(See the readings for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Organized crime movies and television shows get a lot of attention. The pair of “Godfather” movies from the 1970s are still crowd favorites. “The Sopranos,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Peaky Blinders,” “American Gangster” and “Narcos” are just some of the popular shows.
The key characters are usually ruthless in their pursuits of power, influence and money. They are clever and stop at nothing to attain their goals. No one in their right mind would extol their methods though many people are intrigued by the results. Imagine if those characters put all that energy, cleverness, effort and zeal into doing good for others rather than evil, it would be amazing.
I think this is what Jesus is getting at with the Parable of the Dishonest Steward. The steward gets what he needs. He is in a tight spot, so he thinks cleverly and then acts to achieve. Important to remember here that the steward is dishonest. He is not being extolled for his actions but for the effort he puts into them. Jesus uses this steward as a symbol for all those people who live life focused on this world alone, the “worldly.”
The core teaching seems to relate to possessions and their proper value and use. Perhaps the segue into this section comes from the previous chapter in Luke where the so-called “prodigal son” squanders his father’s possessions on dissolute living. Regardless, the core of the teaching seems to come at the end of the passage when Jesus says, “You cannot serve both God and mammon” (an Aramaic word for “wealth”).
A lot of people understand the teaching but the illustrations Jesus gives along the way (and presented by Luke) are often found confusing; this is common among the faithful, students, scholars and commentators alike. Perhaps it would be good to walk through the next portion of the passage section by section to try to understand these sayings.
Jesus begins: “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” The “children of this world” is a reference to those mentioned above, people like the corrupt steward. “Children of light” are those who walk in the way of the Lord and follow his commands. Here, in this context, Jesus is just interpreting and building on what he illustrated with the parable.
He then goes on to say: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” What is this “dishonest wealth” and why make friends with it? It seems the “dishonest wealth” or “mammon” refers to material possessions. The “dishonest” description seems to refer to a “tendency toward;” in other words, “wealth that leads to dishonesty” (cf. J.A. Fitzmyer, “The Gospel According to Luke,” vol. II, 1109).
Another way of looking at this is that “dishonest wealth” is contrasted with honest wealth, which would not be possessions but rather things that endure eternally. “Making friends … with dishonest wealth” is not suggesting that the wealth is the friend; but rather that wealth can be used to make friends. A good example of this is giving alms to the poor. You will be their friend as you have helped them in their need. And they, in the end, will welcome you into “eternal dwellings.”
The next saying deals with the trustworthiness of a person. The meaning is obvious — those who can be trusted in small matters can be trusted in larger matters; the opposite is also true. The next saying refers once again to the “dishonest wealth;” this time in relation to one’s trustworthiness. Jesus says: “If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?”
The “dishonest wealth” is, again, “wealth that tends toward dishonesty,” or simply earthly possessions. If one cannot be trusted even with the most basic things of the world, which do not have eternal value, how could one be trusted with the more important things of life?
The contrasts that began with the Parable of the Corrupt Steward followed by the series of sayings regarding or related to “dishonest wealth” are tied together with the concluding sayings: “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.”
The possessions we have are subject to the things of God. They cannot be put on the same plane as the things of God because they are not of the same value. Using possessions in service of the Kingdom of God is a good way to keep their value in the proper place in our lives. Almsgiving is one of the best ways to do this.
The temptation to allow possessions to “take control” (or “to be possessed by the possession”) is a relatively easy trap to fall into. Perhaps this is why we hear so much about the need to care for the poor in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments.
Take for example the first reading for this Sunday’s liturgy. Amon cries out in condemnation at those who are taking advantage of the poor in favor of their wealth and possessions. The prophetic texts are full of such condemnations from many periods in the life of Israel. They are a reminder to us of how easy it is to fall into this temptation to serve “mammon” rather than God.
Jesus teaches us about life. The “things of God” (He Himself, His teaching, His love, mercy, compassion and so forth) are eternal. The items we possess are temporary and of no eternal value. When we set or review our priorities in life, this point is worthy of consideration.
Jesus urges us to keep our priorities in their right place. Placing our greatest effort, zeal, thoughts and actions into heavenly ways is a sure way to stay on the right path, the path that leads to life — eternal life — for “you cannot serve both God and mammon.”
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Msgr. Joseph Prior is pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Penndel, and a former professor of Sacred Scripture and rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Read more reflections by Msgr. Joseph Prior here.
The post A Matter of Priorities: Things of This World, or of Heaven? appeared first on CatholicPhilly.
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