September 22nd : Gospel Reflection for this Sunday The 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Please read Br Michael’s reflection for Sunday September 22nd
The Wise and Prudent Servant
Our Gospel this Sunday contains the parable of the dishonest and eventually prudent Servant and other sayings from Jesus about money, honesty, trustworthiness and wealth. The gospel ends with the famous phrase; you cannot be the slave of both God and wealth.
The parable tells the story of a servant who was called see his master. He had heard and that he has been careless and wasteful with the money for which he was responsible. Obviously, his master was not happy with this and wanted this situation sorted out quickly. He intended to sack the servant for his dishonesty. Thinking quickly the servant goes to those who owe his master money and reduces their debts and then presents the money to his him. He is praised for his smart thinking and keeps his job!
Let us be very clear here; Jesus is neither promoting nor encouraging dishonesty in any way. This gospel is not a licence for us to do what the servant did; this is not what the message of the parable is. Then what is the message of the parable for us today?
Often we hear the phrase, money is the root of all evil. However, this is not actually the correct wording. The quotation from scripture actually tells us that the love of money is the root of all evil. (1. Timothy 6.10). There is absolutely nothing wrong with earning or having money. It would be careless and even foolish not to be concerned about money. We use the money we earn to buy food, clothes, medicine and all the other basic we things we need to survive. However, it’s the final words of Jesus at the end of the gospel that challenges us in how we use money: you cannot be the slave of both God and wealth.
What do these words mean for us today? As we know all too well in our modern world and culture it is considered very acceptable to have lots of money and wealth. However, when this takes over our daily lives, our relationships and comes between us and God, then there’s something wrong. We are being sold that idea that having more and more things will make us happy and fulfilled. We have to challenge that assumption. Having the latest phone or the most expensive watch may make happy, but not for long. Eventually we will want to have another phone or another watch. Jesus uses the word slave; this is important. Slaves are not free. When money controls us, we are no longer free to make good choices and decisions. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether we own the money or the money own us.
In the gospel we call the Rich Young Man, Jesus invites him to let go of his wealth and follow him. But the man can’t do this, because he was a man of great wealth. He simply couldn’t let go of all that he had in order to follow Jesus. It had possessed him.
What do you treasure, really treasure? Jesus challenges us with these words too; ‘Do not store up treasure for yourselves here on earth… but store up treasure for yourselves in heaven. For where you treasure is, there will be your heart also.’ (Mtt. 6.19).
May we have the wisdom to use money wisely and carefully. May we realise that our wealth and treasure can only be found in loving God and following Jesus.
-Br Michael Moore OMI
Gospel for Sunday September 22nd : Luke 16:1-23 ©
You cannot be the slave of both God and money
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”
Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.” ‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.
‘And so I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own? ‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’
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