You cannot serve God and Mammon

This Sunday, the 25^th Sunday in ordinary time, we continue to accompany Jesus in his journey to Jerusalem. Luke’s account of this journey started in chapter 9 and culminates in chapter 19 with the triumphant entry of Jesus in Jerusalem that we all know as the Passion Sunday or Palm Sunday.

We can say this journey is a geographical journey from Galilee in the north to Jerusalem in the south with his disciples. It Parallels Moses journey with the people of Israel from Egypt to the promised land which took them 40 years

An 11-day walk that became 40 years but the prolonged journey serves as an important symbol in the narrative of the Israelites. It’s not merely a tale of delay but a critical lesson of faith and trust in God’s divine plan.

My study for Jesus’ journey from Galilee to Jerusalem did not produce a definite timeline, but by foot the route can be a 5 to 7 days walk as traditionally done by pilgrim Jews who do this 3 times a year. And Jesus for how long it took him this time took this opportunity to teach his disciples on the truth about the kingdom of God and how to truly live a life of discipleship. It is also a journey of the heart, and we can say it is our journey.

Today, we find ourselves reading chapter 16 and we realize we have passed the midway point of the journey, and the lessons are becoming more intense and deliberate. Jesus in the Gospel today tells us another parable that is unique to Luke’s Gospel. Whereas the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son, also unique to Luke’s Gospel, they are among the most popular. The same cannot be said about today’s parable. Jesus tells his disciples a parable about a rich man and one of his employees or perhaps a slave or servant.

The NRSV version we use, calls him the dishonest steward or manager. And Jesus’ words at the conclusion of the Gospel reading is - you cannot serve God and Wealth.

The original Greek word used in the scripture here is mammonas which is related to similar words in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin, all translating to “money” or “wealth.”  In biblical texts, particularly the New Testament, the word mammon is often associated with the misuse of wealth and the temptation of materialism. It is used to illustrate the conflict between serving God and the pursuit of earthly riches. St. Paul affirms this in 1 Tim. 6:10: “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”

The Greek text of the New Testament calls the employee an οἰκονόμος (oikonomos), which means an estate manager. The role of the οἰκονόμος (oikonomos) in a large household was one of great responsibility, but also one of wealth and prestige.

In other words, he wasn’t just a servant but a trained, trusted and duly empowered agent of his master. It was not uncommon for the estate manager to enjoy considerable autonomy in overseeing his master’s affairs, and also to receive a considerable commission for his efforts.

Scholars disagree about the meaning of this parable. Some say he did this dishonestly at the expense of his master. Others say that he was simply giving away his own commission.

And this is the theological thought I was leaning to favor. That this manager or steward was a shrewd steward and not a dishonest steward. So the manager here is simply deducting the amount of his own commission from the amount owing.

This means that the manager is being opportunistic rather than dishonest. He forgoes his own commission to win goodwill that will serve him in his coming hour of need. This gives me some relief because it makes more sense, since rather than rebuking him, his master praised him for his prudence, otherwise, he would have shown the same attitude on that master in other parables like the parable of the talents where in the end, it is always not ending good for the servant.

We can end here brothers and sisters. All we need to remember is to make good use of the time, talent and treasure that God has given us and we can continue to slide in safely living our daily or weekly lives the way we live them now.

But these words – “Dishonest Steward” hounded me all this time. As I keep of repeating this words and praying and writing this reflection – it has suddenly dawn on me the Lord is actually pointing to a different form of dishonesty to me.

Thirty years ago, a Gallup poll called “Religion in America” demonstrated that 89% of regular churchgoers live their lives exactly in the same way as non-churchgoers–same rate of marital infidelity, cheating on income taxes, etc.

Don’t you think it is gross dishonesty to come here on a Sunday looking holy and nice and then live our lives void of God the rest of the week. God is only for Sunday, in fact there are a bigger population of Catholics that live their lives with God for “some” Sundays, or worst – 2 or 3 Sundays a year.

We are all stewards. We aren’t entitled to anything, even what we “own” in the eyes of the world. Just think about this, immediately after crossing the Red Sea, God gave the people of Israel the Decalogue (the ten words) which we call now the Ten Commandments.

One of the commandment is to honor the day of rest.  The Sabath for the Jews and now the Lord’s day for Christians. It is a reminder for them, they are no longer slaves. In Egypt, as slaves, they work 24/7.

This Sunday, we are also reminded of this beautiful reality. And this parable should give us hope. Even if we are dishonest, we can do something about that, so it is not a disaster for us in the end.

In the first reading from Amos, the Lord swears never to forget the way His hearers have cheated and trampled the poor. And it is an opportune time for us to consider maybe I need to seek God’s forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation. For who knows, that if I am only here 3 times a year, when was the last time I was in the confessional.

The second reading from 1 Timothy calls us to pray for others, especially those in authority, so that we can all live lives of peace and devotion. Given the division and violence in our country today and in the world, especially in the wake of tragic assassinations and school shootings, these words take on particular urgency. God wants everyone to be saved, to know His truth, and ultimately be united in His love.

This message from Paul ties in with the Gospel lesson: the way we treat others and use our gifts determines our readiness to one day receive the true wealth and permanent gift of eternal life.

Let us pray for those who hold positions of leadership, and for those who hate us and disagree with us. I invite you to recognize everything you have as undeserved gifts, and to use it all with generosity to form relationships of love—never as instruments of hatred, violence, or selfishness. With God’s help, we can begin the transformation of our country, our church, especially our homes which is in such desperate need of renewal. I pray that someday, we can all enjoy the eternal dwelling place that God has set out for us.