For the leader. A psalm of the Korahites.
Hear this, all you peoples!
Give ear, all who inhabit the world,
You of lowly birth or high estate,
rich and poor together.
My mouth shall speak words of wisdom,
my heart shall offer insights.
I will turn my ear to a riddle,
expound my question on a lyre.
I
Why should I fear in evil days,
with the iniquity of my assailants surrounding me,
Of those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their abundant riches?
No man can ransom even a brother,
or pay to God his own ransom.
The redemption of his soul is costly;
and he will pass away forever.
Will he live on forever, then,
and never see the Pit of Corruption?
Indeed, he will see that the wise die,
and the fool will perish together with the senseless,
and they leave their wealth to others.
Their tombs are their homes forever,
their dwellings through all generations,
“They named countries after themselves”
– but man does not abide in splendor.
He is like the beasts – they perish.
II
This is the way of those who trust in themselves,
and the end of those who take pleasure in their own mouth.
Like a herd of sheep they will be put into Sheol,
and Death will shepherd them.
Straight to the grave they descend,
where their form will waste away,
Sheol will be their palace.
But God will redeem my life,
will take me from the hand of Sheol.
Do not fear when a man becomes rich,
when the wealth of his house grows great.
At his death he will not take along anything,
his glory will not go down after him.
During his life his soul uttered blessings;
“They will praise you, for you do well for yourself.”
But he will join the company of his fathers,
never again to see the light.
In his prime, man does not understand.
He is like the beasts – they perish.
Psalms 49:1-21
We’ve all heard it said, “You can’t take it with you.” Today’s psalmist is doing his best to teach that lesson, and he really wants to make sure we get it. “Hear this, all you peoples!”
Have you contemplated this idea very much? Do we put too much importance on the wealth of this world? Of course, we know material riches are not the path to happiness – real happiness. But it’s hard not to get swept up in the consumerism that surrounds us.
Do I really need another pair of jeans, or the latest in home electronics, or a night out at a fancy restaurant? Will I really suffer so much if I don’t have the newest version of the iPhone? Is life just unfair and ruining my chance of happiness because my house isn’t as big and fancy as certain other people?
Actually, Jesus warned us against the drive for wealth after the story of the rich young man. “It is easier for a camel to pass through [the] eye of [a] needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25) Of course, this made the disciples very worried, so Jesus assured them, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.” (Mark 10:27)
So where’s the balance? Have I, yet, learned that lesson my dad spent so much time trying to teach me – the difference between want and need? I think that might be the secret of the whole thing. It’s probably okay to pray for God to let us get to the next paycheck when money is tight. But we also shouldn’t miss our chances to be charitable, too.
Do you recall how many of the saints we studied together in the fall were born into wealth and gave it up to adopt a life of poverty? St. Clare of Assisi, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and St. Katherine Drexel all come to mind. If we’re going to follow our role models of holiness, we have to get our attachment to stuff under control.
“Do not fear when a man becomes rich, when the wealth of his house grows great. At his death he will not take along anything, his glory will not go down after him.” In this season of Lent, certainly that is the lesson we are expected to learn from our self-denial. Let’s pray that we can increase our desire for God’s way and decrease our dependence on the pursuit of wealth.