25th Sunday in Ordinary Time C
Amos 8:4-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-8; Luke 16:1-13
Jesus is talking to His disciples. I’m sure most of them had heard Jesus countless times and had no doubt seen a number of His miracles. What attracted them to Jesus? The Gospel writers don’t really answer this question; but they definitely said that He wasn’t like the Pharisees, the teachers, He taught with authority. Today Jesus is giving what initially could be described as some ‘wisdom’ to His followers. He’s sharing some life lessons that are important for anyone as they continue to live their lives. The wisdom is about honesty, and being honest. And how can I be honest, live honestly with the gifts and blessings God has given me and be a true disciple of Jesus?
The prophet Amos in the first reading starts by denouncing the unscrupulous merchants for their false piety, their greed, and their business practices that are really dishonest. Why...because all of these exploit the poor and those who are at their mercy, the defenseless. Amos tells them that God knows all and sees all and that He will not forget anything that is done to harm any of His creatures. Some may say that these poor are unimportant to God; Amos insists that all are special and important. Amos tells each one of us not to value the things of this world, things that pass away, but value the things of God. All God’s creatures are special especially those poor and in need. The last two lines are point blank on this, “The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done.”
Paul gives a direction for me and all: that we are to pray for all and he singles out especially those in authority because they have to be mindful of all people, poor and rich alike. They are our leaders and have the responsibility like myself and all Christians to lead others closer to the Lord. I can talk a good ‘ball game’ but what am I doing to assist me in the process of bringing my life into conformity with my faith? I have to always continue prayer and worship, reading and retreats, refection and quiet time with the Lord. .
And now to the Gospel as I said, it seems that Jesus was giving just some ‘wisdom for living’ to His disciples in the last part of the Gospel. Yet Jesus doesn’t seem to give any interpretation to the dishonest steward but point His disciples in the direction each should be taking: a person has to be careful when dealing with money. There are definite advantages that money can bring but there are also very definite dangers which could totally distract me and anyone away from the Kingdom. Then the advice that honesty and prudence are the best virtues each disciple should maintain.
The parable brings up many questions: how come a dishonest steward is being praised by Jesus? What economic system presupposed and what is Jesus promoting? And probably the bottom line is why is Jesus telling such a story? I believe the answer for this is in the last three sentences spoken by Jesus: “No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”
In looking at a possible interpretation, it is safe to say that Jesus would not praise or recommend anyone for their dishonest actions. But Jesus might be recommending some sort of prudent action be taken when someone sees a situation that is likely to explode and has a bright idea that might seem to save the day. For the people at that time it was important for the rich man to maintain his honor and his ‘face’ and this was what happened. Everyone comes out ahead and this was the important part to the people of His time.
Msgr. Eugene Lauer in Sunday Morning Insights helps me take away some good reflections in this Gospel. He says, “In this passage from the Gospel of Luke, there is, I believe, an acid test for determining the basic authenticity of one’s character. There is something about the way that people use money (I cannot prove this, but I feel that it is true) that is a reflection of their deepest inner selves. Is a person able to use money for the good of others, even when it seems as though it will bring no return? Is one’s attachment to money so great that if a person makes a bad investment, or just loses some money, it causes significant upset or depression? When an opportunity presents itself for obtaining a large sum of money though just a little bit of deceitfulness, can one easily resist? If a person can pass this acid test, then one can be trusted with ‘genuine riches’ like leadership over may lives, the nurturing of new ideas, advising people about their inner lives, etc....It is easy to get used to a lot of money, to presume that we have a right to it, and then to use it principally for our own advantage. To make a decision that would obviously benefit a great number of others but that would not enhance one’s own economic position—what courage and Christian conviction that takes. It would be very healthy for our capitalist system to face this challenge from the Gospel of Luke more and more clearly. Can we be trusted to use money in such a way that human values emerge as more important than profit? It would be exciting to discover that our system would still work, and work efficiently, with decisions being made in this way.” And what is most important to me: what I possess or how do my possessions bring me closer to God? It’s all about God and heaven. Is this what is important in my life now? I have to constantly keep this reflection open in my mind’s eyes.
So I reflect on:
- Jesus’ parable invites me to look at what my treasures are. Is there more of what I could share?
- Paul tells me, ‘Name something that you have that you were not given?’
- How does Sunday worship help me reflect upon God’s
invitation to help the poor and needy?
- During the first months of Pope Francis’ pontificate he
states that he sees the Church as a “poor Church for the poor.”
- There are people poor in so many ways; am I helping them
through the unique gifts the Lord has given me?
- How can the earth’s natural resources be a symbol of power?
Can any Christian ever rightfully claim ownership to the things of
the earth?
If I am called into the service of God and of other people, I must recognize that there are times when I turn aside to serve others masters. I prepare myself now to resist these voices, seeking from God the help I will need.
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