New research on the connection between money and happiness points to something we all know, but just don't want to believe.

The research, done by Nobel winning scientists Dan Kahneman and Angus Deaton, concludes that, sure, if you make $20,000 a year, and then double it to make $40,000, you will likely be significantly happier. However, if you make $150,000 a year, and then double that to make $300,000, the marginal increase in happiness declines significantly; you may be happier, but not that much. 

And when we look at the track records of lottery winners and workaholics - people who have a whole lot of money, they don't appear to be that much happier, and in too many cases are actually worse off when their wealth has a corrosive effect on their personalities and lifestyles. In other words, money doesn’t buy happiness.

Unfortunately our knowledge of this truth does little to change our behavior: we continue living lifestyles as if our income did, in fact, affect our contentment. And we see this at play no more clearly than in our Gospel this Sunday.

It's a well-known story about a young man who comes to Jesus and asks how he might obtain eternal life. He claims that he's lived a righteous life, that he's never broken even one of God's commandments. Jesus says, fine, just leave everything and follow me. After the man refuses, Jesus turns to his disciples and says, ‘How hard it is to be rich!'  This guy has bought into the deception that seeking money will make him happier than seeking Jesus.

It's one of the lies that Jesus came here to blow up - like losing 10 pounds will make us beautiful, getting another job will bring us permanent contentment, or finally getting that house, boat, car, or vacation will translate into unbounded harmony and fulfillment.

Jesus knows that pursuing the life of altruism, selflessness, and giving is the key to happiness, contentment, and even greatness.

All other pursuits are but cheap imitations.

We free ourselves from lies when we embrace truth.

That’s Jesus.
Let’s follow him.