| Putting on the New Self George Poulo Luke 12:13-21 There is a pattern in the way the Sunday readings are put together which can give us insight into the message and what it means for us today. In general, the first reading and the gospel give us the theme; in this case our attitude towards wealth, and the second and the psalm give us the solution to the theme. The solution is to put off the old self and put on the new self. The difference between the old self and the new self can be categorized in many ways. One way is the way in which we make decisions. Another is our attitude toward idols. In short, the old self does not take God into the calculation, but relies primarily on natural solutions to problems. Idolatry is that way of life that substitutes natural things for God, in this case, money. It could be strength, or beauty, or relationships too. In today's gospel, to say, "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" means this man put his faith in money and not God. He put his faith in the natural and not the supernatural. The example of money is only a particular instance of an overall way of life, namely, the old self as opposed to the new. By wanting to build bigger barns meant that the old self was in operation in this particular situation. If we only take into account what we see, whether rich or poor, healthy or sick, employed or unemployed, we are not living a life of faith. With our culture so secular in today's world, the battle to put on the new self is a battle to bring God into our everyday activities and social lives. When we separate God from the basic necessities of life, we do what the man who wanted to build bigger barns did; we do not bring God into our calculations, our decisions, and our thoughts. When we do this, we fail to live the gospel; we fail to live a life of faith. To put on the new man requires discipline, prayer, scripture, community, speaking New Testament truths, and seeing life through spiritual eyes. When the natural facts of life are not consistent with New Testament principles, we must embrace the gospel and not the world. If you see yourself slipping into old self attitudes like the man who wanted to build bigger barns, you must begin to apply spiritual principles to your life. The journey takes a lifetime, but the journey begins now. Amen |
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