18th Sunday C. August 3, 2025

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23

Psalm 90:3-4,5-6,12-13,14,17

Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11

Luke 12:13-21

Elon Musk! The richest man in the world! Maybe the richest man in human history. The Bible says,  “what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart. Days of sorrow and grief are his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest.  Vanity of vanities!”

Be rich in what matters to God!

Luke:12: 23ff.  “Life is more than food and the body more than clothing. How much more important are you.

Seek instead God’s kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides. Your heavenly Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.”

We see around us and in the news the richest man in the world – Elon Musk. Mr. Musk with his rockets, assaults heaven even as did the builders of the Tower of Bable. Having all the money in the world, he and many of those like him,  seem to display a godlike attitude that nothing that they propose to do, should be impossible to them to do; an attitude  not rich in what matters to God, an attitude that leads not to the Kingdom of Heaven, but rather to the kingdom of Pandæmonium – All evil spirits.

But You are what matters to God.

For you, God became human.

For you God walked the bloody roads of Gaza, Nazareth, Egypt.

For you God caught fish in the river and lake.

You are what matters to God. That you and I may enjoy the kingdom of Heaven God gave up the riches of heaven, for the poverty and hunger for life in Palestine, Ukraine, Texas.

You and your immigrant neighbor are what matters to God.

You and your enemies are what matters to God.

“I have come that you might have life, in abundance!” says Maria’s Son.  Abundant life is lived in the Kingdom of Heaven, even lived in Atlantic County, New Jersey.

Last week Jesus said: “How much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Will Elon Musk ask the real God for the Holy Spirit? Having all the money in the world,  could he  purchase the Holy Spirit? Can you or I buy the Holy Spirit?

Looking into my Baltimore Catechism, I read (p. 67) …. Perfect happiness – life in the Kingdom of Heaven is the result of the Be-attitudes. It is the result of the virtues of kingdom life opposed to the vices of death in the kingdom of Pandemonium.

Virtues, as the Baltimore Catechism teaches, are the habit of doing good and avoiding evil. Virtues are habits of the Kingdom of Heaven. Vices, the habit of doing what is wicked and avoiding good- are habits of the kingdom of Pandemonium.

The Cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, courage, combined with the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love lead to the Be-attitudes of the Kingdom of Heaven in the world.

The Kingdom of Pandemonium is created by the seven deadly sins: Hubris, greed, lust, gluttony, envy, sloth. These lead to murder and pandemonium.

You are what matters to God.

For you, God became human.

For you God walked the bloody roads of Gaza, Nazareth, Egypt.

For you God caught fish in the river and lake.

You are what matters to God; that you and I may enjoy the kingdom of Heaven God gave up the riches of heaven, for the poverty and hunger for life in Palestine, Ukraine, Texas.

You and your immigrant neighbor are what matters to God.

You and your enemies are what matters to God.

“I have come that [you] might have life, in abundance!” says Maria’s Son.  Abundant life is lived in the Kingdom of Heaven, even lived in Atlantic County, New Jersey, lived in these United States of America.

All else is vanity of vanities.