Inequality of Possessions: Has the Acquisition of Money and Possessions Changed

Jesus warns us in the Gospel of Luke about the search for and the use of money, which is never despicable either for the rich or for the poor. what is money? Some think: it is everything; opens all doors, without it nothing is done; he buys all people. Others say: it is the 'dung of the devil'. He corrupts everything, and does not buy happiness. The fact is that money is an ambiguous value, that is, it will be good or bad according to the use made of it.

For example, there is the greed, the exaggerated attachment to it. A feeling that leads man to make money an idol: a kind of god, and serve him almost as a slave. It is a common temptation. Because of this idolatry, this cult of money fueled by ambition, dishonesty enters into social relations. Appeal, deceit, deceit, corruption, luxury, squandering along with poverty and misery arise. In short, all sorts of sin.

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In all times and cultures, greed for money has fueled human illusions. In our time perhaps more than in others, who knows! Today there is easy wonderment for so many offers of enjoyment, pleasure, and possible happiness. All provided by the fever of consumerism.

Money is undoubtedly a powerful symbol of command, possession, prestige, or status. On the one hand he concentrates the achievements of men: material and spiritual. On the other hand, if one kills and dies for money. The poor man who earns it badly seeks to save him.

The richer the more he spends and squanders, the more he accumulates. The Gospels have a well-defined position regarding wealth and money. Of your possession and your real value. A parable of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke warns us that money and its covetousness are pitfalls that prevent access to true wealth, to be rich to God. Let's read: Lk 12: 13-21.

In the early days of the Church, Christians practiced the communion of goods, at least in some situations. They were very united because 'they had everything in common ... they distributed the money among everyone as each one needed' (Acts 2:44). This is how the Acts of the Apostles tells us. But despite all the initial fervor, the competition of riches, ambition, began very early in the Christian community. This gave rise to problems and misunderstandings between them. Scholars think that chapter 12 of the Gospel of Luke portrays this fact. He condemns the attachment to money because it is a false security and a constant temptation that draws us away from the Kingdom of God.

It has yet another aspect. By showing Jesus refusing to act as judge in the sharing of the inheritance between two brothers, the Gospel would also deny the Church any economic function in society. It is not called to economic matters. Plan, regulate finances, salaries, projects, etc. Its social function in this sector is not economic but prophetic. It is up to the Church, to be faithful to the Gospel, and for that, to denounce corruption, to demand ethics and justice from rulers, to fight against ambitions and to oppose social inequalities.

To warn his disciples against the danger of covetousness and the temptation of riches, Jesus used a parable as was his custom. A rich man had grown richer with the crop. He did not even know where and how to save his wealth. He made new and larger barns and began to make plans for managing the goods. From there, he thought he was guaranteed to the end of his life. Safe from all difficulties, illnesses and misfortunes. Your money would be your safety! She did not have to worry about anything else. He was rich! He thought to himself, 'You have a great amount of possessions on deposit for many years. Rest, eat, drink, celebrate! '(V.19). There Jesus concluded and applied the parable: all that wealth did not put the life of that man in the insurance. He died that very night. He left everything he had got. His money stayed for the others and he took nothing of it!

Mary lived a humble and suffering life, but she was all rich to God, because she lived all these ideals with the Son. The Christian can be rich or poor: whatever! Being a Christian should be independent in the face of material possessions and money. And to know that life is only rich if lived for others, sharing goods and gifts. What good is it to have things, possess assets, deposit money into banks, possess credit cards, accumulate wealth and succeed in business if the world continues to be threatened by injustice? The poor continue in poverty and the rich empty of heart, without faith and insensible to the final destination. We do not live for the money. If we are responsible in its use we will be vigilant against the dishonest life. True wealth is 'being rich to God.'

Mary lived a humble and suffering life, but she was all rich to God, because she lived all these ideals with the Son. With her, we will learn to be faithful followers of her Son in our time. Inside the Church and not outside it! Mark the difference against the generalized mentality of a materialistic world. Indifferent to the value of the human person, refractory to the Gospel.

Works cited

1. Barr, J. (2016). Wealth and Poverty in Early Christianity. Cambridge University Press.
2. Francis. (2013). Apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium of the holy father Francis to the bishops, clergy, consecrated persons and the lay faithful on the proclamation of the Gospel in today's world. Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
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