Perilous Journey

A New York Times writer began a column with these words:

It’s all right to want it all. We have advertisements in which people who have it all torment people who don’t have it all. They display their fantastic dental work, their stunning physiques, their incredible automobiles, their beautiful mansions, their tasty wine, saying, “It doesn’t get any better than this.” Which is another way of saying, “We’ve got it all.” -1

But don’t be misled. If that’s all there is to your fulfillment as a child of God, then it doesn’t get any worse than this. If that’s all it takes for you to say, “It doesn’t get any better than this,” then what you’ve really got is nothing. If that’s all it takes for you to say, “I’ve got it all,” then there is an enormous gap between you, and your relationship with God.

Jesus’ parable in today’s Gospel Lesson, is the story of a rich man and a poor beggar. The rich…