+ The second reading today brings us our point of focus: if you were raised with Christ, seek what
is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think
of what is above, not of what is on earth. And in the gospel passage Jesus
tells a parable with the same punch line: don’t
store up treasure for yourselves here below – but be rich in what matters to
God – and store up heavenly treasures that will always be there for you.
Regarding
the first: Paul is telling the Colossians that if they really, truly
and honestly call themselves Christians and believe that when they were plunged
into the baptismal waters, they died, and then coming up out of them, rose with
him – then from that point on they should be seeing everything differently:
beyond, over and above, super-naturally! This is how Christians are meant to
see and hear, think and speak and act from that moment on. So he tells them to
put to death the parts of them that are earthly – immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire and greed that is idolatry. You have put on a new self – Christ’s self – so for the sake of God
– live like it!
Then
Jesus again in the gospel parable tells people to stop looking
below, gathering and hoarding, and storing and hiding their goods and their
possessions: you cannot take it with you:
and what you hoard will be distributed in any number of ways that you most
likely would not approve of: so stop building bigger barns, and go straight for
the sky: consider your spiritual gifts and possessions as the most important:
and keep your eyes of faith focused on them in heaven! It is really not
that difficult: all it takes is the initial turning away from the vanity of thinking that there is always
something more to get, purchase, buy, and negotiate for: then stop worrying –
all things will work out in the end – so long as you tune in to the voice of
the Lord, and the Spirit – and DO WHAT THEY TELL YOU – trying to live a
supernatural life in a natural world!
If
today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.