Ἄφρων

Der Geizhals. Online depicting tomorrow’s gospel, Margret Döring (1910-1994) painted it when she was sixteen years old. The Miser. I don’t love it best of all she did — which anyone can view online, landscapes, sketches, portraits, quite a bit of the modern art genre; Bodensee, a seascape I especially like; and a blond blue-eyed Aryan mother and child, traditional blue obviously the BVM -- any reflection of the era in which the artist grew up --

— but on my wall I’d like Der Geizhals to keep me mindful of myself. 

Here’s tomorrow’s gospel:  

Luke 12:13-21 (RSV)

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13 One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Ἄφρων, Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

When Jesus says Ἄφρων is he speaking to me? What am I a fool about? About what am I greedy? What do I covet? What am I setting aside for enjoyment, for security in my — “old age”? Do I covet other than material things? How about that old car in the garage out back, can I close that door and lock it --

Might I be more generous, less anxious about running out of resources? Who could I help? Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: how loving am I of myself, how pleased, satisfied and content with who and what I am? Would God rather I be other? Do I covet, envy those of greater education, intelligence, perception, wisdom? Are there things I want, such as some ability in Hebrew, that I could work on instead of just coveting foolishly? And seeing I’ll turn eighty-one in 43 days, what’s the use of wanting to be seventeen again? 

What are my answers? What are your questions?

DThos+