Poverty or Riches, the choice is ours … Sunday, June 2

Riches in Christ Jesus.

Gospel Reading, Luke 9:11b-17

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.” Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty.” They did so and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.

     2,000 years later, have we run out yet? Or are we still collecting wicker baskets full of leftovers? There is no lack in Christ. There will never be a “running out”. And there is no reason to fear or fret about this. Christians are never poor, regardless their earthly poverty. Earth, the world, isn’t where our treasures are. “But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal.” Matthew 6:20. And we do this in many ways, the greatest of which is receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus in Holy Communion.

     The world is finite. If we look to it for our riches we’re sure to suffer want, to live in poverty. Look around. Most of the world, the greatest portion of it, already lives in poverty. Even in nations blessed by abundance there are people living in cardboard boxes and going to sleep hungry every night. That’s the way the world is. If we look to the world for our sustenance that’s how we’ll live.

     Today we celebrate the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is Infinite and knows no poverty. If we look to Him for our sustenance we are guaranteed riches. No government, no constitution, no contract, no man-made law, no human promise can ever give us what He can. Knowing this, where should we look in time of need? The answer is Jesus. God. The test is: Where do we look in time of plenty? Are we content to follow after the world just because everything’s OK now? Or do we look ahead to the end of a finite world and realize that being a “street person” in Heaven is better than being rich and powerful here and now? Because no matter how long the earth lasts it IS finite on a personal level. No one gets out of this alive. At least not without Jesus.

     “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Luke 12:34.