The Imperative of True Wealth!

(Homily 25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr. C)

    The readings of this Sunday revolve around Christian responsibilities in relation to social justice and the good use of earthly riches. At the background of the liturgical texts of this Sunday, we encounter an interrogation of where true riches or wealth are found. To this, the first reading warns that true riches do not coincide with inordinate ambition and avidity at the expense of the poor and the needy. In the parlance of the Gospel passage, true riches are the riches of the faith, and we are astute when we use the riches of this world to help those in needy. This manner of understanding does not come by easily; rather we obtain it by means of prayer as evidenced in the second reading. And at the heart of the Gospel passage is the borderline between “the sons of this world” and “the sons of light”, however this contraposition could be seen as a point of convergence between the first reading and the Gospel passage, and by extension to the second reading, for St. Paul calls the children of light to embark on prayers that produce peace and destroys anger, quarrelling and class struggle. Prayer is indeed the medium and locus through which true riches flow!

     In the first reading (Am. 8:4-7) we reflect on the passage from the prophecy of Amos. Amos is one of the prophets regarded as a prophet of social justice. This fact is well orchestrated in his prophecy, for he denounces the rich who cheat and exploit the poor. Prophet Amos in this passage proposes the theme of the rapport between the rich and the poor, the theme of social justice. Amos lived in Israel around the 8^th century B. C., when Israel was living in a period of economic breakthrough and material prosperity. However, it was at the advantage of the rich, they were falsifying the scales and increasing the prizes of goods to their own pleasure, but at the detriment of the poor. As such, he threatens them with divine judgment. Prophet Amos condemns those rich who use the vulnerability of the poor to enrich themselves. The rich of the time of Prophet Amos enriched themselves by cheating the poor, is this astuteness as seen in the Gospel? They may be astute in the eyes of men, but before God they are losers, for they have lost out in the eternal treasure. As a matter of fact, in the responsorial psalm we see God’s vindication of the poor: “From the dust he lifts up the lowly, from the ash heap he raises the poor” (Ps.113:7) and this serves as a response to the prophecy of Amos.

     Amos therefore stood with the poor. He was not an economic expert rather he was simply a prophet who speaks in the name of God and before this phenomenon of injustice, he announces without fear the judgment of God on those who enrich themselves at the expense of the poor: “Yahweh has sworn by the pride of Jacob, ‘Never will I forget anything they have done”’ (v.7). Just like Amos every Christian in the name of God, has to be on the side of the poor and the weak especially in situations of injustice and oppression. When Mahatma Ghandi was talking about the sins of the modern world, he mentioned “wealth without work and commerce without morality”. Indeed, the happenings of the time of Amos are not far-fetched from the daily experiences of our present time torn apart by the presages of greed, avarice, inordinate desire for wealth and unfounded ambition. No doubt, the preaching of Amos has a clearer message for our present day social standards than that of any other Old Testament prophet.

     The Gospel passage (Lk.16:1-13) presents the parable of the shrewd steward with some admonitions on the proper use of wealth. This parable serves as a sign of warning to the contemporaries of Jesus, so as to decide for the Kingdom of God, before it becomes too late. As a matter of fact, the admonitions that follow the parable give it a new dimension: the disciples are expected therefore to demonstrate a good dose of intelligence in the use of wealth, like the shrewd steward, although his was for his own interest.

     The parable of the dishonest or the astute steward reveals the dichotomy made by Jesus between “the sons of this world” and “the sons of light”. However, it is as if Jesus praised the dishonest servant for planning for his future. In that bid, we need to situate ourselves into the historical context of that time, because that time among the Jews, stewards had their own gains, illicit though. A steward's salary took the form of a commission on the sale of his master's goods. This was his only salary. And so in reducing the debtors’ bills the steward was not defrauding his master. He was only giving up the commission due to himself. In that frame work, what the steward gave up was part of his illegal gains. Little wonder, Jesus seems to praise him for his “prudence”.  He praised his astuteness and not the act. He gave up all his illegal gains in order to find friends and plan for his future. Thus, Jesus praised the shrewdness of that steward for he used his wealth to help others. This is contrary to the conduct of the rich of Amos time who impoverished the poor to enrich themselves the more. Instead the astute steward used the riches of this world to build up friendship for his own interest and future.

