In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly.
So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them.
Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable.
— Genesis 41:46–49
Why, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is the Patriarch Joseph held in high honour for his actions in storing up grain, whereas the man in today’s parable considered a fool? They were both storing up grain, storing up blessings, but the actions of one are thought of as good while of the other bad.
Joseph was storing grain but for a purpose, to feed others in the coming famine but the Rich Fool was gathering merely to have a larger store: his focus was on himself, not on others. Joseph’s were actions of love, mercy and charity, the Rich Fool’s of selfishness, greed and avarice.
And I am forced to reflect on my own life. Am I as Joseph or the Rich Fool? Do I gather together the blessings I receive to distribute to others or for my own gain? The blessings of money: for what purpose do I grow my wealth? The blessings of health: how does my strength benefit others? The blessings of Church: how do I facilitate others to receive what I receive?
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it may be necessary for us to store up blessings but this must be so that we may serve others, help others and support others, this must be so that we may be more generous—both to God and to our neighbour—for by our generosity will we be judged by the Lord. For the Lord, on the Last Day, will say to the generous and hospitable,
Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
— Matthew 25:34
Whereas to those who store up only for their own benefit,
Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?
And the Judge will proclaim,
Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
— Matthew 25:41
Let us, therefore, be as Joseph and not as the Rich Fool, let us only store up that we may serve others, be generous and hospitable towards others, and therefore be faithful to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who is our example: for He died that we may live, He gives that we may receive, He loves us that we may share His love with the world, that,
as many as receive Him, to them He gives the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
— John 1:12–13
Let us, by our generosity to others, fulfil the Gospel of Christ and so inherit eternal Life.
To our crucified and risen God and Saviour Jesus Christ be all glory, honour and worship, together with His unoriginate Father and the All-holy, Good and Life-giving Spirit. Amen.
Brethren, knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. But if, in our endeavour to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
— Galatians 2:16–20
The Lord said this parable: “The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘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. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” As he said these things, he cried out: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
— Luke 12:16–21