18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C - August 3, 2025

 18^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C - August 3, 2025

Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23; Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11; Luke 12:13-21

 

Theme: Our Focus and Trust in Life Must not be in Possessions, but in God

 

A.    A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 12:13-21

 

1.      Historical and Literary Contexts

This text is part of the collection of Jesus' teachings to his disciples and the crowds during his long journey to Jerusalem, where his Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension will occur (9:51–19:27). This collection of teachings aims to prepare them for the mission they will undertake after Jesus’ earthly life. For instance, in our passage, he warns them against focusing on and trusting in material things. Immediately before our text, he advised his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and encouraged them not to be afraid during persecution (12:1-12). Right after our text, he will teach them to depend on God (12:22-34).      

 

2.      Form, Structure, and Movement

This narrative account includes a parable. Vv. 13-15 serve as an introduction, while v. 21 acts as a conclusion. The parable itself (vv. 16-20) functions as the body of the text. 

 

3.      Detailed Analysis

Vv. 13-15. The request of this unnamed individual to Jesus reveals that this man’s focus and trust in life are rooted in material possessions rather than in complete dependence on God, as he overlooks Jesus’ teachings (see 12:1-12) and prioritizes wealth. Seizing this opportunity, Jesus instructs him and the crowd about the importance of guarding against all greed because one’s life does not consist of possessions.

Vv. 16-20. One might wonder why Jesus disagrees with the wealthy farmer in the parable. Given that his land has produced an abundance of goods and he lacks sufficient storage space, is the farmer’s choice to build a larger barn to accommodate all his goods not a reasonable solution? Why, then, does Jesus call him a fool?

The foolishness of this rich man lies in three points he fails to do. (1) He fails to recognize God as the unique author of the abundance of his harvest. His reactions reveal that he believes he deserves this merit, not God. (2) He fails to involve God in his plans. Notice how he speaks to himself: “What should I do…I will do this: I will pull down …I will store all my grain and my goods” (vv. 17-18). The only person this farmer refers to here is himself, believing he can succeed alone without God’s help. (3) This wealthy farmer fails to realize that his possessions cannot secure his life. After figuring out how he will store all his goods, he says to himself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!” (v. 19). He ignores that his abundant goods are merely vanity of vanities (see the first reading for this Sunday, Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23). God alone can secure human lives and can demand them at any time (Luke 12:20).

V. 21. Jesus concludes this parable with a warning, stating that individuals who store treasures for themselves without being rich in what truly matters to God will ultimately end up like this foolish farmer. By “what matters to God,” Jesus refers to being dependent on God (12:22-34) and being vigilant and faithful servants (12:35-48), the themes he explores in the passages that follow this text.

   

4.      Synthesis

The request from the unnamed man in this Gospel shows that his focus and trust in life are not fully on God but rather on material possessions. In response, Jesus shares the parable of the rich fool to teach this man and the crowd about the danger of relying on possessions rather than on God. In the parable, Jesus criticizes the attitude and actions of the wealthy farmer for three reasons: (1) he does not recognize God as the true source of his abundant harvest; (2) he does not involve God in his plans; (3) he does not realize that only God can truly secure his life, not his possessions. Jesus concludes this parable with a warning, stating that those who store up treasures for themselves without being rich in what truly matters to God will ultimately end up like this foolish farmer. 

     

B.     Pastoral Implications

 

1.      Liturgical Context

The Gospel reveals that the riches of this world cannot secure our lives. The first reading characterizes them as “vanity of vanities.” The second reading encourages us not to focus on them but to seek and think of what is above.

 

2.      What the Church Teaches Us Today

Our focus and trust in life should be placed not on possessions, but on our absolute dependence on God. The unnamed man of the Gospel interrupts Jesus’ teachings when he asks him to act as an arbitrator and judge between him and his brother regarding their dispute over the distribution of their inheritance (Luke 12:13-15). By doing so, he overlooks “what matters to God” and prioritizes his wealth. Do we do the same, just as this man did?  Do we prioritize our businesses and leisure over attending Mass, participating in church activities, and fulfilling the works of mercy? Our Holy Mother Church exhorts us to understand that our focus and trust in life must not be on material things and leisure, but on God.

Jesus condemns the wealthy farmer in the parable of our Gospel, calling him a “fool” for several reasons. First, this farmer fails to recognize God as the unique author of his abundant harvest. Let us reflect on our moments of blessings (such as success in our jobs, schools, or projects, or the blessing of having a good family, etc.); do we behave like this man? Our Holy Mother Church encourages us to express our gratitude to God, who is the sole author of all our blessings.

Second, this wealthy man does not involve God in his plans. The only person he refers to is himself: “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods…” (vv. 17-18). He believes he can succeed alone without God’s help. The Church teaches us that, as human beings, we are all limited. We need and depend on God’s assistance. Therefore, let us always include our Lord in everything we do.

Third, the wealthy farmer does not realize that his possessions cannot secure his life. Pay attention to what he says to himself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!” (v. 19). We act the same way when we focus on material things, thinking that they are essential for securing our lives. Here, the Church reminds us that possessions are merely vanity of vanities, as our first reading teaches us. God alone can secure our lives and can demand them at any time (Luke 12:20).

Therefore, Saint Paul exhorts us in our second reading that we, who have been raised with Christ, should seek not what is on earth but what is above, because our lives are hidden with Christ in God. He calls us to put to death the earthly parts of ourselves, meaning to repent from sins, such as immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires, greed, which is idolatry, lies, and divisions.

Let us pray to God during this Eucharistic celebration that we may focus not on earthly things, but rather on our complete dependence on God. Amen. 

Fr. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church, Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator