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Extravagant Mercy

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Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass Readings

First Reading: Amos 8:4-7
Responsorial: Psalm 113:1-2, 4-8
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-8
Gospel: Luke 16:1-13

You can’t serve both God and mammon!

My brothers and sisters, in today’s readings we hear a little bit of a confusing story about the dishonest steward. It’s a little confusing because at the end of the Gospel, it sounds like Jesus is commending the steward’s craftiness. Can that really be the case? First, let’s set the scene.

Mammon isn’t just money. It refers to worldly wealth and perhaps even a worldly attitude that goes along with everything this world promises us. With that understanding, let’s jump into to the readings.

In the Gospel the steward, who is basically the manager responsible for his employer’s property and staff has been careless with his employer’s property. The employer learns that the steward has been careless. He is accused of squandering property. His employer tells him that he is going to be let go, but first he must make an accounting of everything he has done.

The steward is a little panicked. He has no idea what he is going to do once he is unemployed. So, he conceives a plan. He figures that if he generous with his employer’s debtors, they will help him once he is unemployed. He summons the debtors and reviews their debts, then has them write promissory notes for less that the amount. Whether he pays part of the debts is not known, but he eases their debt-burdens.

Now when his employer learns what he has done, he praises the steward for his prudence. It almost sounds like Jesus is praising the steward for his shrewdness. How can this be?

Well, here’s the second point. Before Jesus tells this parable, he had just finished telling the crowd the parable of the lost son. This isn’t a second day. This is a continuation of the readings from last week. Now Jesus is offering this parable. What did we learn from last week’s readings? Jesus tells us about the enormous generosity of the Father’s mercy. But at the same time he warns us that he has not come to save the righteous – those who think themselves better than everyone else.

In contrast, Jesus tells us about this prudent steward – a limited, self-motivated example of mercy. In other words, seeing these two parables side by side, this parable is about mercy with strings attached. I’ll forgive you if you agree to do the dishes for a month; or I’ll forgive you if you agree to clean out the gutters for me. This is what the world tells us we should do, right? We should adopt an attitude the espouses, “what’s in it for me?” This is the approach to life that world tells us will lead to happiness, wealth and success.

But is this a sustainable way of living our lives? After a while, managing all those strings becomes exhausting. We can’t serve both our own self-interest and be in right relation with those around us. You cannot serve both God and mammon. In this situation, you only love the one and come to become frustrated with the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.

No, when we extend forgiveness, we should extend it like God. We should offer forgiveness totally and with no strings attached. Why? Well, first, because that is how we wish to be treated by other people. Second, that’s how we wish to be treated by God. We forgive extravagantly so that when we face our judgment, we can say we extended great mercy, and we hope to receive such extravagant mercy too. So, while we can live in this world, we should try not to be of this world – totally focused on ourselves and showing no compassion or mercy toward those around us or holding people in check with strings tied to our mercy and love and forgiveness.

Homework! After being nourished at the table of God’s Word and the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following questions this week.

  1. First, have you ever felt unworthy of God’s mercy?
  2. Second, reflecting on your relationships, can you forgive especially when the other person doesn’t deserve mercy?

I think our homework today will help us live the mercy and love of Jesus Christ in our lives. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

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Pharisees and Scribes

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Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass Readings

First Reading: Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14
Responsorial: Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-17
Gospel: Luke 15:1-32

In today’s Gospel we find three familiar stories: the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Parable of the Lost Coin, and the Parable of the Prodigal Son. We could spend quite a bit of time breaking open the meaning of each of these parables – the relentless pursuit by the Shepherd, the woman and the Father running through the field to the son who returned home.

All of these parables give us insight into the immense love of the Father for each of us. The Father loves you and he loves me so much that he will chase us forever, but here’s the catch – we have to choose to say yes. You see, the Father will never force himself on anyone.

As beautiful as these parables are and as much as we all need to reminded that there is nothing, nothing we can do that will make us unlovable by the Father, I want to focus instead on the introduction to these parables.

Here is how Luke begins the parables. “The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him, but the Pharisees and the scribes began to complain, saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them,’” (Luke 15:1-2). The Pharisees and scribes were complaining.

While everyone could here the parables, Jesus directed these parables to the Pharisees and scribes. Why?

In the second reading from First Timothy, we hear, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” (1 Timothy 1:15). Now, we should all say to ourselves, “yes, that makes sense, because we are all sinners,” but my brothers and sisters, I suggest to you there are some who do not see themselves that way. We call these people self-righteous. Who are these people?

