The thoughts of the rich of this world are: to keep what they have gained, and to sweat in gaining more; and therefore seldom or never is true contrition is found among them. They despise it, being entirely set on transitory things. While they are set so ardently on the sweetness of temporal things, they forget contrition, the life of the soul, and so incur death.
Natural History says that deer are hunted in this way. Two men go, and one of them whistles and signs. The deer follows the song, taking pleasure in it. The other one takes his spear, strikes the deer and kills it. The hunting of the rich is the same. The two men are the world and the devil. The world whistles and sings in front of the rich man, showing him pleasures and riches, and promising him them. When the stupid fool follows, taking pleasure in them, he is killed by the devil and carried off to hell’s kitchen, to be skinned and boiled. [1]
The rich get richer by making sure they keep all they have as they seek to accumulate more wealth. The little wealth they use is used in order to pay people to help them accumulate even more wealth, to take out more wealth from its needed distribution with the general populace. They are taking more and more of the world’s resources, leaving less and less for the rest of us. They, who have way more than they ever need, seek after more, and there appears to be no end to their avarice.
The people of the world suffer as a consequence of wealth’s unjust distribution. They feel the effects of any economic downturn; the rich, on the other hand, have enough resources and means; they know how to turn even an economic downturn as a profit. Indeed, it enables them to make even greater profit, because they know those in need are even more desperate, willing to do even more for less. When asked to help contribute to the needs of the people, to help pay them so their needs are covered, the rich tell us how it is their money, their resources, and they should be free to use it as they will. They despise being told of the burden they create for society – they want to think anyone else is to blame but them.
Justice can only be halted for so long. The injustice of the rich as they place more and more burdens on the poor will be avenged, if not in this world, in the world to come. “Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly” (Deut. 32:35 RSV). The poor are closed to the heart of God. “”Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20 RSV), while the rich are close to the heart of their Lord, Mammon. “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13 RSV). Serving Mammon, the rich find themselves following their leader to the same end as he face: hellfire:
Therefore follows: You cannot serve God and mammon. The Gloss says here: “Mammon, in the Syriac tongue, is wealth. To serve it is to deny God. He does not say, having them: that it is lawful. He says, serving: the mark of a miser. It is said that this is the name of a demon who presides over wealth; not because they are in his gift, but because he uses them to deceive, setting snares of riches.” Cursed mammon! Alas, how many religious he has blinded! How many monks he has infatuated! How many seculars he has cast into hell![2]
Do not fall for Mammon, that Pied Piper whose seductive music leads to perdition. Justice will prevail. Those who have wealth have a responsibility to use that wealth for the benefit of humanity. Good and faithful stewards of wealth, who have made sure it is universally distributed and that those in need have received the aid they need, will be told they did well. They will be welcomed by God into the kingdom of God, because they will have shown the same love and compassion for the poor that God has. “Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me’” (Matt. 25:34-36 RSV). Those who follow Mammon, however, will find the demands of justice bringing them the fate of their master. “Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me’” (Matt 25:41-43 RSV).
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