Majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting” (Mat. 19, 27 — 29).
Again one day one of the multitude said to Him: “Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied: “Man, who hath made me a judge or a divider over you?”
Then, addressing the multitude, He said: “Take heed, and beware of all covetousness, for a man’s life doth not consist in the abundance of things.” Then He spoke a parable to them as follows: “The land of a certain rich man brought forth plenty of fruits. So he thought within himself: ‘What shall I do, because I have not where to lay up together my fruits?’ This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater ones, and into them I will gather all things that are grown to me, and my goods. Then I will say to my soul: ‘Soul, thou hast many goods laid up for many years; take thy rest, eat, drink, make good cheer!’ But God said to him: ‘Thou fool! this night do they require thy soul of thee, and whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?”’ Then the Divine Master added: “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.” [1]
COMMENTARY.
Faith alone will not save us; for the observance of God’s commandments is also necessary. In other words, he who desires to be saved must not only have faith, but must live up to his faith. His faith must be living, and active in love.
- ↑ God. Our Lord warned the disciples of the danger of riches by these words: “Amen I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." (This was a figure of speech which meant that a thing was, naturally, impossible.) When the disciples heard this, they wondered very much, saying: “Who then can be saved?" for they knew how much rich people cling to their riches, and how much poor people desire to possess them. And Jesus said to them: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible", i. e. by his own strength no man can free himself of his love of the world and its possessions, but he can do so by the help of God's grace.
