MAKE FRIENDS WITH WEALTH
The parable of the dishonest steward in the Gospel of Luke argues against the separation between God and everyday life. There is a challenge issued by the Lord that should draw our attention. It is a challenge to “walk the talk” … to live the faith we proclaim.
Our modern society tolerates religion as long as it keeps to itself. There is the separation of the Church and the State. Education, politics, employment and entertainment are supposed to be “religion free”. The removal of the “10 Commandments” from a courthouse somewhere in America is just one manifestation of this misguided divorce between God and life.
In the parable, Jesus uses the shrewdness of the dishonest steward to remind us that “the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” As followers of Jesus, we are supposed to be the children of light. We therefore ask ourselves: How are we living our own lives? Are we allowing the light of truth to shine into every area of our lives? Do we integrate the Gospel values in our political, social and cultural domain?
The Gospel passage also makes it clear that the goods of the earth are given to every one of us as steward. We are expected to receive all of these goods as gifts and direct them towards what is good and true. Jesus provides a provocative lesson on stewardship. Stewardship means more than just throwing 5 bucks in the basket collection and signing up to help with the food pantry. It means realizing that all we have is entrusted to us by God and we have a moral obligation to grow it, making it as fruitful as possible. Stewardship does not just mean giving to the church of your time, talent and treasure but also using prudence to increase these gifts.
Jesus is challenging us to be good and trustworthy stewards: to work for an honest living, to manage our money wisely and to use it to help others. We are called “to live simply that others may simply live.” We should be contented with what we have and thank the Lord for all His blessings.
Jesus warns us that we cannot serve both God and Mammon. Pope St. Paul II said: “The greatest misfortune of this age is that people consider money as the highest good.” Money is not the root of evil. The love of money is the root of all evils. Greed is behind all evil designs and can assume many forms: theft, robbery, hoarding of material goods, using fraudulent schemes for personal gain, etc.
If our financial decisions result in self-indulgence at the expense of honesty and justice, then we are serving Mammon. But if we increase our profits for the needs of our families, for our Church, for evangelization, for the homeless centers, for the poor migrants and refugees, then we are truly serving God. Let us use money as our servant and worship God as our Lord.
It is also important to note the different practical application of Christ’s teaching regarding the use of wealth and money. He said: “I tell you, make friends with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” The Lord must be telling us to make friends with those who, when one day we find ourselves in trouble, will welcome us. And these friends…are the poor people!
St. Augustine said: “The poor are our couriers and porters.” Helping and sharing our treasures to them allow us to begin transferring our belongings now to the house that is being built for us in the next life. Hence, we need to care for our wealth and use it wisely for we never know who will be waiting to welcome us into the eternal home. Amen.
Fr. Jong Atinaja
