LOVE OF GOD OR MONEY: TWO PARALLEL WAYS
The gospel of today presents us with an eternal truth: the love of God and money are two parallel ways. They cannot or will never meet or cross each other. We are either for God or for the world. Hence, it presents us towards the end with some crucial lines of a hard or brunt truth: “No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Therefore, the Christian life is a life of absolute allegiance to God and not a half-measure standard. You are either for God or for the world, there are no gimmicks to this basic Christian reality. This is where Christians fault the most in following Christ. There double standard lifestyle of mixing relationships with God and holding to the world: love of money.
Whereas, the children of this world who stands in opposition to the light or God maintained one singleness of purpose with passion, energy and focus on their aims and purposes. They have undivided minds while Christians have wavering minds, hearts and purpose.
OUR THEME
All three readings of the 25th Sunday draw our attention to the subject of faithful stewardship. They remind us that we are God’s stewards and that God expects faithful, diligent and prudent stewardship from us. They challenge us to use our God-given talents and blessings wisely to attain Heavenly bliss.
The honest advice when it comes to the use of money or material wealth is given by St. Paul and Job respectively. The love of money is the root of all evil” says St Paul. He did not call money itself the root of all evil, but rather the love of money. Of course, money is needed as a means of exchanging goods in every organised society. But a person can become their slave through excessive love of money. It can become a substitute for God in one’s life.
While Job makes us understand that possessions are only on loan to us, and in time we must leave them all behind. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb,” (Job 1:21), “and naked shall I return; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.”
If there is anything we have learnt from our human history the powerful, and wealthy die and leave the accumulated possessions and power behind without taking anything with them. It is a life lesson not to be attached to earthly possessions or power.
FIRST READING: AMOS 8:4-7
The prophet Amos is a prophet of social justice and equality in the political, economic and religious corrupted society of Israel. He did not only condemn the political and religious classes for their exploitation, oppression and abuses of the poor. He condemned them also for weaponising poverty as a means of controlling the poor masses.
Amos condemns the crooked business practices of the 8th century BC Jewish merchants of Judea and reminds the Israelites and us to be faithful to our Covenant with Yahweh, God of Justice. As God’s faithful stewards, we must practice justice and mercy to all. Amos warns us also against setting making money by any means as the goal of our life. God is concerned for justice and fair play.
Hence, the Lord God, through His Prophet Amos, warned them of the coming downfall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel because of its lack of Covenant morality, expressed by the abusive, disrespectful, arrogant treatment of the poor and the needy by the rich and powerful. “They trample the heads of the weak into the dust of the earth and force the lowly out of the way.” (2:7)
SECOND READING: 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-8
St. Paul instructs the first-century Judeo-Christians to become true stewards of the Gospel of Jesus, the only mediator, by preaching the “Good News” to the pagans and by including them in intercessory prayers, too.
In this passage, Paul insists again that he has been called to take the Gospel to all people. He requests prayers for civil rulers and those in high positions, so that all people may live a quiet and peaceable life and come to salvation through the one mediator, Christ Jesus.
This teaching is reflected in our modern Prayer of the Faithful, which should embrace the needs of the whole world, not just those of the Church. We pray for everyone, including public officials, hoping that all will be saved.
THE GOSPEL: LUKE 16:1-13
Today’s Gospel story tells us about the crooked, but the resourceful, manager and challenges us to use our blessings — time, talents, health and wealth – wisely and justly so that they will serve us for our good in eternity. We use our earthly wealth wisely when we spend it for our own needs in moderation and when we love and help the needy because these are the purposes for which God has entrusted His blessings to us.
HERE ARE SOME BASIC ASSUMPTIONS FROM THE GOSPEL OF THE DAY:
1. Jesus’ praise of the dishonest servant is a call on us to pay attention to dishonest people because they have energy, ideas, and focus and they know what they want and they go out to do it.
2. So often, we, the sons of light: Christians are not like them. We are often laid back, passive and expecting that the Lord will do it for us or that things will happen without us having to put any effort into it.
3. Consequently, in the church, we are non-participating, inactive or lack creativity in outreach or pastoral activities with the illusion that things are going to happen without us putting any effort.
4. Therefore, Jesus Challenges us to pay attention to this dishonest servant, and his ability, passion, and focus in knowing what he wanted and how he went about doing just that.
5. The invitation is for us to be active or proactive when it comes to working for God.
6. The sons of this age are more perverted, shrewd, and proactive in going about their businesses or activities than Christians who wait for God to do everything for them.
7. Sadly, enough, many religious schemers don’t put their God-given talents or resources in the service of God and others. Rather they would take advantage of their ability to manoeuvre things within the church to only their benefit at the disadvantage of all.
8. Finally, we cannot serve both God and wealth. It is impossible. Our loyalty or disloyalty will lie with one or the other.
OUR LIFE LESSON FROM THE SCRIPTURAL REFLECTION OF TODAY
(1) We need to be faithful in the little things of life: Let us remember the words of Saints John Chrysostom and Theresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) “Faithfulness in little things is a big thing,” or “Do little things with great love.” Hence, let us not ignore doing little things, like acknowledging a favour with a sincere “thank you,” congratulating others for their success, sharing in their sorrows and/or offering them help and support in their needs.
(2) We need to use our spiritual resources wisely. The manager in Jesus’ story used all his resources to secure his future. We must be no less resourceful. We have at our disposal the Holy Mass and the Seven Sacraments as sources of Divine grace, the Holy Bible as the word of God for daily meditation and practice, and the teaching authority of the Spirit-guided Church to direct us in our Christian life. We need to use these resources in such a way that it will be said of us, “And the master commended them because they acted so prudently.”
(3) We need to be prepared to give an account of our stewardship. What matters, at that time of our Private Judgment by God at the moment of our death is how wisely we have used our blessings during our life, lovingly and generously sharing them with others in need.
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, often we are complacent of spiritual laziness or pastoral inactiveness to serve you, your church and our fellow brothers and sisters because we rationalized God is in charge and he will do everything for us. Help us to realize that our salvation depends partly on our effort or ingenuity to collaborate with the grace of God. Amen