Again, from First Timothy we hear, “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief,” (1 Timothy 1:13). Paul describes himself as one of these self-righteous people – one of these Pharisees and scribes who have this unfounded belief that they are morally superior to everyone.

Paul reminds us that Jesus came into the world for sinners. But like the older brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, there are many people who think, “I’m a good person.” Like the older brother who worked hard in his father’s fields from morning to night – who played by the rules and didn’t even ask for food to share with his friends, there are many people who believe that being a good person is good enough. And maybe we scoff at the idea that someone who is reckless, like the lost son deserved compassion.

You see, the tax collectors were particularly hated by most Jews. Tax collectors were Jews who worked for the Romans – they worked for the occupiers. And the way they were compensated was that they were allowed to add a surcharge to the taxes they collected for Rome. So, not only were they collecting taxes, but they squeezed people harder so that they could get their share. How could these people and other sinners – other people who didn’t live by the rules – deserve forgiveness? Sound familiar?

Why are you giving money to that homeless guy? It’s his own fault that he’s on the street or he’s just going to use the money for drugs or booze.

I work hard for my money. Why should my taxes go to welfare? They just keep having more and more kids.

Why should my taxes pay for that druggie in the hospital? It’s not my fault he’s strung out.

“I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance,” (Luke 15:7).

Homework! After receiving the Jesus through the Word of God proclaimed and in the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions.

  1. First, in my heart of hearts, can I relate to the Pharisees and the scribes?
  2. Second, what is or are the sources of my righteousness?

I think by doing our homework, we can prepare our sinful hearts for repentance. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

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What’s in My Way?

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Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass Readings

First Reading: Wisdom 9:13-18
Responsorial: Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17
Second Reading: Philemon 9:10, 12-17
Gospel: Luke 14:25-33

Hate your parents? Hate your own life? Carry your cross? What is Jesus talking about?

Jesus is not saying that to follow him you must hate your family. In today’s Gospel (Luke 14:25-33), Jesus knows that the crowd that is traveling with him are not all disciples – not yet, anyway. Some were on the fence while others were just curious to see what he would do next. Jesus knew just how far each person was willing to go.

Does that sound familiar? How far are we willing to go? What obstacles prevent us from discipleship – from drawing closer to Jesus? I remember when my family first moved to central Texas. I walked into the sacristy to help set up for mass, but first I wanted to introduce my family to the priest. We had a retired priest who would help our pastor cover the weekend masses. Now he was quite a character. He was a vet of World War II the Korean War, serving in the army in one and the navy in the other. Now, his experiences gave him a colorful vocabulary, if you catch my meaning.

After I introduced my family to him, he asked me if I was discerning to becoming a deacon. I told I couldn’t because my children were so young. He shook his head and yelled, “That’s BS!” only he used the actual words. The next thing he said cut me to the core. He said, “Don’t use your family as an excuse!”

Was I using my family as an excuse? I think that’s the point of Jesus’ first parable. He is not saying we need to hate our families, but he is saying that we can make all sorts of excuses which keep us from living as disciples.

You see, what could hold us back might not only be the comforts of home, but sin or a grudge or a lack of trust. Maybe we are so caught up in something sinful that we think we are not worthy. Or maybe we relish in some grudge that we just can’t let go of. I know that might sound odd, but I’m sure I’m not the only one whose heard someone say, “remember that time when you did whatever?” Then you find out that “whatever” is something that happened ten, twenty, thirty or forty years ago. Many people talk the talk, like forgive and forget, but they can’t walk the walk. They cling to old hurts and grudges like some sort of security blanket.

I think the theme is excuses. I suspect there are many different kinds of excuses we are willing to make, like “I’m too busy”, “I don’t have time”, “I don’t have extra money”, “I’m too old”, “I can’t get over what she did or he said.” All of these sorts of excuses are obstacles that block our path and prevent us from being the disciples we are meant to be. Whether it’s worldly goods, or relationships, sin or grudges, if we’re not willing to detach from these things and repent, we may not be able to commit to discipleship. Letting go and moving on – these are the costs of discipleship.

Whether it’s these readings or another scripture reading, do get the feeling sometimes that Jesus is trying to shine a light on something in your life? I encourage you to reflect on that even if it’s only for a few minutes. It could be something Jesus is trying to point out to help you in your journey. And that leads us to our homework today.

Homework! After listen to the readings and receiving the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions this week.

  1. First, does anything in today’s readings stand out to you? What is it and why?
  2. Are you holding on to a grudge or some past hurt that you’ve refused to revisit and let go of?

I think that if we do our homework, if we are willing to acknowledge the obstacles in our life, acknowledge them and let them go, we will be able to grow in our discipleship with Jesus Christ. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!