 |
||||||
Someone
in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to share the
inheritance with me." He replied to him, "Friend, who appointed me as
your judge and arbitrator? Then he said to the crowd, "Take care to
guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does
not consist of possessions."
|
||||||
"I’m
through
with standing in line to clubs we’ll never get
in. This life hasn’t turned out quite
the way I want it to be. Tell me what you want—I want a brand new
house and a
bathroom I can play baseball in. I’ll
need a credit card that’s got no limit and a big black jet with a
bedroom in
it. So, how you gonna do it? I’m
gonna trade this life for fortune and
fame 'cause we all just wanna be big rockstars, and live in hilltop
houses
driving fifteen cars."
|
||||||
|
Nickelback's
song "Rockstar" is sarcasm
of the highest order. The group seems to be making fun of the people
who
criticize rock stars, and then they exaggerate what the
critics say to show how stupid it really is, with the conclusion that
this is not the way rock stars are. They describe in exaggeration what people think rock
stars have.
The control of possessions plays an important part in Jesus' doctrine. He saw all too clearly what the desire for riches and possessions did to the good people of his day, to the people who wanted to better their lives, to the religious leaders, and even to his own Apostles in the person of Judas. But it seems as though the human Jesus can see into the future as well, perhaps into the twenty-first century in particular. The people of the twenty-first century can hear his words as clearly as if Jesus were right in front of them: "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions." Too many people ignore the words. As Nickelback points out in their clever sarcastic song "Rockstar," everything begins with "I want." People want what they believe rock stars have--riches, possessions, a good life, anything that satisfies. The point of the song is not whether rock stars have all of these things, but that people are jealous of those who have wealth and popularity. Instead of being jealous, they should be concentrating on doing the best they can with what they have. "I want" has been the cry of immature people from the time of the first sin; it still plagues humankind, and gently tricks them into believing that the more we have, the happier we will be. We must listen to the deeper meaning of Nickelback's song, and as we do, hear the words of Jesus couched within them: "One's life does not consist of possessions." |
||||||
|
THOUGHT
Do you agree that too many people ignore
Jesus' words concerning possessions? Yes or no and why?
PRAYER Good
and gracious God, your Son gave us challenging words concerning
possessions, words that go directly against what this world teaches.
Help us truly listen to your Son, and bring ourselves to a better
understanding of " having possessions." Be with us, we pray.
|
||||||
©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |