Posted by Romo Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno OP on September 22, 2019
Posted in renungan | Tagged With: English, Sunday Reflection
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]
September 22, 2019
Luke 16:1-13
There is something strange in our Gospel today. Jesus is praising the
cunning steward. Why does Jesus commend his shrewd action? To understand Jesus’
words, we need to comprehend first what really takes place with this servant
and his master.
There is a steward who had been entrusted by his master to take care of
his master’s house and possession, and yet, instead doing his job, he prefers
to squander his master’s wealth and betrays his master’s trust. Angered master
does what he is expected to do. He fires his useless servant. Yet, upon this
impending judgment, the servant realizes that he is not able to dig, meaning he
cannot labor in the farmland or at the construction sites. He is also ashamed
to become a beggar. Then, he engineers a way out. He calls all his master’s
debtors and cut into half all their debts by manipulating their letter of
agreement. By doing this, he is doing a favor to them and making them as their friends.
This is to secure way to survive after his expulsion. Surely this is
manipulation and corruption, and yet he is praised for doing so. What’s going
on?
Jesus gives us an example of how smart the children of this world manage
their affairs. In the time of crisis, the wicked servant is able to discern
well what is most important in his life, that is his survival. For a while, the
servant is attached to the wealth of his master and spending them as if this
money is his. But, when he realizes he is in the great trouble, he makes the
right choice. He detaches himself from his addiction from wealth and make them
as a means to achieve his survival. Jesus then compares the children of this
world, and the children of light. If the children of this world can use and
manipulate the material possession for their earthly motives, so the children
of light shall use the same wealth to attain even a loftier goal.
This teaching of Jesus is important and massive implication. We are not
only allowed, but even encouraged to use the material goods and wealth in order
to reach heaven. Jesus even uses a stronger term: make friends with dishonest
wealth! Surely, it does not mean we can buy heaven, or we can bribe God! We
cannot never do those things. These material possession and money serve us as
means to live decent lives, help each other and worship God.
The problem is that we, the children of light, are not friends with
wealth. We either hate money or we love money. Firstly, some of us may have a
perspective that money is evil, dangerous and leading to sin. Thus, when we
hate money, we detest also those who have money. The hatred of money may lead
to hatred of others, and we may fail to fulfill Christ’s commandment: to love
one another. Secondly, many of us love money. We are attached to earthly wealth
that we forget their true purpose. We make means into the end, and end into the
means. We turn our family, friends, employees, religion, even God as tools to
gain more and more money. It is a disheartening reality nowadays that some
people create new religions and churches to enrich themselves. We are only to
love God and to love each other for the love of God, but never money. We make
friends with earthly wealth in order for us to gain heaven.
Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP