On February 15, 2015, 20 Coptic Christians and a Ghanan who professed Christian faith were beheaded on a Libyan beach by Muslim fundamentalists. The world was in shock and the picture of those martyrs kneeling on that beach went viral. The action of the Second Book of Maccabees takes place between 180 and 160 BC and tells the story about the persecution of the Jews during the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (1 Macc. 1:10), who did not spare even women and children. The faithfulness and courage of those seven brothers and their mother were rooted in the hope of the resurrection (2 Macc. 7:14): God “will raise us up to live again forever” (2 Macc. 7:9).
However, this hope of resurrection is being ridiculed in today’s Gospel. The Sadducees, a priestly class who held a leadership position in Judaism of Jesus’ time, did not believe in resurrection (Acts 23:8). The riddle about seven brothers and a woman who married all of them aimed to show that belief in resurrection had no basis in the teaching of Moses. The law that required a man to marry a wife of his deceased brother (Deut. 25:5) would only bring confusion into the next life: “In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be?” (Luke 20:33). On the other hand, if there was no resurrection then the sacrifice of the Maccabean martyrs would be pointless. Moreover, “if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised” (1 Cor. 15:16), and so, the apostolic foundation of Christian faith would crumble (1 Cor. 15:17).
The Sadducees were wrong because they knew “neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Mark 12:24). First of all, their understanding of resurrection was too materialist. They imagined life after death as a kind of extension of life here on earth. But that is not the case. “Marriage is a reality of this present age which is passing away” (CCC, 1619). Our life after the resurrection will be different but how it will look remains a mystery (see 1 Cor. 15:44-51). Secondly, Jesus in a surprising way interprets the passage “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Ex. 3:6). The mission of Moses to take Israel out of Egypt has its roots in the covenant that God established with those patriarchs. But how can the patriarchs experience the fulfillment of these promises when they are long dead? There is only one answer. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are still alive – not here on earth, but with God (Luke 20:38).
The Sadducees did not survive to our times. They disappeared after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. But, the One, whose teaching about the resurrection they tried to challenge indeed rose from the dead ((Mark 8,31; 9:9; 10:34; 16:6). “Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead” (Rev. 1:5a). The Thessalonians were among the first Europeans to hear this Good News (Acts 17:1-9). They abandoned idolatry and “serve the living and true God” (1 Thess. 1:9). But, they also experienced persecution (1 Thess. 2:14) and probably some of them died for their faith (1 Thess. 4:13). What sustained them in those difficult times? It was that hope which the Sadducees did not have that through Jesus, God will raise to life all “those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thess. 4:14). That “good hope” and “everlasting comfort” coming from God who has loved us (2 Thess. 2:16) gave them the strength to endure the challenge of being Christian in a hostile world (2 Thess. 3:5).
“But I in justice shall behold your face; on waking I shall be content in your presence” (Ps. 17:15). Just before their death, the Coptic Christians were praying, “Oh my Lord Jesus”, and after their death, they were declared martyrs. But actually, they did not die; they entered life and now they behold the face of our Lord Jesus.
Wisdom 11:22-12:2; Psalm 145; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2; Luke 19:1-10
According to Origen, Jericho represents the world into which humanity was exiled after their sin. It is in that city that Jesus meets a blind beggar (Luke 18:35) and a rich tax collector (Luke 19:1-2). They both symbolize the condition of humanity: spiritual blindness and sinfulness. They both wanted to meet Jesus. The blind beggar wanted to see and the tax collector wanted to see the One who “receives sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:1). But they needed to overcome the same obstacle: the crowd (Luke 18:39; 19:3).
Who is God? On the one hand, “before the Lord the whole universe is as a grain from a balance” (Wisdom 11:22), on the other hand, He comes to stay at our houses (Luke 19:5). He is beyond our understanding and yet so near to us that “in Him, we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). God loves “all things that are”, He has mercy on all, and He overlooks “people’s sins that they may repent” (Wisdom 11:23-24).
