Homily for the 25thSunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C)
Based on Lk 16:1-13(Gospel),
Am 8:4-7(First Reading) and 1 Tm 2:1-8(Second
Reading)
From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”
MAMMON
OR GOD?
“You cannot be
the slave both of God and of money” (Lk 16:13)
The Gospel
for this 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C) is Lk 16:1-13. Verse
1 says: aHe also said to his disciples, ‘There was a rich man and he had a
steward who was denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. Footnote a
says “This chapter is a compilation of
two parables and several logia of Jesus on the right and wrong use of money.
Vv. 16,16,18 each with a different theme, interrupt the literary scheme of the
chapter”.
Verses 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 say: He called for the man and said, ‘What is
this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you
are not to be my steward any longer.’ Then the steward said to himself, “Now
that my master is taking his stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am
not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will
do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to
welcome me into their homes.” ‘Then he called his master’s debtors one by one.
To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?’ ‘One hundred measures of
oil’ was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight
away and write fifty’. To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?”
One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take
your bond and write eighty”. The master praised the dishonest steward for his
astuteness.b For the children of this world are more astute in
dealing with their own kind than the children of light. Footnote b says “The steward is
commended not for his roguery but for his adroitness in an awkward situation.”
Parallel text
of verse 8 is Jn 8:12 that says: When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said:
‘I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the
dark; he will have the light of life’.
Verse 9 says: And so I tell you this: use money, tainted
as it is,c to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails
you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. Footnote c
says “Money
is here called ‘tainted’ not only because its owner is here presumed to have
gained it dishonestly but because great wealth is rarely acquired without some
sharp practice”.
Parallel texts are:
1.
Lk 12:33 - On
almsgivingd Sell you possessions and give alms. Get yourselves
purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where
no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. Footnote d says “That riches are a danger and should be given away in alms is
characteristic teaching of Lk: cf. 3:11; 6:30; 7:5; 11:41; 12:33-34; 14:14;
16:9; 18:22; 19:8; Ac 9:36; Ac 10:2,4,31.”
2.
Si 29:12 - Deposit generosity on your storerooms
and it will release you from every misfortune.
Verses 10, 11, and 12 say: The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great;
the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then
you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with
genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours,d
who will give you what is your very own?e Footnote d says “Lit. ‘what is outside’ i.e. wealth, which is something external to
man”; Footnote e says “‘your
very own’; var. ‘our very own’. Jesus is speaking of the most intimate
possession a man can have; these are spiritual”.
Parallel texts of verse 10 are:
1.
Lk 19:17
- ‘Well done, my good servant!” he replied “Since you have proved
yourself faithful in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten
cities.”
2. Mt
25:21 - His master
said to him,“Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small
thing, I will entrust you with greater; come and join in your master’s
happiness”.d Footnote d says “The happiness of the heavenly banquet, Mt
8:11+. ‘I will trust you with greater things’ implies an active sharing with
Christ in his reign”.
Verse 13 says: No servant
can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the
second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot
be the slave both of God and of money.
Parallel text for verse 13 is Mt 6:24 that says: No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the
first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with
scorn. You cannot be the salve both of God and of money.
The First Reading for today is
from Am 8:4-7. Verses 4 and 5 say: Listen
to this, you who trample onf the needy and try to suppress the poor
people of the country, you who say, ‘When will the New Moon be overg
so that we can sell our corn, and Sabbath, so that we can market our wheat?
Then by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel, by swindling and tampering
with the scales. Footnote f says “‘trample on’ corr.”; and Footnote g says “The New Moon, Lv 23:24+, like the Sabbath,
halted business”.
Parallel texts are:
1.
Lv 19:35 - “Your
legal verdicts, your measures – length, weight and capacity – must all be just.
2.
Dt 25: 13-16 - You are not to keep two different
weights in your bag, one heavy, one light (v. 13). You are not to keep two
different measures in your house, one large, one small (v. 14). You must keep
one weight, full and accurate, so that you may have a long life in the land
that Yahweh your God is giving you (v. 15). For anyone who does things of this kind
and acts dishonestly is detestable to Yahweh your God (v. 16).
3.
Pr 11:1 - A false balance is abhorrent to
Yahweh, a just weight is pleasing to him.
4.
Ho 12:8 - Canaank holds fraudulent
scales in his hands, to defraudl is his delight. Footnote k
says “‘Canaanite’ was a usual term for a
merchant. Here ‘Canaan’ is used pejoratively of Israel, infected by the spirit
of commercialism characteristic of the people who he has supplanted.”; and Footnote
l
says “‘to defraud’ corr.;
‘to oppress’ Hebr.”
Verse 6 says: we can buy up the poor for money, and
the needy for a pair of sandals, and get a price even for the sweepings of the
wheat.’
