Jesus said, There was a rich man who had a great deal of money. He said, "I shall invest my money so that I may sow, reap, plant, and fill my storehouses with produce, that I may lack nothing." These were the things he was thinking in his heart, but that very night he died. Anyone here with two ears had better listen! (63 Thomas)

By the standard of most of the world I am rich. Yet I spend a great deal of my time and energy thinking about how to accumulate more.

No matter our current condition we can feel vulnerable and want more. The sense of vulnerability and neediness is real.

But when we look to money, investments, and our own plans to fill these needs, we are looking into a bottomless pit.

Jesus honored honest work. Many of his parables are drawn from the world of work. He was attentive to the requirements of our daily bread.

But we should avoid the error of thinking that the benefits we derive from work will cause us to "lack nothing." I cannot possess what is most valuable, but I can love it.

The synoptic parallel is Luke 12:13-21.