     The central point of the parable of Jesus on the shrewd steward is the affirmation that “the sons of this world are wiser in their own generation than the sons of light” (v.8). However, Jesus by no means intends to praise the steward in question because of his fraud at the expense of his master, by falsifying the receipts of his debtors and by reducing the amount the owe. Instead Jesus praises him for his astuteness, shrewdness and his craftiness in acting promptly in order to secure for himself a future, when he will no longer be in administration. And Jesus bitterly affirmed that the sons of the light (Christians) many a times are not astute and prompt to secure for themselves eternal riches, like the children of this world for their material interest. The children of this world do everything and can go to any length to obtain what they desire; if we Christians should make the same effort in doing good we would have been far ahead in our journey of holiness. In comparison Jesus opined that “the sons of this world are wiser in their own generation than the sons of light” (v.8). This indeed is a sort of challenge for the sons of light, for if Christians should pursue holiness and are heavenly minded as the sons of the world pursue wealth and are future minded, their light will dissipate the darkness of selfishness and inordinate accumulation of wealth. 

     And applying the parable to the theme of riches, Jesus admonishes: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations” (v.9). Those to befriend are the poor, those who are friends of God. It is obvious that Jesus is not inviting us to acquire wealth through unjust means and afterwards help the poor, far be it! Rather he is inviting us to use what we have to help the poor and the needy, in order to guarantee our future in Heaven, like the astute steward that befriended his master’s debtors in order to secure his future in their houses. In few words, the Christian use of riches is that of sharing with the poor and the needy. As such, a Christian is astute and shrewd in the measure he shares his wealth with the poor and the needy. A Christian is shrewd when he uses his or her riches to help those Jesus called “the least of these brothers of mine” (Mt. 25:40), he went as far as identifying himself with them, for “in so far as you did this to one of the least brothers of mine, you did it to me” (Mt. 25:40). The word of God therefore invites us to give up the riches of this world and attachment to them, for the true riches that endure forever, the heavenly riches that will secure our eternal friendship with Jesus and our abode in heaven. The Good News of today is that Jesus is inviting us to bank in the Eternal Bank of Heaven, where our true wealth and treasure are secured. Therefore, we should use what we have to win friends for our eternal dwelling, not just for the earthly dwelling.

     At the conclusion of the passage, Jesus warns us sternly that “No servant can serve two masters…You cannot serve God and mammon” (v. 13). It is therefore, an invitation to put God first in our life, to put God as our priority and everything else is subordinated to Him. The concept mammon does not signify only riches, but also the accumulation of earthly riches. On the other hand, it has to do especially with the tendency of trusting in riches and economic powers as a guarantee for security. But in the parlance of Jesus, there cannot be two supreme values or absolutes at the same time. He, who makes money, riches, accumulation of wealth and economic power his supreme value, cannot serve and love God with all his heart as he ought to. And he who serves and loves God cannot be slave to money. Riches, money and economic powers should by nature be at the service of man, but many a times, they tend to render him a slave. There is therefore need for decision: for or against God, for God or for mammon. There is no 50-50 approach. A Christian thus, must pay attention to the seduction of wealth, the avidity of possession and the avarice of money, which can contaminate not only the rich, but also the poor! If not, the Christian compromises his rapport with God. For this, St. Paul in his letter to Timothy affirmed that “The love of money is the root of all evils’ and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith and so given their souls any number of fatal wounds” (1Tm. 6:10).

     In the passage of the second reading (1Tm.2:1-8) St. Paul brings to light the necessity of prayer. At first he admonished the Christian community to pray always and for all, thus he gives prayer a universal undertone. Not just for all, later St. Paul advised that particular prayers be said for those in authority: for Kings and those in high positions. In fact, the prayer is for all, geared towards a peaceful co-existence of all in the society. The light and the strength to work for true riches come to Christians through prayer. A Christian prays for all, for Kings and for all in high positions. The fact of praying for all is a way of subordinating all to the Power and Sovereignty of God, and subordinating the worldly riches to the riches that cannot be destroyed or exhausted. In prayer we understand that God will judge the rich, whose act of injustice towards the poor and the needy cries to God (as revealed in the first reading). In prayer, we come to understand that the richness of man consists in the richness of his faith. The one who prays with holy hands lifted up to heaven, without anger or quarrelling discovers the richness of salvation and grace, that Jesus Christ, the Mediator offers. On the contrary, if one prays with dirty hands stained with blood as a result of injustice and iniquities, or with hands filled with hatred and rancor, that prayer cannot rise up to heaven.  

     In the ambience of prayer, we rediscover that all the riches of this world come from above (God), man is a mere administrator. At the school of prayer, we come to grasp that the riches and the wealth of this world are only means of collaborating with God, the Creator of all and with his Son, Jesus Christ who holds all things in being (cf. Col.1:17). And equally a means of serving others better, so that when we leave the administration of this world, we will be welcomed in heaven where true riches abide.

 (Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)