“Lord and Friend of Life” (Wisdom 11:26) meets Zacchaeus by a sycamore tree (Luke 19:4). Jesus’ name means “God saves” and Zacchaeus’ name means “pure or innocent”. The biblical sycamore tree is also called the sycamore fig but its fruits look and taste different than the fruits of a fig tree. This difference gave Saint Augustine an idea to call it a tree of “silly figs” perceiving in it a figure of the cross. Thus, the one who lost his purity through sin accepts the folly of the Cross (1 Cor. 1:18) and meets the One who saves.
God’s visitation produces the fruits of repentance. The rich tax collector becomes a great benefactor of the poor (Luke 19:8) and so the impossible happens, namely “for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” and “be saved” (Luke 18:25-27). Zacchaeus gained what the rich ruler failed to get (Luke 18:18-23). He received Jesus with joy while the rich ruler left Jesus sad unable to part with his possessions to follow Christ (Luke 19:6; 18:23). Zacchaeus becomes a model for all rich Christians. They should “be generous and willing to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (1 Tim. 6:18-19).
“God so loved the world” (John 3:16). His only begotten Son descended from heaven into the world in order “to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). He found him in Jericho, in the lowest city in the world located 258 meters below sea level. “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9). But how about other houses? When He left Zacchaeus’ house, Jesus went up to Jerusalem and climbed the tree of the Cross to nail the sins of Zacchaeus and all of us to it (Col. 2:14). The divine “must” (Luke 19:5) that brought Him to the house of Zacchaeus would also bring Him to the Cross (Mark 8:31). “By his obedience unto death, Jesus accomplished the substitution of the suffering Servant, who “makes himself an offering for sin”, when ‘he bore the sin of many’ (CCC, 615).
The day of the Lord (2 Thess. 2:2) refers to that ‘day’ when Christ will come to save those who wait for Him (Heb. 9:28) and to judge the nations (Matt. 25:31-32). We do not need to be afraid of its coming (2 Thess. 2:1-2). Instead, with the help of God, we should “fulfill every good purpose and work of faith” (2 Thess. 1:11). And when that day arrives, we shall praise our Lord Jesus with the words of the Psalmist: “I will praise your name forever, my king and my God” (Ps. 145:1).
The Pharisees were a ‘separatist’ movement aimed at renewal Israel’s commitment to their religious tradition and at rejecting any foreign influence. The tax collectors were Jews who collected taxes for the Romans and their nature of work required frequent contacts with Gentiles. How did both groups react to Jesus? In general, the Pharisees were opposed to Jesus’ inclusive message of God’s Kingdom. On the other hand, the tax collectors were drawn to His message of God’s mercy (Luke 15:1). How did these both groups relate to each other? The tax collectors were considered sinners and second-class citizens by the Pharisees (Mark 2:16).
In the parable, the Pharisee is an example of “those who were convinced of their righteousness and despised everyone else” (Luke 18:9). He flaunts his pious deeds and considers “other men” to be “extortioners, unjust, adulterers” (Luke 18:11-12). By comparing himself with sinners, he does not realize that he is a sinner himself. By exalting himself above the tax collector, he forgot the proverb that says: “God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble” (Prov 3:34 LXX; 1 Pet. 5:5). Therefore, he went home humbled (Luke 18:14).
It is one thing to feel righteous in our own eyes and another to be justified by God. The Bible teaches that no one is righteous (Rom. 3:10) but we are all in need of righteousness that comes from God (Rom. 3:21-25). This righteousness comes to us through the Only Righteous One, Jesus Christ (Luke 23:47) who does not despise anyone but calls all to repentance and holiness of life.
The tax collector asks God to “be propitious”. In the temple worship, the blood of sacrifice for the sin offering was poured out upon the “propitiation” – the cover of the ark of the covenant (Heb. 9:5; Lev. 16:5.14). But we have much greater “propitiation” than the cover of the ark, namely Jesus Christ. God has shown His mercy to us sinners by giving His only Son (John 3:16). Jesus Christ is “the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).