Parallel text is Am 2:6 that says: Yahweh
says this: For the three crimes, the four crimes, of Israel I have made my
decree and will not relent: because they have sold the virtuous man for silver
and the poor man for a pair of sandalse. Footnote e says “The prophets often protest against legal
corruption: Am 5:7; 6:12; Is 1:23; Mi 3:1-3, 9-11; 7:1-3; etc.”
Verse 7 says: Yahweh
swears it by the pride of Jacob,h ‘Never will I forget a single
thing you have done.’ Footnote h says “The ‘pride of Jacob’ may either be an epithet
of Yahweh, 1 S 15:29; or, as in 6:8, the arrogance of Israel, fir matter for
oath since it is so constant; or perhaps Palestine, land of Yahweh, Ps 47:4.”
The Second Reading is from 1 Tm 2:1-8. Verse 1 says: My
advise isa that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for
everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving. Footnote a says “‘My advice is’; var. ‘Advise’.”
Parallel
text is Ba 1:11 that says: Pray
for the long life of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and his son Belshazzar,
and that their days on earth endure as
the heavens…
Verse 2 says: And
especially for kings and others in authority,b so that we may be
able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. Footnote b says “Nero was emperor when this was written: the
end of the verse probably reflects Paul’s apprehensions about what the future
would bring. On Paul’s political loyalty, cf. Rm 13:1-7.”
Parallel texts are:
1.
Rm 13:1-7 -
You must obey all governing authorities. Since all government comes from God,
the civil authorities were appointed by God (v. 1), and so anyone who resists
authority is rebelling against God’s decision, and such an act is bound to be
punished (v. 2). Good behavior is not afraid of magistrates; only criminals
have anything to fear. If you want to live without being afraid of authority,
you must live honestly and authority may even honor you (v. 3). The state is
there to serve God for your benefit. If you break the law, however, you may
well have fear: the bearing of the sword has its significance. The authorities
are there to serve God: they carry out God’s revenge by punishing wrongdoers
(v. 4). You must obey, therefore, not only because you are afraid of being
punished,b but also for conscience’ sake (v. 5). This is also the
reason why you must pay taxes, since all government officials are God’s
officers. They serve God by collecting taxes (v. 6). Pay every government official what he has a
right to ask – whether it be direct tax or indirect, fear or honor. Footnote
a says “Paul here enunciates
the principle that all authority, supposing it lawful and for the common good,
derives from God. Hence the Christian religion, like its morality, 12:1, enters
into civil life also, 13:1-7. Paul does not contradict this even after the
first persecution”; Footnote bsays “Lit. ‘not only on account of anger’.”
2. Tt
3:1 - Remind them that it is their duty to be obedient to the officials and
representatives of the government; to be ready to do good at every opportunity…
Verses 3 and 4 say: To do this is right, and will please God
our savior; He wants everyone to be savedc and reach full knowledge
of the truth. Footnote c
says “This is a statement of enormous theological
implications, and it provides the correct interpretation of some passages in
the letter to the Christians at Rome, cf. Rm 9:18,21”.
Parallel
text of verse 3 is 1 Tm 1:1 that says: From Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus
appointed by commanda of God our saviorb and of Christ
Jesus our hope… Footnote a says “Var. ‘the promise’”; and Footnote b
says “Paul hardly ever uses the title
‘savior’ in his other letters, Ep 5:23; Ph 3:20, but in the Pastoral Letters he
makes use of it both when referring to the Father, 1 Tm 2:3; 4:10; Tt 1:3;
2:10; 3:4, and when referring to Christ, 2 Tm 1:10; Tt 1:4”.
Verse 5 says: For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between
God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus.
Parallel texts are:
1.
Ezk 18:23 - What! Am I likely to take pleasure in
the death of a wicked man—it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks - not prefer to see
to see him renounce his wickedness and live?
2.
Jn 8:32 - …you will learn the truth and the
truth will make you free.’
3.
2 Tm 3:7 - In the attempt to educate themselves,
but can never come to the knowledge of the truth.
Verse 6 says: Who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all. He is the evidence of
this, sent at the appointed time,d and… Footnote d says
“Cf 6:13. By his willingness to die for
the whole human race Christ showed the human race that God wanted everybody to
be saved. He was the Father’s ‘witness’ all through his life, but never so
supremely as at the moment of his execution. (The Greek word for ‘witness’ is
the same as for ‘martyr’.)”
Parallel texts are:
1.
Heb 8:6 - We
have seen that he has been given a ministry of a higher order, and to the same
degree it is a better covenant of which he is
the mediator,b founded on better promises.. Footnote b says “Technically, Christ is the one and only true
mediator: he is the true man and true God. Col. 2:9, and so the one and only
intermediary, Rm 5:15-19, 1 Tm 2:5; cf. 1 Co 3:22-23, 11:3, between God and the
human race. He unites them and
reconciles them,2 Co. 5:14-20. Through him come grace Jn 1:16-17; Ep 1:7; and
complete revelation, Heb. 1:1-2. In heaven he continues to intercede for those
who are faithful to him, 7:25+.”
