July 31, 2016
“You can't take it with you.” We've all heard this saying many times. Our parable today finds Jesus making a point about a wealthy man who accumulated much and had to leave it all behind. But it seems not everyone believes you can't take it with you. A rich man discovered he had a terminal illness. He called together three men whom he trusted and gave them each $500,000. He said to them, “I know I can't take it with me, but I want to try. I want you each to promise you will put the $500,000 I gave you into my casket at my funeral...I want it buried with me just in case.
And so it was that after the funeral, the three men got together to discuss the situation. The first man, a doctor, confessed that he didn't put the money in the casket. He gave it to the hospital’s Foundation to build a new children's wing. The second, a priest also confessed, “I didn't put the money in the casket either. I gave it to the Little Sister of the Poor to build a new treatment center.” The third man, a lawyer, replied in disbelief. “I just want you to know I carried out his wishes. He was buried with my personal check for $500,000 in his casket!”