Saint Paul was once also convinced of his righteousness (Phil. 3:6), but then one day he realized the greatness of his sins (1 Tim. 1:15). Today we meet him in prison, abandoned by everyone (2 Tim. 4:16-17). He no longer boasts of his justice but expects a “crown of justice” from God (2 Tim. 4:6-8), namely eternal salvation. This trophy crowns his radical following Christ from Damascus to his martyrdom in Rome.
In the parable, the tax collector went home justified, not the Pharisee (Luke 18:14). The danger that threatens us today is falling into another extreme, that is, thanking God for the fact that we are not like the Pharisees. Nicodemus was also a Pharisee and yet he alone defended Jesus against unlawful treatment by other Pharisees (John 7:50-52. Then together with Joseph of Arimathea, he buried our Lord after the crucifixion (John 19:38-42) while Jesus’ disciples were hiding out of fear. Let us not despise other people. “We will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Rom. 14:10).
“The Lord is a God of justice who knows no favorites” (Sirach 35:12). He does not categorize people into Pharisees and tax collectors. God “hears the cry of the poor” (Ps. 34:7) and transforms a Pharisee into a preacher of the Gospel to the nations (2 Tim. 4:17). No one is excluded from the Kingdom of God. Instead of despising others, we are called to proclaim to the whole world the message of salvation (2 Cor. 5:19). Sin is universal and all need God’s mercy (CCC, 588). Therefore, let us be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20) and embrace one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Exodus 17:8-13; Psalm 121; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2; Luke 18:1-8
The Amalekites were nomads living around Sinai that periodically attacked and plundered Israel (Judg. 3:13-14). However, in Jewish tradition, they represent pure evil aiming to destroy the people of God. “Amalek was the first among the nations” but perhaps because of his association with evil, “its end is utter destruction” (Num. 24:20). One among its most wicked people was Haman a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag (Esth. 3:1; 1 Sam. 15:32) who planned to exterminate all the Jews in the Persian empire (Esth. 3:7-11). In today’s reading, they attacked Israel when the people were “faint and weary” (Deut. 25:18).
How to fight such an enemy? Military efforts were not enough but even Moses’ prayer at first was not able to prevail over them (Ex. 17:11). Then comes the most revealing verse on the story: with the help of Aaron and Hur, Moses’ hands were steady (Ex. 17:12). The Hebrew word translated as “steady” is the word for FAITH (Emunah). It was this “steady” faith of Moses that brought victory to Israel. Moreover, Moses sat on a stone. According to Isaiah God laid a stone “of a sure foundation” on Zion and “the one who believes in him will not be put to shame” (Is. 28:16 LXX). This precious stone is Jesus Christ (Acts 4:11).
As the hands of Moses grew heavy (Ex. 17:12), so we can become weary in our prayers (Luke 18:1). Therefore Jesus gives us yet another parable about persistent prayer. In the first parable, we come to a friend in the night asking for bread (Luke 11:5-8), today a widow keeps asking for a just decision (Luke 18:3). In both cases, the first answer is negative, but it all ends successfully through persistence. “The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds: and until it does, he is not to be consoled, nor will he desist until the Most High takes notice of him, acquits the upright and delivers judgment” (Sirach 35:17-18).
The aim of both parables is clear. We are being encouraged to keep praying even if at first, it seems as if our prayers are not being answered (Luke 11:9-10; 18:8). Similar encouragement appears in the second reading. Paul charges Timothy with being faithful to the teaching of the Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:14-15) and the preaching of God’s word (1 Tim. 4:1-2). There is always a danger of giving up reading and studying the Bible. For some, it is too difficult and others after certain familiarity lose interest in it. The same goes for preaching. It takes a lot of time to prepare ten minutes sermon and yet the fruits are often meager. Many preachers get so discouraged with their results that they dread sermon preparation.
“But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth” (Luke 18:8)? This is a perplexing question but Jesus must have a reason for asking it. In Catechism we read: “Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers” (CCC, 675). What is included in this trial? Not just persecution of Christians, but also “a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth” (CCC, 675), and the final unleashing of evil (CCC, 677; Rev. 20:7-10).
