The Illusion of Possession: Greed and the Fragmented Self
Reflection on Luke 12:13 21
Today, Jesus recounts a parable that strikes at the core of the human condition. A person requests that he serve as an arbitrator in a family dispute regarding inheritance. However, Jesus, who perceives the underlying nature of the situation, provides a more profound response: "Be cautious of all greed, for life is not defined by possessions, despite one's wealth". He then recounts the tale of the wealthy fool, a man who constructs larger barns to store his surplus grain, confident that he can finally relax and appreciate life. However, God intervenes in his plan: "You are a fool!" Your life will be required of you this evening. Wealth is not the sole focus of this narrative. It pertains to the illusion of possession and how it fragments the human psyche.
A secure future is believed to be guaranteed by man's abundance. His soul is at peace, not as a result of faith, but rather as a result of the abundance of barns. This is the initial illusion: the notion that our identity and future are determined by our possessions. However, Jesus reveals the flimsiness of that deception. The man's security was a fake, as evidenced by his abrupt, uninvited death. This spiritual peril is cautioned against in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: "The disordered desire for possessions is one of the many causes of the many conflicts that disturb the social order" (CCC 2424). And disturb the soul as well.
What happens to a soul consumed by greed? It becomes fragmented, split from its true identity, disconnected from others, and alienated from God. The rich man speaks only to himself, about himself, and for himself. His vision is inward, but not contemplative; it is isolated and egocentric. In psychological terms, such a person lives from a false self, the identity built on status, possessions, and appearance. But the true self, says St. Paul, is “hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). Jesus shows us that greed is not just a moral failure; it is a crisis of identity. We lose sight of who we are because we define ourselves by what we have, rather than by who we are before God.
This teaching is echoed in the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna teaches, “He who is unattached to all desires, who acts without ego, and is free from longing he alone finds peace” (Gita 2:71). Both Christ and Krishna warn us: Attachment leads to suffering. Possession without surrender leads to fragmentation. The way forward is not control, but detachment, not as indifference, but as inner freedom. The Gita’s teaching is not so different from Jesus’ call to be “rich toward God.”
The parable concludes with a straightforward statement from Jesus: "And so it will be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich towards God." Living in a proper relationship with God is the essence of being rich, valuing what is eternal, sharing what we receive, and placing our lives in the hands of the One who created us. "Man is created by God and for God, and God never ceases to draw man to Himself." He will only discover the truth and pleasure that he is perpetually seeking in God. (CCC 27). The yearning to be known, cherished, and secure is our most profound aspiration, which is obscured by the desire to possess. That level of satisfaction is beyond the capacity of any barn. Only God is capable of doing so.
This Gospel is not merely a warning story. It is an invitation to surrender, to simplicity, and to wholeness. The fragmented self that clings and hoards is invited to rest in the mercy of God, where nothing needs to be clutched and everything can be given. Jesus is not urging us to despise material possessions; instead, he is urging us to perceive them correctly as instruments for communion, not as substitutes for God. To give generously is to liberate our essence from fear. Detachment is the act of recalling one's identity. Our souls should be examined. In what endures, or in what perishes, are we wealthy? Allow us to be prudent rather than naive. We should not subsist by grabbing, but rather by giving. No, by sowing, rather than preserving. Wherever our treasure is, our heart will be situated as well.
Fr. Dorathick OSB Cam
Evangelho dominical: Evangelho quotidiano
