You Can't Serve God & Mammon

“ Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, he became poor, so that by his poverty we might become rich.”

II Corinthians 8:9

In the first reading from the Book of Amos we see how merchants are trying to do anything to make money in a dishonest way. They want the new moon and the sabbath to be over - days in which commerce was not allowed – so they could resume selling their goods and making a profit. They are ready to go to extremes such as altering the units of measurement, providing less goods than what was properly measured, and even adding refuse or chaff to wheat in order to make a bigger profit. The prophet Amos reminds them that the Lord will never forget anything that has been done that involves an injustice towards others.

Today’s gospel from Luke 16:1-13, illustrates a lazy steward finally taking some initiative. He knows he is going to lose his job so he looks to the future to make a deal with his bosses creditors by discounting what they owe him. By doing this he is increasing his odds of landing a new job with one of them. He is praised for finally taking initiative. The Gospel reminds us that if we are not honest with small things we will never be trusted with larger things. We cannot serve God and mammon because serving God means sacrificing and giving our time and talents in ways that often do not receive a financial reward. May we use our gifts with a generous spirit for the building up of God‘s kingdom.