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Bonaventure’s Commentary on Luke’s Gospel Thirty Days of Reflection and Prayer 38 Day Sixteen: Read and meditate on Luke 12:13-21 Luke 12:15: “Take heed and guard yourselves against all avarice.” Bonaventure tells us: 1 Timothy 6:9-10 says: “Those who seek to become rich fall into temptation and a snare of the devil and many useless and harmful desires, which plunge men and women into destruction and damnation. For avarice is the root of evils,” etc. So he says: “Take heed,” namely, be eternally vigilant, and guard yourselves from avarice, which seeks temporal goods, according to what 2 Corinthians 4:18 has: “While we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen. For the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal.” And since the desire for any transitory good whatsoever, namely, for money and power and honor, can be termed avarice, he says: “guard yourselves against all avarice.” Isaiah 33:14-15 reads: “Who could dwell with the eternal flames? ... The person who casts aside avarice by false accusations and shakes his hands free of all bribes.” Concerning the assignment of a reason for this teaching, the text adds: “For life is not in an abundance of any kind, his life does not consist in what he possesses.” That is, the life of any person does not consist in abundance. Abundance , I say, of the things he possesses. That is, no one on account of the abundance of his riches can live longer. The Psalm has: “They will leave their riches to strangers, and their tombs will be their houses forever” (48:11-12). And Job 27:19 reads: “The rich man, when he falls asleep, will take nothing with him,” etc. So abundance does not prolong one’s life, but often shortens it. Sirach 8:3 states: “Gold and silver have destroyed many.” And Acts 8:20 has: “May your money go with you into perdition.” And therefore, it ought to be destroyed , lest it destroy its possessor. Sirach 29:13 says: “Lose 39 your money for your brother and friend, and hide it not under a stone to be lost.” Reflection Scholars have been vigorously investigating the theme of Rich and Poor in Luke’s Gospel for over thirty years. There is general agreement that Jesus and Luke are teaching: All of you disciples must come to the aid of the materially poor. This is an immense responsibility since more than 95% of the population at that time was living at or below a subsistence level. The teaching of Jesus and Luke is more varied when we look at what the rich Christian disciple must do. Surely, avarice is to be avoided. Levi, the toll collector, leaves everything behind to follow Jesus, yet sets a lavish banquet table for Jesus in his house. Jesus tells the rich official: “There is still one thing left for you. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.” On the other hand, Zacchaeus, a wealthy toll collector, tells Jesus of his resolve: “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it fourfold.” Acts 4:34-35 describes the early Christian community in Jerusalem : “There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.” Prayer Gracious God, you have blessed me with many gifts. May I not fasten my heart on any transitory good, be it money, honor, or power and thereby close my eyes to those in need. ...

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