25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time-C

I Reading Amos 8:4-7: The prophet of God challenges the people over their corrupt dealings and oppression of those who are poor.

II Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-8: Paul urges us to a love of unity, teaching us to pray for all God’s people.

Gospel: Luke 16:1-13: You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.

The Parable of the Unjust Manager: Man and Money, Lk 16:1-13

This passage is one of the most difficult passages in all of Scripture to understand. Verse eight is the primary reason. There is one particular danger against which the church repeatedly warns us in our Sunday readings: the danger of riches because of wealth wrongly acquired or badly used. No other Gospels stress the danger of riches so much as that of Luke. The Christians were tempted to make acquiring money the main purpose of their lives. So Luke dedicates the whole chapter of 16, from which today’s Gospel has been taken, to guide the use of money. For that purpose Luke brings in two parables of Jesus:

·     The parable of the unfaithful manager narrated in today’s Gospel (Lk 16:1-8).

·     The parable of the rich man and Lazarus about which we shall hear next Sunday (Lk 16:19-31).

Money and possessions are particularly bad when obtained through oppression, corruption, exploitation, and cheating of the poor and downtrodden ones. The prophet Amos saw the country’s wealth was built on social injustice and that the people had no real regard for their religion. The prophet Amos speaks of “the poor being sold for a pair of sandals” (Amos 8:6). The poor had to take loans; the Law forbad taking interest from the needy, (Ex 22:24-25; Lev 25:35-37; Deut 23:20-21) but exorbitant interests were charged, and when a person was unable to repay the loan, his fields and house were confiscated. When nothing was left, the wife and children of the debtor would be taken as slaves.

Today our concern for social justice and for the poor around us will tell us whether our attitude towards money and possessions accords or not with the Gospel. We must always be alert and see that whatever wealth comes to us is legitimately acquired and that God approves of the use we make of it. The Gospel makes it clear that attachment to money and possessions cannot be combined with genuine Christian life.

The advice of St Paul to Timothy in today’s second reading is to pray for people in authority to discharge their duties in all honesty, for the poor and oppressed who today are victims of injustice, for the rich to change their hearts, refrain from exploiting the poor.

Jesus also teaches about the rich young man- looking for the eternal life- but he goes back sadly when Jesus said, go and sell all your wealth and give to the poor; camel can enter into the eye of a needle but very hard for a rich man to enter into heaven etc.

The manager was a trusted slave who was put in charge of the landowner’s estate. He was highly regarded and esteemed, considered to be completely trustworthy. The term “manager” is applied to ministers (1Cor 4:1) and to believers in general (1Pt 4:10; Lk 16:1).

1. The Unjust manager (v.1-7)

a. He was charged with embezzlement, with wasting the Lord’s possessions

b. He was required to prepare

e a final accounting

c. He knew he was guilty and was unwilling to change and cry for mercy

d. He decided what to do: He would forget the Lord and court the favor and rewards of people

2. The worldly are wiser in their material pursuits than God’s people are in their spiritual pursuits (v.8)

3. The Christian is to use material wealth for good (v.9)

a. Wealth will fail-at death

b. Giving will be reciprocated

4. The Christian is to be faithful in handling possessions: how he handles his possessions will determine what he will be trusted with eternally (v.10-12)

a. Money is the least trust

b. Unfaithfulness disqualifies one from true, heavenly riches

c. Unfaithfulness disqualifies one from all he would receive

5. The Christian cannot serve two masters: Must choose God or riches (v.13)

Thought: How many religionists mislead others through false teaching, cheating and exploiting the poor, doing injustice and being involved in corruption, causing so many not to use their lives and gifts for God.

Let us be faithful towards the “little things” God has entrusted us with, so that we may one day possess the "great things” on the earth and in heaven, eternal life.

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 24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time-C

I Reading Exodus 32:7-11. 13-14: The Lord relented and did not bring the disaster he had threatened on his people. Moses prays, so the Lord relents and does not punish his people.

II Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-17: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Saint Paul rejoices because God has shown him mercy.

Gospel: Luke 15:1-32: There will be rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner. Three “lost and found” stories show how God loves to forgive.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep:

The Lost Sinner Out in the World, Lk 15:1-7

Chapter 15 is one of the most important chapters in the Bible. In these three parables, we find God’s love, mercy, forgiveness and faithfulness and human weakness, wrongness and unfaithfulness to God. God always rejoices when He forgives his people those who repent. “Jesus is his Father’s perfect copy,” (Heb 1:3). So Jesus came into the world to make known his Father’s love, mercy, forgiveness and faithfulness to everyone. Today’s three readings teach and explain God’s love and mercy.

The Gospel includes three of the most famous parables ever told. The parables deal with the lost sinner when the sinner repents and returns home. The first parable is that of the Lost Sheep in the wilderness of the world (Lost outside of the world).

1. Tax collectors and sinners drew near Jesus (v.1-3)

a. The religionists: Grumbling against Jesus associating with “sinners”

b. Jesus: shared  a parable

2. The sheep was lost (outside in the world) (v.4)

3. The sheep was lost because of self (lack of true discernment) (v.4)

4. The sheep was lost “in the wilderness or open country” (v.4)

5. The sheep was sought until found (v.4)

6. The sheep, once found, brought great joy (v.5-6)

7. The sheep represented a repentant sinner (v.7)

The Parable of the Lost Coin:

The Lost Sinner Within the Home, Lk 15:8-10

This passage is often preached and taught right along with the parable of the Lost Sheep (Lk 15:1-7). The lost sheep was lost out in the wilderness or open country of the world, whereas the lost coin was lost in the house.