How to remain steadfast in faith then? “Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:2). The final defeat of Amalek will not come through worldly success. It shall be God’s victory. “God’s triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgment after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world” (CCC, 677). Then, the beautiful Bride of Christ shall come down from heaven and everything shall be made new (Rev. 21:2-5).
Dear friends, I would like to share with you the Good News. The third volume of my biblical reflections for Sundays, titled “Year of Matthew” has been released. These reflections are for the liturgical year A.
For those who would like to get the other two volumes – the Year of Mark and Year of Luke – for the liturgical year B and C, you can get it also on Amazon:
The meaning of the name “Naaman” is “pleasant” but afflicted with leprosy Naaman was far from being “pleasant”. The name “Jordan” is derived from the word “descend” or “flown down”. Who descended from the Father to dwell among us? Jesus Christ, the Word of God who became flesh. The mysterious number seven represents the completion of creation (Gen. 2:2) but also the divine Spirit (Is. 11:2-3; Rev. 1:4), that hovered over the Jordan when Jesus was baptized (Mark 1:10).
Three elements were necessary for the healing of Naaman. The prophetic word of Elisha, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times” (2 Kings 5:10), the obedience of Naaman who did as he was told (2 Kings 5:14), and finally the waters of the Jordan. The same elements are present in Christian baptism. There is the commandment of Christ to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19), there is the faith of those who receive the sacrament (see Acts 8:36-38), and finally, there is the font of baptismal waters.
The second reading includes an ancient baptismal hymn (2 Tim. 2:11-13), which begins with the statement: “This saying is trustworthy: if we have died with him we shall also reign with him” (2 Tim. 2:11). Through baptism, we participate in the mystery of Christ’s death and the resurrection (Rom. 6:3-4). The rite of baptism among the first Christians required them to take off their clothing, an image of removing our spiritual leprosy, our mortality. Then, they were immersed three times in the baptismal waters which signifies three days of Christ being buried in the tomb. After that, they were dressed in white garments symbolizing the clothes of innocence and incorruptibility.
Naaman’s body becomes like a new creation, “pleasant”, “like the flesh of a little child” (2 Kings 5:14). The experience of the baptized goes much deeper. The power of baptismal waters penetrates our souls cleansing them from any stain of sin. Thus, we become “born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). That Naaman, a foreigner, came to a Jewish prophet and bathed himself in the waters of Israel is also significant. The God, who revealed himself to Abraham is the God of all nations (Rom. 3:29). This event foreshadowed the entry of the Gentiles into the family of God through the proclamation of the Gospel (Luke 24:47). It was for this Gospel that Paul was imprisoned (2 Tim. 2:9) and was willing to undergo all sufferings so that people “may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:10).
From baptism we can now move towards the “Eucharist”, which means “thanksgiving”. Among those ten lepers who were healed, nine continued their journey to the priests of the Temple, but a Samaritan returned to the One who is the eternal High Priest and the Living Temple. He came to thank the One who descended from heaven in order to take upon himself our infirmities (Luke 17:16; Is 53:4). We are called to do the same. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess 5:18).
The sacraments carry on in our midst the miraculous events of God recorded in the entire Bible. In baptism, we leave behind a life marked by spiritual leprosy and embrace a new life marked by freshness and purity of “a little child”. Such experience fills our hearts with thanksgiving. And so we come to Jesus present in the Eucharist to personally thank Him. In the end, the leper heard: “Stand up and go; your faith has healed you” (Luke 17:19). At the end of the Eucharist, we hear: “go, you are being sent” – sent to proclaim the wondrous deeds of God (Ps. 98:1).
“God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Tim. 1:7). Such spirit inspired prophet Habakkuk to ask difficult questions: “How long, O Lord, shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?”(Hab. 1:2). The prophet’s world was dominated by the powerful Babylonian empire. It came to power around 612 BC and then in 587 BC destroyed Jerusalem. “Why do you make me see iniquity?” (Hab. 1:3). How many people lost their faith seeing the wicked destroying the righteous and escaping with impunity (Hab. 1:13)? In such moments we need to cry: “Lord, increase our faith” (Luke 17:5).
