HOMILY 25TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
MONEY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Lk 16.1-13 Amos 8.4-7 1Tim 2.1-8
Maybe, we should start with the first of the Old Testament prophets Amos, a former shepherd and sycamore fig farmer, around 760BC, in the time of Jeroboam II as ruler and king (4.5l wine bottle named after him!), and they say he lived to about 74, although who would know? He preached against idolatry and hypocrisy, along with the increasing disparity between rich and poor, with themes of justice, God’s omnipotence and warnings of divine judgement. Aren’t there some familiar themes here in today’s world? The JBC tells us it was a time of material prosperity for Israel, but also of social and religious corruption.
Whatever about the dangers of money, tainted as it is, says Jesus, the facts are that we can’t do without it. It’s the currency, literally, of most transactions, and for obtaining what we need to live on a daily basis, as well a means of sharing our resources with those in need, and in contributing to a fair and just society. So, it’s clear enough that it is how money is used is the key to understanding the critique of Jesus here.
Similar words could be used about social media as well, given it’s widespread use and abuse. I find it appalling to see the amount of distortion or falsehoods, or so called ‘fake truth’ that is put out, and where gullible people just believe it. Put to a good purpose, it can be a great means of communication and connection, but there’s always a dark side! So, we shouldn’t believe everything we read, without questioning and wise judgement.
As for ‘filthy lucre’, or money, the responsibility is heavier on those who have more, to use it wisely and for good purposes, not just for one’s own comforts. It’s not about a prosperity gospel, where wealth is seen as God’s reward for success, and for those who haven’t enough, it’s their problem, because they haven’t worked hard enough, or they’re being punished for sins of the past! Some fundamentalists view it this way, but it’s clearly a corrupt and false interpretation of anything related to the Gospel preached by Jesus.
At the same time, today’s parable has to be one of the most confusing Jesus ever told, given that the person responsible for proper administration of the owner’s goods appears to be praised for his dishonesty. It all seems a bit strange. There have been all sorts of efforts to rationalise and explain, but the simplest interpretation is that Jesus is not condoning dishonesty so much as he is praising the initiative of the chap who knows how to make friends when he is in trouble, and about to be sacked for slackness and mismanagement.
It is also suggested that such a person was entrusted with making more money for the master and that there were inbuilt provisions for extortionate interest being charged on a loan, up to 100% (a bit like tarrifs!), so there was leeway for discounting the debt, and, at the same time, gaining some security for himself by doing favours.
As Brendan Byrne SJ says: “By incurring some immediate loss to secure long-term interest, he has acted ‘sensibly’. He has not clung to his wealth, but used it to win goodwill that will serve him in the hour of need that is coming his way”!!
Then, there is the question of what makes the world go around, as the song says, with money as the answer! We are material beings in a material world, and money is our means of providing for our physical needs. The moral of the story in the end, though, is that it’s not just to buy friends, but to be used for the good of others, with the Gospel imperative of looking after the needy, known as ‘the preferential option for the poor’.
It could also be taken that Jesus encourages friendship, particularly making new friends, along the path of discipleship, as he constantly does on his itinerant path of preaching, teaching and reaching out to those on the fringe, or left out. It requires moving beyond our own comfortable circles and being open to others.
Today’s second reading, with Paul writing to young Timothy, emphasises the need to pray for all, not just our own, so that there can be respect for each other, co-existing with all of our differences, but in a peaceful world, whatever one’s status or beliefs.
Earlier, I have referred to Izzeldin Abuelaish, whose book is titled “I Shall Not Hate”, wherein he tells his story of growing up in Gaza, in difficult circumstances, training as a doctor, and eventually working in an Israeli hospital, trying to build bridges of understanding and good will. His expertise was recognized and appreciated, being accepted, even as a Palestinian Muslim. He then suffered the tragic loss of his wife through illnesss, but then only months later, 3 of his daughters were killed when an Israeli tank fired shells into their home in 2009. While his book provides a revealing picture of life’s hardships in Gaza, he remains committed to working for peace and understanding, on the common sense basis of all humans being equal.
I quote from his conclusion: “We all make mistakes and commit sins from time to time. I know that what I have lost, what was taken from me, will never come back. But as a physician and a Muslim of deep faith, I need to move forward into light, motivated by the spirits of those I have lost. I need to bring them justice… Hate is blindness and leads to irrational thinking and behaviour. It is a chronic, severe and destructive sickness… Anger can be productive. Feel the anger, aclnowledge it, but let it be accompanied by change. Let it propel you toward necessary action for the betterment of yourself and others… We all have the potential to be the agents of change.”
His attitude and beliefs are that we must retain hope for a better world and to work for that, each in our own way, and to overcome hatred and revenge. Is not this pretty much directly aligned with the teachings of Jesus, and a reminder that our resources, personal and financial, must be put to good use? And that’s where today’s Gospel leads and leaves us!
john hannon SPRING EQUINOX 21st September 2025