31st Week, Saturday, Nov 6
Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27 / Luke 16:9-15
Psychologist Rollo May has a provocative passage about a community in his book Man in Search of Himself. He says: "Dr. Walter Cannon has shown in his study of 'voodoo death' that primitive people may be literally killed by being psychologically isolated from the community. There have been observed cases of natives who, when socially ostracized and treated by their tribes as though they did not exist, have actually withered and died." In today's reading Paul makes it clear that the Christian community should never exclude anyone. We are God's family and should treat each other as such.
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How graciously do we reach out to the members of the Christian community? “We take almost more care to conceal our love than our hate.” Ludwig Borne
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In the last chapter of this long letter, Paul sends greetings to all he knows. It is a great quality of an apostle to know people by name. We all like to be personally remembered. For most, he has something nice to add. That is the sign of a great leader. He mentions 24 names (most are omitted in this reading). Five out of the 24 are women. Some feminists want us to believe that Paul was a male chauvinist. Perhaps they have overlooked this fact. Many of the names here mentioned are found in ancient documents and inscriptions. They held high positions in public life. A sign that even in apostolic times, Christians were of great importance in Rome. An insignificant small group would have merited persecution.
Tertius: the stenographer who took this letter down, adds his greeting. Paul always dictated his letters. A pity he did not find the time to correct the transcript. We would understand his letters better. But then Scripture professors would not earn their bread with enough sweat of their brow. Paul ends with a prayer of praise and so shall we.
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A Christian's definition of money is the means to do justice and charity. As Christians, we are always trustees, not ultimate owners who can do with it whatever they like. The two qualities expected of a trustee are trustworthiness and prudence. "Use money to win you friends" (verse 9). The friends we should win are the poor. When we come into the presence of God, it is good if then we have somebody who comes with us and says: he helped me. Our Lord uses the adjective "tainted", which is: infected with a bad quality, without any mitigation, or softening. Much of the world's injustice, exploitation and bondage comes from the wrong use of it. Jesus adds two instructions to it. If you are faithful in little, he can add more responsibility. Not more money but real riches: his grace he can place in human hands. He can entrust to man salvation, not only our own but that of others. The second: you cannot serve God and Mammon. You cannot be the servant of God and the slave of Mammon. This is an Aramaic word and means wealth in whatever form: money, cattle, land.
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Prayer
Lord our God, you tell us today, through your Son, that we cannot be at the same time your friends and the friends of money. Make us see more deeply, that we are money’s friends, when we are unjust to others or tolerate injustice by our silence. But make us also more deeply aware, that we are your friends when we value simple living, when we are not greedy for money or social status, but when we invest in people and use your gifts for serving them and building up your kingdom. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen
