_(Sunday 22nd September
2019. Read Amos 8:4-7, Psalm 113, 1 Timothy 2:1-8 and Luke 16:1-13)_
_“If then you have not been faithful
in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you
have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which
is your own?” *(Luke 16:11-12)*_
Last Sunday, Jesus gave us three
parables to illustrate the extent and power of God’s abundant mercy in
response to the scribes and Pharisees who felt Jesus was doing something wrong
by associating with sinners. Today, Jesus tells us a rather intriguing story
about an unjust steward who was commended by his master for his rather crafty
behaviour.
Unlike the parables Jesus gave last
Sunday which are simple and straightforward, the parable of the unjust steward is
quite confusing and crafty at face value. Is Jesus recommending dishonesty as a
means of getting into heaven? Why would the master praise the steward for using
his (the master’s) wealth to make friends for himself? What exactly are the
lessons that Jesus seeks to teach us today?
*1. We Are all Stewards; This World
Is Not Ours.*
The first lesson we learn from this
parable is the fact that we are merely stewards of everything we consider to
belong to us. As Job would remind us: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and
naked I shall return.” (Job 1:21). Since we came to this world naked, empty,
senseless and fragile, it would amount to mere foolishness for us to assume
that anything belongs to us. Like stewards put in charge of riches belonging to
another person, we are just account managers and we must relinquish all that we
presently control one day; a day we do not know. This calls for humility on our
part.
*2. As Stewards, We Can Never Hide
Anything from God.*
Recall that Joseph was a steward in Potiphar’s
house and due to his diligence coupled with God’s blessing, Potiphar’s wealth
increased exponentially. (Genesis 39:2-6). Even to this day, wealthy people
usually employ others to manage their funds. The truth is that having entrusted
your wealth to others, it is very possible to be cheated without knowing it. (For
instance, you cannot operate an account in Nigeria today without being subjected
to multiple bank charges often coded with different names). As we see in this
parable, a report was brought to the Master that the steward was wasting his
goods. As much as humans can be deceived, God cannot be deceived. We can never
hide anything from Him.
*3. The Steward is Praised Not for Dishonesty
but for His Proactiveness.*
Now, we come to the crux of the matter.
The master praised the steward not because of what he did but because of his
prudence. The steward upon realizing when the books would be opened, there was
just no way he would retain his job acted ahead. He thought carefully about
what to do and decided to use his master’s money (the debt others were owing) to
do charity by reducing this debt. At face value, even this action of the
steward appears unlawful in that you are not supposed to do charity with money
that does not belong to you. But come to think of it, is there really anything
that belongs to us? Since we came naked to this world, can we claim ownership
of anything?
In other words, Jesus is teaching us first
to think carefully like this steward of what shall become of us after our death
(when we are relieved of our stewardship) and secondly, to use “what does not
belong to us now” to be charitable to others so that like this steward, we would
be welcomed into Paradise. This immediately takes us back to a theme that has
been recurring Sunday after Sunday; the importance of charity to the poor and
needy. Recall the parable of the rich fool? In truth, on the day of judgement,
it is our kindness to others that will speak on our behalf. As Jesus taught us
a few Sundays ago: “Sell your possessions and give alms; provide yourselves
with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not
fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.” (Luke 12:33)
On last day, Jesus would say to us: “Come,
O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and
you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to
me. (Matthew 25:34-36). Sing: _Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren,
that you do unto me._ Jesus says to us today: “Make friends for yourselves by
means of unrighteous mammon so that when it fails, they may receive you into eternal
habitations.” This brings us to our next lesson for today.
*4. The Evil of Social Injustice: How Do You Treat the Poor?*
As Jesus says to us, “he who is
faithful in very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a
very little is dishonest also in much. If you then have not been faithful in
the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust you with true riches? And if you have
not been faithful with what is not yours, who will give you what is yours?” Our
first reading is a perfect description of this unfaithfulness that Jesus is talking
about. Amos tells of persons who, having made a god of riches, connive to dupe
people by distorting the scales thereby selling the poor for silver and the
needy for a pair of sandals.
We are unfaithful stewards when we tell
lies to make money, when we cheat our customers when we sell fake products
even for higher the price of genuine products. We are unfaithful stewards when
we treat the poor and needy as though they do not exist. In a society like ours
where government officials are the highest paid in the world compared to their counterparts,
a society where senators and legislators are paid sitting allowances, wardrobe
allowances, stress allowances, sleeping allowances where billions of naira are
approved for official vehicles every four years, it is totally incomprehensible
that our government cannot pay a minimum wage of just N30,000 (less than
100dollars) as monthly salary.
God speaking through Amos today says: “Surely,
I will never forget any of their deeds.” As leaders in whatever capacity we find
ourselves, let us always think of the poor; not just the beggars in the street,
but those who, no matter how hard they work or their educational attainment cannot
rise above a certain level of poverty. The level of insecurity in our land and
the seeming helplessness of our security forces is already an indication of
silent but dangerous revolution brewing on the way. Our leaders must wake up to
this fact before things get out of hand. This again takes us the next lesson.
*5. Let us Pray for our Leaders.*
Last Sunday, we saw how Moses prayed
for the Israelites when they sinned against God by erecting a golden statue for
themselves as an object of worship against the first commandment that God had
just given to them. God was almost at the point of giving up on them but Moses prayed
and God changed his mind towards the people. Our final lesson for today comes
from our second reading where St. Paul writing to Timothy encourages us to
always pray for our leaders. In truth, “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”
We do a great evil when we only criticise our leaders (pointing out their errors)
without taking our time to pray for them.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, deepen in me
a sense of wisdom to use what appears to be mine to care for the poor and needy
that I may not be turned out from the gate of heaven. Amen.
Happy Sunday. Be Happy. Live
Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (25th
Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. Bible Study: Amos 8:4-7, Psalm 113, 1 Timothy
2:1-8 and Luke 16:1-13)
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