[[Jesus said:] “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”

"The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies," the final film of the trilogy, picks up where the previous film left off. The people of Lake-town are in a panicked frenzy as the dragon Smaug flies down to exact his revenge. Bard the Bowman finally subdues the dragon with the Black Arrow and the Dwarves busy themselves, gathering their money and possessions. In the mountain, the leader of the Dwarves, Thorin begins to be influenced by all the money which surrounds him, searching further for the Arkenstone. (Bilbo actually possesses the Arkenstone, but senses that it would harm Thorin all the more if he had it.) With unrest all around as the Orcs build up their army, Bard travels to Thorin begging him to fight with him against the Orcs. Thorin refuses to listen or to give away any part of his treasure. Finally, it seems as though Thorin loses all reason as he cannot resist the power of the money all around him. Nothing else means anything to him.

The present trilogy of movies began with the power of money over a group of people. It comes to a close with money as the principal concentration again. But this time, the movie presents the effects of the money on one person, namely, the leader of the Dwarves, Thorin. Thorin loses control of himself and only begins to understand after an experience with a revealing nightmare in which he is completely engulfed by the gold.

The man in one of Jesus' stories, a person that we have come to know simply as the "rich man," also lost control of himself as he availed himself of his money. Nothing else mattered to him, even though things were happening around him that he could have made better. Jesus makes it clear that he is punished, commenting that all he had to do was pay more attention to the Scriptures in his life.

Two excellent stories are given to us here, one from fantasy, the other from Jesus' mind, both with the same conclusion. The problem with money is that it takes control, and causes us to forget that there are places where we can help. But we have a tendency to hoard our money, making more and more, and forget about the more important things in life.

Money has a tendency to take on a life of its own in our lives. When we allow it to happen, it destroys not only a group of people who may collectively desire the money, causing them to do evil to obtain it, but it especially affects the individual. The man or woman who gives his or her life to money will never be aware of anything except what he or she wants.   

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we often are too interested in acquiring money. Your Son warned about the evil in his story of the rich man and Lazarus. Give us the grace to determine how money can be an evil in our own lives. Be with us, we pray.

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©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America