In order to teach us how little we should care about the things of this world and occupy ourselves with earthly things, the Lord sends away from Himself the one who asked His command to divide the inheritance of his fathers, and therefore says: "Who has appointed Me to judge or divide you?" then the Lord sends him away as restless and unwilling to learn anything necessary; however, he does it meekly, and not menacingly. But by this act, without a doubt, He teaches all His listeners, both then and now, not to worry about anything earthly and temporary, not to argue with their brothers about it, and even to yield to them, if they wish to be covetous (for He says: "From him who has taken what is yours do not demand back" - Luke 6:30), and to seek that which is useful and necessary for the salvation of the soul. That is why he added these words: "Take heed, beware of covetousness," and urged us to avoid covetousness, as if it were some kind of devil's pit. To whom did He say this: "Take heed, beware of covetousness"? To these two brothers. Since they had a dispute about the inheritance, and probably one of them offended the other, He addresses to them the subject of covetousness. For it is a great evil. That is why the Apostle Paul calls it idolatry (Col. 3:5), perhaps because it is appropriate only for those who do not know God, or, what is more just, because the idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold (Psalm 113:12). He who worships silver and gold is like idolaters, because both worship and worship the same substance. So, there must be an abundance. Why? Because "a man's life does not depend on the abundance of his possessions," that is, the measure of this life is not commensurate with the abundance of possessions. For if someone has much, it does not mean that he will already live long. Longevity does not depend on a lot of wealth. The Lord says this in refutation of the thoughts of lovers of wealth. Lovers of wealth seem to care about wealth because they want to live, and collect from everywhere because they intend to live a long time. That is why the Lord says: wretched and poor! Is it possible that from much possessions will you also increase longevity? "Why do you clearly suffer because of the unknown comfort?" For it is not yet known whether you will reach the old age for which you are gathering; And it is evident that now you are wasting (your life) on the acquisition of possessions.

     And he told them a parable: A certain rich man had a good harvest in the field; And he reasoned with himself, What shall I do? I have nowhere to gather my fruits? And he said, This is what I will do: I will break down my barns, and build great ones, and I will gather together thither all my bread and all my goods, and I will say to my soul, O soul! Much good lies with you for many years: rest, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, "You fool! this night thy soul shall be taken from thee; Who will get what you have prepared? This is the case with the one who lays up treasures for himself, and does not get rich in God. 

Having said that a person's life does not become longer from the abundance of possessions, (the Lord) also cites a parable to confirm His words. And see how He depicts to us the insatiable thoughts of a mad rich man. God created His intention and showed a special kindness. For not only in one place, but in the whole field of the rich man there was a good harvest; but he was so barren in mercy that before he received it, he kept it to himself. "Look at the pleasures of the rich man. What should I do? Are not these very words uttered by the poor man? What should I do? I have nothing to eat, nothing to wear, Perhaps consider the words of the rich man: What shall I do? I have nowhere to gather many fruits. It's good to be calm! And the poor man said, What shall I do? I don't have... And the rich man said, What shall I do? I don't have... What do we get from the fact that we collect a lot? We do not take advantage of tranquillity, and evidently from cares; unless we collect for ourselves a multitude of sins. "I will break down my barns and build great ones." And if next summer the harvest in the field is even greater, will you break it again and build it again? And what need is there to break and build? The wombs of the poor are the granaries for you. They can contain many things, they are both indestructible and incorruptible, for they are heavenly and divine, since he who nourishes the poor nourishes God. "That's the madness of the rich man. "My bread and all my goods." He does not consider them a gift from God, for otherwise he would be disposed to them as God's steward, but considers them to be the fruit of his own labors. Therefore, appropriating them for himself, he says: "My bread and my goods." I," he said, "have no accomplice, I will not share it with anyone. All this good is not God's, but mine, so I alone will enjoy it, and I will not accept God as a participant in enjoying it. - Let's look even further. "Soul! you have a lot of good for many years." He assigns himself a long life, as if he had received longevity from the land he cultivated. Is it possible that this is also your work? Is this also your good? "Eat, drink, be merry." Beautiful blessings of the soul! To eat and drink is the good of a foolish soul. However, since you yourself have such a soul, you justly offer it such blessings. But the good of a rational soul consists in understanding, reasoning, and rejoicing in the Law of God and good reflections. For you, fool, it is not enough to eat and drink, you offer to your soul the shameful and miserly pleasure that follows? For it is obvious that the Lord by the word "rejoice" denoted the passion of debauchery, which usually follows gluttony with food and drink (Phil. 3:19, Eph. 5:18), "But God said to him, 'You fool! this night they will take your soul from you." It is said, "But God said unto him," not because God conversed with the rich man, but because when the rich man thought so proudly within himself, then God spoke to him (for this is what the parable implies). God calls the rich man mad, because in his heart he thought the most insane advice, as we have shown. For every man is foolish and vain, just as David says: "Man is vain," and the reason for this is that "he gathers, and does not know who will get it" (Psalm 38:7). For how foolish is he who does not know that the measure of life is in the hands of God alone, and that no one can determine life for himself? - Pay attention to the word: "they will take". The terrible Angels, like cruel tax collectors, will take your soul from you against your will, since you have appropriated the goods of this world out of love to live. The soul is not taken away from the righteous, but he gives it up to God and the Father of spirits with joy and gladness, and does not feel any trouble when the body is laid down, for he has a body as it were a light weight. But the sinner, having made the soul flesh, making it body and earth, makes it extremely difficult to separate it. That is why it is said that the soul will be "taken" from him, as if from some stubborn debtor, delivered into the hands of cruel collectors. And this. The Lord did not say: I will take your soul from you, but "they will take it." For "the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God" (Wis. 3:1). And verily the soul will be taken from such a person "by night," for he does not have the illuminating light of the knowledge of God, but is in the night of love of wealth, and darkened by it, he is seized by death. Thus, whoever lays up treasures for himself is justly called a madman, and does not have time to carry out his intentions, but at the very time of making plans he is decisively torn out from among the living. But if he had collected for the poor and for God, he would not have been treated like this. Therefore, let us try to "grow rich in God," that is, to trust in Him, to consider Him our wealth and storehouse of wealth. Let us not say: "The good things are mine," but the good things of God. But if the goods of God are good, let us not alienate God from His goods. To become rich in God means to believe that if I give away and exhaust everything (mine), then even then I will not lack anything necessary. For God is the treasury of my blessings: I open and take what I need.

