It’s amazing how our readings this Sunday perfectly synchronize with what is presently happening all over the country. Today, the people are marching on the streets in great numbers to manifest their collective anger over the flood-control projects scandal that plundered the nation’s coffers and caused untold sufferings to countless victims. The scandal is but the tip of an iceberg of a longstanding culture of greed and impunity in government, politics and in our life as a nation.
In the first reading, the prophet Amos condemns the dishonest merchants who could not wait for the end of the Sabbath and religious festivities to exploit and cheat the people with their tampered measures and scales, overpriced merchandise and lucrative sale of rejects. In the words of the prophet, “they buy up the poor with money.”
How fittingly this picture applies to our present situation. From the current investigations we learn how politicians, government officials, contractors and their cohorts pillage the people’s money, leaving them impoverished, deprived of the basic services and utterly vulnerable to floods and their perils. And the cruel irony is that some of the suspects are sitting as investigators, turning Congress into a circus and a kangaroo court.
No wonder the people are rising in anger. The Church is one with them and shares their hurt, frustration and indignation. She cannot remain silent for the Lord himself rejects worship divorced from justice. In fact, God is enraged with injustice and sides with the victim. “Do not rob the poor because they are poor… for the Lord will defend their cause and will plunder those who plunder them.” (Prov 22:22-23)
In a similar vein, the gospel speaks of a dishonest servant who is fired by his master for cheating and squandering his property. What is surprising though is that at the end of the parable the servant is praised for his shrewdness in gaining the favor of his master’s creditors by making devious cutbacks on their payments. The master does not commend the servant’s dishonesty (the first reading clearly condemns it) but his zeal in making friends to secure his future even after his termination.
Jesus comments that the children of this world are more enterprising than the children of the light, intimating that we could learn a lesson or two from them. Bishop Fulton Sheen once contrasted the Christians with the communists saying that the Christians have the light but no fire, while the communists have the fire but no light. The Christians indeed possess the truth but do not seem to have the zeal and passion to live it. Instead, the communists are all fired up and driven with their cause but are unfortunately blind and misguided by a false ideology.
The crooked but resourceful estate manager befriended his master’s equally crooked creditors to secure his future. The story challenges us to be as decisive in using all our resources and blessings – time, talent, health, and wealth, to serve God’s purpose and gain eternity.
Money in itself is not “dishonest”. In fact, it is good when it is earned honorably and shared in charity. It is greed that turns money into a golden calf. Thus, Jesus rightly tells us that we cannot serve both God and mammon when excessive attachment has turned money into an idol and a cult.
One final thought. Jesus teaches us that “the person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones, and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.” Unfortunately, dishonesty is deeply ingrained in our life, both public and personal. It has become systemic. There is need to reset our culture. We need a change of mind and heart. In a word, we need total conversion. We need to learn to be honest starting with small matters.