Scripture Study for

The word “vanity” means breath or vapor. It denotes a transitory nature or the lack of substance. “Vanity of vanities” is a way of expressing the superlative.  Qoheleth is saying that everything is transitory. He is not passing judgment on living itself, but on the anticipation of future satisfaction. Our own transitory nature places the future in jeopardy, and so it is vain to place our hope of satisfaction there. This does not mean that we should refrain from commitment and hard work. It does suggest that the real fruits of our actions are found in the actions themselves rather than in what we might be able to enjoy of them in the future.  

The Colossians are told to set their minds on the things of heaven because they are now joined to the risen Christ. Christ’s life is the new source for their own lives, and they will share in his ultimate manifestation in glory. Their transformation is characterized as putting off the old self and putting on the new, as one would change clothing. Finally, Paul insists that in this new way of living distinctions such as race, religious origin, gender, culture, or social status no longer feed bias or discrimination. Such distinctions need not be separations. Christ is the exclusive and determining force in all. 

Jesus is approached by a man who wants him to act as arbiter between himself and his brother. Jesus uses this encounter as an occasion to teach a lesson about the futility of a life spent in amassing material possessions. The rich man is not censured because of his wealth, but because of the greed that underlies his actions. The man’s death is not a punishment for his greed. It is simply the end of his life of excess. It points out the futility of that life. Jesus draws out the moral of his story. It is foolish to devote one’s life to the amassing of goods and to be bereft in what matters to God.