1. The coin was lost (inside of the house) (v.8)

2. The coin was lost because of others (negligence and irresponsibility) (v.8)

3. The coin was lost in the house (v.8)

4. The coin was sought until found (v.9)

5. The coin, once found, brought great joy (v.9)

6. The coin represented a repentant sinner (v. 10)

Thought: If the Good News of Jesus Christ were preached today in power and authority, how many would be flocking to hear…

·     The gospel of salvation from sin and death?

·     The gospel of the hope for the kingdom of God (Mt 19:23-24)?

 

The Parable of the Prodigal Son: The Lost Son, Lk 15:11-24

The parable of the prodigal son is the greatest and most beloved story ever told in human language. God loves and reaches out to the most extravagant of men and He runs to embrace any prodigal son who repents and returns home. God forgives his prodigal son and restores him, no matter how terrible the sin and failure of the prodigal.

1.    He said, “Give me” (v.11-13)

a.    My inheritance

b.   My independence

c.    The result: he wasted his life in wild living

2.    He met the day when he suffered and was in need (v.14-16)

a.    He suffered being destitute

b.   He suffered natural disasters

c.    He suffered humiliation

d.   He suffered hunger

e.    He suffered the loss of friends

3.    He came to his senses and snapped out of his insanity, back to reality (v.17-19)

a.    Thought of his father and his enormous provision

b.   Thought of his plight

c.    Thought of humbling himself:

i.                Of repenting

ii.              Of confessing his sin and unworthiness

4.    He got up and returned to his father (v.20-21)

a.    He repented-turned from his sinful life

b.   He was accepted even before he confessed

c.    He confessed

5.    He was accepted when he returned to the father (v.22-24)

a.    The father restored him

b.   The father fed the son and celebrated his son’s return

c.    The father proclaimed his son’s new life

 

The Parable of the Older Son:

The Self-Righteous Religionist, Lk 15:25-32

The second son or the older son represents the self-righteous religionist-the mortal, the just, the good-the man who has never committed gross and visible sin. He is religious and does religious works; therefore he feels and believes he is acceptable to God. In this parable, Jesus pointed out five faults of the self-righteous religionist (Lk 11: 37-54; 18:9-12; Rom 2:17-29).

1.    Fault 1: he was in the field away from home (v.25-27)

2.    Fault 2: he shut himself out (v.28)

3.    Fault 3: he was self-righteous (v. 29)

a.    He claimed to be religious

b.   He claimed to be moral and just

c.    He felt he deserved more, that he was not recognized enough

4.    Fault 4: he lacked compassion and understanding of sinners (v.30)

5.    Fault 5: he failed to see two critical facts (v. 31-32)

a.    He had the same blessings available

b.   His brother was truly saved

 

Thought: The father restored the prodigal son:

a.    The “robe” restored him to a position of sonship and honor. It symbolized being clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

b.   The “ring” restored him to a position of authority. The son was now to represent the father and his kingdom.

c.    The “sandals” immediately restored and elevated him above servanthood, which means he became a free man. The son was now fitted with sandals to carry the Gospel of Peace wherever he went (Eph 6: 15).

d.   The “celebration” pictures reconciliation, full acceptance, and the great joy of the occasion.

e.    The father proclaimed his son’s new life.

i.                He was dead and is alive again.

ii.               He was lost and is found.

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 23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time-C

I Reading: Wisdom 9:13-18: Who can divine the will of the Lord?

II Reading: Philemon 9-10.12-17: Have him back, not as a slave anymore, but as a dear brother.

Gospel: Luke 14:25-33: None of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.

The Cost or Conditions of Discipleship, Lk 14:25-35

Jesus is not interested in cheap invitations and discipleship. The call to discipleship is to receive God's eternal benefits and advantages. A person must pay the ultimate price to get salvation, all that one is and has to follow Jesus Christ. What does it cost to follow Christ? Jesus explains vividly:

The cost or conditions of discipleship involves the supreme sacrifice: renunciation (v.26), self-denial (v. 27), thoughtfulness-counting the price (v.28-32), and forsaking all-giving up everything (v.33-35).

There are three other conditions for discipleship given by Christ elsewhere.

1) Love to others-love one another (Jn 13:35;34)

2) Steadfastness-hold my teaching (Jn 8:31)

3) Fruitfulness-you bear many fruits as my Father’s glory to be my disciples (Jn 15:8).

This is the all-important subject of this passage.

1. Huge crowds followed Jesus and he challenged them (v.25)

2. A man must put Christ first: Before family and even before self

3. A man must bear the cross of death: Death to self (v.27)

4. A man must give thought to discipleship: Count the cost and the consequences (v.28-33)

a. Illust. 1: A builder-must count his resources

b. Illust. 2: A king at war must count the consequences

c. The point: A man must pay the ultimate price-give up everything

5. A man must have the salt of discipleship: The Salt of self-denial (v.34-35)

a. A half-hearted choice

  1) is worthless

  2) is to be cast out

b. an invitation: hearing is a choice

Thought: A half-hearted choice worthless and is to be cast out. Salt that is worthless and useless is always thrown out, for it is good for nothing. A person must bear the cross of death-to self (Lk 9:23; Mt 16:24).

We cannot understand God’s plan unless He reveals to us. Only the Spirit can help us to understand God’s plans of love for us; only He can give us the strength to follow Christ.

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