“Write the vision down; inscribe it clearly on tablets, so that it can be read easily” (Hab. 2:2) is God’s response to the prophet’s complaint. We do not know what was shown to the prophet. However, we know the fate of the mighty Babylonian empire: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” (Rev. 18:2) never to arise again. The one who makes “earth tremble” and who “shook kingdoms” was thrown “to the depths of the pit!” (Is. 14:15-16). But, the prophet did not know it. He could only trust in God’s word and live by faith (Rom. 1:17; Hab. 2:4).
“Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man” (CCC, 162), and at the same time “the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals himself” (CCC, 166). Christ appeared to the apostles at the Sea of Galilee and called them to follow him (Mark 1:16-20). The gift of vocation came from God. The apostles abandoned everything and followed him – freely they responded to this call (Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:27-28). ” In faith, the human intellect and will cooperate with divine grace” (CCC, 155). But this is just the beginning. “To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end”, we need to care for it, because without care this precious gift can be lost (CCC, 162).
“For this reason I remind you, to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6). Everyone who spent an evening around a campfire knows that to sustain the fire, you need to keep adding wood to it. The same applies to our vocation. In the beginning, we are full of enthusiasm but over time this enthusiasm cools down. The apostle was aware of this and so he reminded Timothy to guard faithfully what he received from him – the apostolic proclamation of faith (2 Tim. 1:13-14).
“We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.” (Luke 17:10). According to the tradition, the second letter of Paul to Timothy is the last letter of the apostle and was written from prison. Paul felt alone. Some abandoned him and some were sent to different mission fields – only Luke accompanied him (2 Tim. 4:11). This situation is presented in the movie created in 2018, “Paul, Apostle of Christ”. At the end of the story, Paul is led from this prison to his death. Who would have thought then that this “unprofitable servant”, his writings, and the Church he helped to establish would outlive the powerful Roman empire?
Empires rise and fall, “but the word of our God endures forever” (Is. 40: 8). Saint Peter explains to us that this word is the Good News about Jesus’ victory over all the powers of evil, over every sin, and death (1 Pet. 1:25). Today we hear this Good News again, so let us not harden our hearts (Ps. 95: 8), but put our trust in it and gain the fullness of life. For the Gospel “is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).
Amos 6:1a, 4-7; Psalm 146; 1 Timothy 6:11-16; Luke 16:19-31
Both the leaders of Israel and the rich man from Jesus’ parable knew how to enjoy their lives (see Amos 6:4-7; Luke 16:19). Unfortunately, in their pursuit of worldly pleasure, the leaders did not care about the incoming collapse of the nation (Amos 6:6), and the rich man was unable to see Lazarus, a sick beggar lying at his door (Luke 16:20). Such behavior had to have its tragic consequences (Amos 6:7; Luke 16:23).
What a strange place Hades is. There, the eyesight improves – the rich man can see from afar the one he did not see during his lifetime (Luke 19:24). There is neither lavish food nor water. There are no servants who would give a glass of drink to their thirsty master, and the orders of the rich are not being carried out (Luke 19:23-31). A strange place indeed and those who suffer from the blindness of their hearts get into it.
“For the greed of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains”(1 Tim. 6:10). This happened to the rich man from the Gospel. “Father Abraham, have pity on me” (Luke 16:24). He forgot that it was not enough to call Abraham “our father”. God demands the fruits of repentance (Luke 3:8-9). Unfortunately, the rich man did not produce such fruits. And so, the one who did not invite Lazarus for a meal (Luke 14:13) or did not even offer him the scraps from his table (Luke 16:21) was refused mercy. And yet, he could avoid this fate by opening his Bible and listen to Moses and the Prophets: “You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land” (Deut. 15:11); “share your bread with the hungry” (Is. 58:7).