     And He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, Do not be anxious for your soul what you will eat, nor for your body what you will wear: the soul is greater than food, and the body is more than clothing." Look at the ravens: they do not sow, they do not reap; they have neither storehouses nor barns, and God nourishes them; How much better are you than birds? And who among you, by care, can add even one cubit to his height? If, then, you cannot do the least, why do you care about anything else? 

Little by little, the Lord ascends to the teaching of the highest perfection. Notice the order. He taught us to guard against covetousness and added the parable of the rich man to prove that he who desires a great deal is a fool. Extending the teaching further, He does not allow us to take care of the necessary things. Just as the devil, beginning with small sins, plunges us into greater sins, which is why he is called in Job (Job 4:11) "the mighty lion," so, on the contrary, the Lord, destroying his works, first teaches us to avoid great sins, and then points out their beginnings. Having commanded us to beware of covetousness, he also comes to its root, that is, care, so that even the root may be cut off, and says: "Therefore I say unto you." Since," he says, "he is foolish who appoints to himself a long life, and being deceived by it, desires more, such as the rich man mentioned, therefore I say to you: "Do not be anxious for your soul what you eat." He said this, not because the rational soul eats, but because the soul seems to be kept in connection with the body only on the condition that we eat food. And in other words: the body, being dead, is clothed, but no longer nourished. Since it is proper for the animate body to eat, He rightly attributed the use of food to the soul. Or: Is not the nourishing force called the soul? Therefore, with the nourishing part of the irrational soul, do not be concerned about what you eat, nor with your body what you will wear. For this he represents the reason. Will He Who gave the greater, namely the soul, also give food? Who gave the body, will he not also give a garment? Then he proves by the example of ravens. He points to birds in order to make us more ashamed. He could have cited the holy prophets as examples, such as Elijah and Moses, but for greater shame He points to birds. Then he presents another reason. Tell me, perhaps, what profit do you get from worries? Do you add even the slightest part to your height? No, on the contrary, you even exhaust your body, for care dries you up. But if you cannot add the slightest, that you care about the rest? Obviously, as God gives growth, so will He give.

     Look at the lilies, how they grow: they do not work, they do not spin; but I tell you that Solomon in all his glory did not dress like any of them. But if God dresses the grass in the field, which is there today, and tomorrow will be thrown into the oven, how much more so do you, you of little faith! Therefore, do not seek what you will eat or drink, and do not be anxious, for all these things are sought by the people of this world; but your Father knows that you have need of it; above all, seek the Kingdom of God, and all this will be added to you.

And the Lord set up the example of lilies for our greater admonition. For if God clothes lilies in such a way that the glory of Solomon could never be compared with any of them, and moreover, since beauty is not necessary for lilies, how much more will He clothe us, His most honorable creation, when clothing is necessary for our body? "What," they will say, "do you command us not to cultivate the land?" I did not say, Do not cultivate the land, but do not be anxious. I do not forbid you to do, but I forbid you to worry, that is, to have hope in yourself. And whoever does and trusts in God lives carefree. It is clear that He eradicates care, because it distances from God. - Further he says: "Do not seek what you will eat or drink, and do not be anxious." Anxiety (in Church Slavonic, exaltation) is undoubtedly nothing other than entertainment and the inconstant direction of the mind, which thinks now about this and that, jumps from one thing to another, and always dreams of something higher. Doesn't that mean chasing meteors? Such care, as distancing us from God, or frivolity, is forbidden by the Lord, saying that "all these things are sought by the people of this world." For care does not stop at what is necessary, but, as I have said, always seeks the higher, which is why it is called ascension upward. For example, we have no bread. At first we are anxious to obtain it, but we do not stop there, but desire to obtain bread from excellent wheat; then we desire wine, and a flowery fragrant one at that; then we want fried food, and moreover from grouse or pheasants. Do you see what care and light-mindedness there is? Therefore, the Lord resolutely stops it, for this is what the pagans seek. - Then he presents another reason, namely, that our Father knows what we have need of, and presents not one, but many reasons. He says: He is the "Father", and if the Father, then how can He not give? Moreover, He "knows," for He does not know. And you also "have need," for this is not superfluous, but necessary. So, if He is the Father, and you are in need, and He knows, how can He not give? Therefore, first of all, seek the Kingdom of God, and reject the concern for the things of this world, as one that separates you from Him, and then all this will be given to you. Do you see what God is like? If you seek little, you do what is not pleasing to Him, for you offend His greatness; if you seek the great, you will also receive it, and the small is given to you. For if He sees that you are busy seeking His Kingdom, then He will certainly provide for you in your needs. Do we not even act in this way in our affairs? And do we take more care of those who have completely given themselves over to our care, and are so prudent to them, as if they did not look after themselves? How much more will the Lord do so? Thus, the Lord cuts short the concern for worldly things in order to persuade us to seek His Kingdom: for with cares for worldly things this is impossible.