By Father Paul Nord, Sunday Scripture
First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23; Response: Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17; Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11; Gospel: Luke 12:13-21
The name “Ecclesiastes” is from the Greek translation of the Hebrew title of the book: “Qoheleth.” This is usually understood to mean “the Preacher” or “the one who teaches the assembly.” The wise King Solomon was traditionally identified with “Qoheleth,” based on 1:1 (“The words of Qoheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem”) and 1:12 (“I, Qoheleth, when king over Israel in Jerusalem”). Scholars today cite verses that suggest Ecclesiastes was composed later than Solomon’s time. It appears that the author composed Ecclesiastes as a “speech-in-character” of Solomon – although without any intention to deceive the reader.
“Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” This is Ecclesiastes’ main theme. “Vanity” translates the Hebrew “hevel” – which literally means the warm vapor of breath (that quickly disappears). It is a stunning image for the passing nature of all earthly things.
The remaining verses describe a person “who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill” but eventually “he must leave [his] property” to someone else. Previously (2:19), Qoheleth lamented “who knows whether that person [inheritor of the property] will be wise or a fool?” Qoheleth recalls “all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun.” But he sees no profit in this. Now he considers it only vanity – like breath that quickly passes away.
The Responsorial, Psalm 90, emphasizes the shortness of human life. The psalmist says to God: “You turn man back to dust, saying, ‘Return, O children of men.’” This contrasts with God’s eternal nature: “For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night.”
The second stanza continues reflecting on the brevity of human life: “You make an end of them in their sleep.” For emphasis, the psalm compares our lives to “the changing grass” which “springs up” at dawn, but “wilts and fades” when evening comes. Isaiah 40:6-8 has a similar message: “All flesh is grass, and all their loyalty like the flower of the field…Yes, the people are grass! The grass withers, the flower wilts, but the word of our God stands forever.”
Midway through the third stanza, the focus turns: “Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!” This section (90:12-17) pleads for God to act on behalf of his people. It concludes: “Prosper the work of our hands!”
This passage from Colossians makes an exhortation: “seek what is above.” The reason is given: “[because] you were raised with Christ.” Another exhortation: “Think of what is above.” Why? “[Because] you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” This contrasts “new life” with God versus “dying” to this world – its desires and goods. St. Paul points the reader to Christ’s return at the end of this age: “When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.”
The second paragraph focused on the practical ways that we Christians can “put to death” all that is “earthly” within us – such as “immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire… greed.” Verses 3:8-9 add: “anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language…stop lying to one another.” We stop these “earthly” actions because we have “died with Christ” to this world.
Paul next shifts from “dying” imagery to “clothing” imagery. Paul says, “you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self.” The Greek verbs for “taken off” and “put on” are normally used for clothing. It is likely that Paul is invoking the ancient Christian baptismal practice of removing one set of garments and putting on new white garments. Paul is using this sacramental symbol to point to the deeper change in our reality – we become a “new person” (new self/man) by “putting on” Christ in baptism.
Paul then says our “new self… is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator” (3:10). Thus, we Christians are being transformed into God’s image even now. We cooperate with Christ’s grace which frees us from sin. We await Christ’s return, when all will be created anew. But already now, our earthly identities are no longer relevant. For us, “there is not Greek and Jew…barbarian, Scythian, slave, free.” This is because “Christ is all and in all.” By the grace of our baptism, Christ is daily forming us into a “new person,” a new creation.”
In today’s Gospel, a man requests that Jesus “tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” Jesus responds by emphasizing how unimportant earthly riches are. He warns against greed, and says “one’s life does not consist of possessions.” The text does not indicate if either brother has acted unjustly toward the other. This man’s desire for possessions is an obstacle to a good relationship with his brother. Jesus indicates that the real problem is not equitable distribution of possessions, but rather how greed can destroy human relationships.
Then Jesus tells a parable about a “rich fool” who builds larger barns to store his abundant harvest. This man thinks that he will be able to “rest, eat, drink, be merry” for many years to come. But the rich fool dies that night. Thus, his many possessions do not benefit him.
The man’s actions are explained by his internal “self-talk.” But his thoughts are contrasted with what God says to him: “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you!” The “fool” and his foolish actions are a common trope in Old Testament Wisdom Literature – like Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Book of Wisdom and Sirach. The actions of “the fool” are also denounced in Psalms 14, 39, 49, 53, 74, 92, and 94. For example, Psalms 14 and 53 both begin: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
Jesus’ “rich fool” parable has a message similar to today’s first reading from Ecclesiastes, which observed that the person who anxiously labors with great effort “must leave [his] property” eventually to someone else (Eccl 2:21). Possessions are vanity – like a passing breath.