Ezekiel 28:1-10 / Matthew 19:23-30
It is said that the higher you climb, the harder you will fall. But that is if you are not careful.
Anyone who climbed up a high ladder would know that. If fact, we have to be sure that the foot of the ladder is firmly secured and when we are up there at the top rungs, it would be better to secure ourselves with safety belts and other necessary safety equipment.
But somehow, this reality does not seem to be obvious as one rises up in power and gain fame and might.
This was what happened to the ruler of Tyre in the 1st reading. As he gained great wealth and fame, he became swollen with pride and his heart grew arrogant. He even began to think that he was a god, or considered himself the equal of God.
And because of that, disaster and tragedy was awaiting the ruler of Tyre. But this was not just the case of the ruler of Tyre.
Many kings and rulers in the past had thought bigger of themselves and swelled with pride and arrogance. But the higher up they went in wealth and power, in pride and arrogance, the harder they fell.
In the gospel, Jesus said that it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, and it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.
In any case, if wealth and riches are not used to help those in need, then it would be like lugging them up the ladder and eventually they will be the cause of a hard and heavy fall.
Let us remember that Jesus had taught us that our lives are not made secure by what we own, even when we have more than enough.
In order to follow Jesus and climb up the ladder into eternal life, it would be wiser to leave our excess wealth and riches at the foot of the ladder. That will also help to secure the ladder.