Our attitude to material things is the subject of today’s Gospel, which tells us about a man who wants Jesus to act as a mediator in a property dispute. For many Christians, such priorities often take precedence over our following of Christ. Jesus, however, offers a much more secure way to happiness. Against the greed that obsesses many people, Jesus offers an opposite alternative to security and happiness–that of sharing. In the kind of society that is the Kingdom, we do not need the security of an inheritance, or of winning the lottery. Our security comes from being part of a loving and caring community, taking care of each member’s needs–a kind of society which, with some exceptions, has not yet been put in place. We still tend to believe that if we do not look after number1, no-one else will.
In the society that is the Kingdom, our security comes from being part of a loving and caring community, taking care of each member’s needs. Here is where the security people long for lies. Real security is not in the future, but in the here and now. The society that is the Kingdom involves a life of total immersion, and involvement with other people. Our security comes from being part of this loving and caring community, taking care of each member’s needs. There is only one Christ. He is everything, and he is in everyone.