Amos 8: 4-7, 1 Timothy 2: 1-8, Luke 16: 1-13
1. The key line in our Gospel is…”you cannot serve both God and Mammon”. The problem is though, what is ‘MAMMON?” Sounds like a Monster Movie. “The RETURN of the MAMMON”.
2. ‘Mammon’ is a Aramaic word used in some bible translations meaning PROPERTY and WEALTH. Jesus, uses it in a NEGATIVE connotation, to condemn the almost idolatrous attachment to riches which are incompatible with the HONOR due to God.
-Example: we may like to Golf, hunt, watch TV, sleep in, shop or go to the Big games; if any of these keep us from Sunday Mass, Praying or Charitable actions, it could be an IDOLATROUS attachment!
-If we live WAY BEYOND our means or have more THINGS than we need…that ‘MUST HAVE’ attitude for the sake of ‘having’, can be a sign of a idolatrous attachment to THINGS.
3. Jesus isn’t the only prophet WARNING us today. Amos, an 8th century BC prophet; known as the prophet of ‘Divine Judgment’, also condemned the INJUSTICES against others, that go along all to often with the riches that we have because of how we attained them. The country of Israel was enjoying material prosperity, but idolatry and stealing from the poor was rife amongst the upper class.
-If we have a business or a high administrative position; is everybody treated and paid fairly?
-On the flipside of this: As a employee do I give a Honest days work.
-Also if we have excess monies, how is our Charitable Giving? Do the POOR and or a PET PROJECT of our Diocese, Parish or School get a generous portion of that excess?
We are STEWARDS of God’s Generosity to us. Think of it this way; everything you own is really God’s. Nothing is ours. We are just the Stewards of those gifts. And we must not SQUANDER, GREEDILY Keep or STEAL the MAMMON when someone else is in need.
4. That having been said…this Gospel does not ignore the fact that we NEED and MUST USE ‘MAMMON.’ Property and Wealth are a practical norm of society. Therefore it must be noted, Jesus does not condemn having Wealth or Property. But what Jesus does (and we must add in the prophet Amos and our Church leaders as well today), all EMPHATICALLY speak the ‘Good News’ as to the ‘Right’ attainment and use of property and wealth.
Since we all have different family sizes, levels of income, health situations, and positions in society, the we do not have specific RULES. But they all call us to be RESPONSIBLE users and GENEROUS givers.
5. Our parable of the ‘Unjust Steward’ is hard to interpret at face value. We are NOT to focus only on his UNJUST ACTIONS with his Masters property; but rather it’s his ‘CLEVERNESS’ with which he attacked his own problems that we can gain a lesson.
His CLEVERNESS serves to point out the Moral of the parable. And that is: if Jesus’ disciples were only HALF as CLEVER at promoting his kingdom in Generosity and Responsibility, as this manager was at promoting his own welfare, God’s kingdom would be FAR BETTER OFF. So you and I better take a good look at our selves as to the part we are playing in growth!
6. Our Gospel Steward gives some CLEVER points on how to keep ‘Mammon’ in perspective to God.
1st: It reminds us we have been given much and are called to MANAGE it Daily. For Work and School. For Clubs, Church and personal time. Manage earthly things CLEVERLY to benefit our Spiritual Welfare for ourselves and others too.
2nd: The Gospel tells us to ‘LOOK AHEAD’. Jesus is a proponent of long range planning. Where do you want to be in 5 years from now. Physically? Spiritually? Who do you want to help out? Our Steward was looking ahead. We are to look ahead spiritually too.
3rd: Take note of what ‘REALLY LASTS or is really IMPORTANT and we will see it’s …RELATIONSHIPS. Our Gospel Steward weighed in on his TALENTS and DISLIKES.
-He didn’t like the HARD WORK.
– He felt uncomfortable and ashamed to BEG.
– So he chose to take care of himself through Relationships.
This Gospel step encourages us to use our MAMMON: That is Wealth, Property, Time, Position and Talents to build our relationships with God and people. And Amos would STRESS…“especially with the poor”.
7. These Gospel and Old Testament principals are not always self evident or easily attained. We live in a society which constantly promotes Contrary values and we can easily SQUANDER God’s gifts for worthless junk, because of our POOR management. The LURE of the MAMMON is Strong.
Mammon has a place in God’s plan for us. It is not meant to be HORDED or to REPLACE God in any way. MAMMON is intended To help us sustain our earthly lives and to build the kingdom of God. But remember, MAMMON used devoid of it’s Spiritual context, makes MAMMON a bonafide MONSTER. A monster that will drag us away from God!
1. Amos was a shepherd in the kingdom of Judah who was called by God to go to Israel, the northern kingdom. There he was to speak in God’s name to the people. This was in the 8th century B.C. The country enjoyed material prosperity but idolatry and injustice were rife among the upper classes especially. Against these vices the prophet spoke fearlessly, until he was driven from the kingdom eventually. Today’s reading deals with the injustices practised against the poor and the helpless.
2. Today the Prophet spoke out against those landlords who were making great profits at the expense of poor tenants. They in essence made the tenants virtual slaves because of excess rent. Depriving the renters their personal dignity and independence. The reading tells us these landlords also resented the religious back ground of the tenants, because they quit working on those religious Holidays. The day of the ‘Full Moon’ and their Sabbath
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