatry; he is storing up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God—love of God and neighbor. He has confused who he is with what he possesses.
The rich man, considered blessed by God, is then called a fool because he has trusted in the wrong riches and violated the principle that wealth is given to be shared. He has mismanaged God’s gifts. After he dies, his stored-up riches will go to those for whom they were given—people who have no riches.