“But you, O man of God, avoid” the greed of money (1 Tim. 6:11). As the bishop of the Ephesian community, Timothy was to take Christ as his example, who although rich became poor for our sake so that by His poverty we might become rich (see 2 Cor. 8,9). Moreover, like Jesus, Timothy was supposed to be ready to give up his life in defense of the faith which he solemnly confessed before many witnesses (1 Tim. 6:12-13). Paul ends this exhortation with a beautiful hymn in praise of God, who is “the King of kings and Lord of rulers” (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14), the only Ruler of the whole world. Our God alone has immortality and so He can bestow it on Lazarus. He dwells in unapproachable light from which Jesus Christ comes to us to reveal the mystery of Triune God (1 Tim. 6:14-16, John 1:18).
The name “Lazarus”, derived from the Hebrew name Eleazar, means “God has helped”. Blessed indeed is “the one whose help is the God of Jacob”(Ps. 146:5), who sent His angels to carry Lazarus to the bosom of Abraham (Luke 16:22). During his lifetime, Abraham had a faithful servant named Eliezer, and the patriarch planned to make him the heir of his house (Gen. 15:2). Now at his side is another faithful servant, Lazarus, who has inherited God’s Kingdom (Luke 6:20).
Nearly two thousand years ago, the good news that “the Lord is risen” was for the first time proclaimed to the world (Acts 2:32). The one who suffered for our salvation entered into His glory (Luke 24:26-27.44). Over centuries, this Easter proclamation has transformed the lives of many rich people who recognized in the presence of the needy the face of the suffering Jesus (Matt. 25:40). Will this Gospel transform us?
Prophet Amos, known as the prophet of social justice, condemns those who place profits over people (Amos 8:4-7). “A theory that makes profit the exclusive norm and ultimate end of economic activity is morally unacceptable” (CCC, 2424). They dream to have their shops open seven days a week and they engaged in dishonest trade (Amos 8:5). Things have not changed much since Amos spoke those words. Sunday is a working day in many countries and dishonest business practices often make headlines in our newspapers.
The prodigal son squandered his inheritance (Luke 15:13), and the steward was squandering his master’s property (Luke 16:1). But unlike that lost son, the steward did not think about repentance. Instead, he devised a shrewd plan that would allow him to live after losing his job (Luke 16:4-7). The word “shrewd” appears for the first time on the pages of the Bible in the book of Genesis: “Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that the Lord God had made” (Gen. 3:1). Shrewd were also the corrupt merchants from the book of Amos – they knew how to make money even out of grain refuse (Amos 8:6). But the Lord “will never forget any of their doings” (Amos 8:7).
“Be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16). Jesus addressed the parable of dishonest steward to his disciples (Luke 16:1). As the steward found a way to be welcomed into people’s homes, we should know what to do to be received into the “eternal tents” (Luke 16:9). When the prefect of Rome demanded all the treasure of the Church, Saint Lawrence asked for three days to gather the wealth. He then distributed the property of the Church among the poor and on the third day he came with the crippled, the blind, and the suffering declaring that they were the true treasure of the Church. For this act of shrewdness, Saint Lawrence paid with his own life. He was martyred on August 10, 258 AD.
As Christians, we are stewards “of the Lord’s goods” (CCC, 952), both spiritual and material. Faithfulness and undivided loyalty to Jesus are demanded from us in administering those “goods” to the world (Luke 16:10-13). Saint Paul is a very good example of such a faithful and prudent steward (Luke 12:42). Jesus appointed him to be “a preacher and apostle, […] a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth” (1 Tim. 2:7). Paul faithfully proclaimed the Gospel to them about one God who “who wills everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4) and about one mediator Jesus Christ “who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:5-6).
If from Saint Paul we can learn how to be trustworthy, then the life of our Lord teaches us generosity. “For you know the generosity of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you by his poverty could become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). Jesus gave up the riches of the glory in heaven and came into this world to save us. During his years of ministry, he spent himself entirely for others. Then, at the cross, he gave his life for our salvation. This poverty of Christ makes us rich in God’s abundant grace. “Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor” (Ps. 113:1.7). We, who were once miserably poor, now have the access to our heavenly inheritance.
“Prepare a full account of your stewardship” (Luke 16:2). One day “each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12). Since we do not know that day or the hour (Matt. 25:13), we should not squander the Lord’s goods but administer them faithfully to the needy and those in want.
Reading the Bible 