2.
1 Tm 6:13
- Now, before God the source of all life and
before Jesus Christ, who spoke up as a witness for the truth in front of
Pontius Pilate,e I put to you the duty… Footnote
3.
Mt 20:28p - …just as the Son of Man came not to
be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransomg for many.h’
Footnote g says “By sin man incurs, as a debt to the divine
justice, the punishment of death demanded by the Law, cf. 1 Co. 15:56; 2 Co.
3:7,9; Ga. 3:13; Rm. 8:3-4, with notes. To ransom them from this slavery of sin
and death, Rm. 3:24+. Christ is to pay the ransom and discharge the debt with
the price of his blood, 1 Co. 6:20; 7:23; Ga. 3:13; 4:5, with notes, By thus
dying in place of the guilty, he fulfills the prophesied function of the
‘servant of Yahweh’ (Is. 53). The Hebr. word translated ‘many’, Is. 53:11f,
contrast the enormous crowd of the redeemed with the one Redeemer: it does not
imply that the number of redeemed is limited, Rm. 5:6-21. Cf. Mt. 26:28+”; Footnote h says “At this point some authorities insert the
following passage, derived probably from some apocryphal gospel ‘But as for
you, from littleness you seek to grow great and from greatness you make
yourselves small. When you are invited to a banquet do not take one of the
places of honor, because someone more important than you may arrive and then
the steward will have to say, “Move down lower”, and you would be covered with
confusion. Take the lowest place, and then if someone less important than you
comes in, the steward will say to you, “Move up higher”, and that will be to
your advantage.’ Cf. Lk. 14:8-10”.
4.
2 Co 5:15 -…and
the reason he died for all was so that living men should live no longer for
themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for them.
5.
Ga 1:4…who in order to
rescue us from this present wicked worldb sacrificed himself for our
sins, in accordance with the will of God our Father… Footnote b
says “The present world as opposed to the
‘world to come’ of the messianic era. It coincides with the rule of Satan, Ac
26:18, ‘god od this world’, 2 Co 4:4, cfEp 2:2; Jn 12:31, and with the rule of
sin and law, Ga 3:19. By dying and rising Christ has freed us from these forces
and made us members of his kingdom, of God’s kingdom, Rm 14:17; Col 1:13; Ep
5:5, though he will not be completely freed till we also rise from the dead at
the parousia, cf. Rm 5-8”.
6.
Ep 5:2 - …and follow Christ by loving as he
loved you, giving himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice
to God.
Verse 7 says: I have been named a
herald and apostle of it and – I am telling the truth and no lie – a teacher of
the faith and the truth to the pagans.
Parallel texts are:
1.
Rm 3:26 - Then, for the
present age,m by showing positively that he is just,n and
that he justifies everyone who believes in Jesus. Footnote m says “This ‘present age’ is in God’s plan of salvation the ‘time appointed’,
Ac 1:7+, for Christ’s redemptive work, Rm 5:6; 11:30; 1 Tm 2:6; Tt 1:3, which
comes in the appointed time, Ga 4:4+, once and for all, Heb 7:27+, and
inaugurates the eschatological era. Cf Mt 4:17p; 16:3p; Lk 4:13; 19:44; 21:8;
Jn 7:6,8”; and Footnote n says “i.e. exercising his (saving, cf 1:17+)
justice, as he had promised, by justifying man”.
2.
2 Tm 1:11 - …and I
have been named its herald, its apostle and its teacher.d Footnote d says “Add. (Vulg.) ‘to the pagans’.”
Verse 8 says: In every place, then, I
want the men to lift their hands up reverently in prayer, with no anger or
argument.
Parallel texts are:
1.
Ac 9:15 - The Lord replied, “You must go all the same
because this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before pagans, pagan kings and before
the people of Israel (v 15);h Footnote h says “Cf Jr 1:10. Paul’s mission is ‘to all men’,
Ac 22:15, to the pagan nations, 26:17; this agrees with what Paul himself
writes in Ga 1:16, cf Rm 1:5; 11:13; 15:16-18; Ga 2:2,8,9; Ep 3:8; Col 1:27; 1
Tm 2:7. On the ‘kings’, cf. Ac 26:2+”.
2.
Ga 2:7 - On the contrary, they recognized that I
had been commissioned to preach it to
the uncircumcised, just as Peter to the circumcised…
All gods need to be offered sacrifice as form of
worship. The true God is a god and a master; and money is also a god being
worshipped by many as their master. Both are indeed masters in their own
rights. Since no one can serve two masters, according to Lk 16:13 and Mt 6:24, then it follows that
if one serves, or worships, the true and living God as his master, then it
follows that he must sacrifice money, the one master, to the true and living
God; but if money is his master, then he will have to sacrifice the true and
living God to money.
No comments:
Post a Comment