Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
(II Corinthians 11:18.21-30; Matthew 6:19-23)
As almost everyone knows, a parable is a comparison from
everyday life that aids understanding of difficult concepts. Jesus used parables effectively in speaking to
the poor about the Kingdom of God. Today’s gospel pictures him preaching about the
need to value justice over wealth. The parable
he uses, however easy it was for his hearers to understand, is difficult for
people today.
He says, “The lamp of the body is the eye.” That is how the
ancient world considered the eye – like a lamp that projects one’s light or
understanding into an object so that it may be known. (Think of yourselves as looking for a can of
Coca-Cola which you know will have the shape of a cylinder and the color
red. Then you scan the pantry for red cylinders.) If one’s eye is defective (if it is
color-blind, for example), it will have a hard time finding what it is looking
for.
What do we want in life?
What are our eyes looking for? If
it is wealth and comfort, Jesus predicts that we will end in ruin because
wealth and comfort are not ultimately important. However, if we are looking for justice and
kindness, if our eyes see rightly, we will die content. We will be destined to eternal life with
Jesus.
