DAILY HOMILIES #wisdom

In our Gospel passage, Jesus teaches us that we do not know the day or the hour when we will be called to give an account of our lives. Just as it is foolishness to deny God’s existence, it is foolishness to ignore God’s instructions. Living as if your life belongs to you (and you can do whatever you like) is foolish.

The kingdom of God is me loving my neighbours as myself. The kingdom of God is me helping the poor and needy, treating people just as I expect to be treated. The kingdom of God is letting Jesus reign around me by following His teachings.

The steward made friends by reducing the debts of his master’s debtors. We are to make friends by giving away whatever is at our disposal. After all, nothing belongs to us in the first place. Empty we came, and empty we shall return.

To be covetous is to live in a world of “I”, “me”, and “myself”; a world where I care only for one person – me. To be covetous is to be like the rich man in the parable Jesus gave us in today’s Gospel passage, who thought only about himself in his plan to enjoy his riches.

Why has life been tough for you lately? Do you think God no longer cares about you? Are you thinking of joining a cult or doing something illegal or immoral? Think again. God still cares about you. Make the right choice today – put God first, and you will never regret it.

Jesus said: “All things are possible to him who believes.” What is clear from this encounter is that even though the disciples were commanding the demon, deep down within them, they were not expecting the demon to obey. Everything is possible if you believe. The question is: “Do you believe?”

The fact that “everybody is doing it” does not mean that God is not offended by it. Do not take God’s mercy for granted. Jesus says that on that day, many would be going about their daily routines, eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building, and so on and judgment would happen like a surprise. Then we would all face the consequences of our actions.

Jesus is teaching us first to think carefully like this steward of what shall become of us after our death (when we are relieved of our stewardship) and secondly, to use “what does not belong to us now” to be charitable to others so that like this steward, we would be welcomed into Paradise.

What kind of wisdom am I operating with right now? Is this decision I am about to take fuelled by worldly wisdom? Is there an element of Faith in what I am about to do? Could it be the case that Jesus is telling me to throw my net for a catch and I am protesting strongly against the move based on what I already know about fishing?

Instead of loving our neighbors as ourselves, treating others as we would like to be treated, devilish wisdom fuels selfishness in us, it brings about disorder in society and man’s inhumanity to man.

“When you ask for wisdom, riches become your complimentary gift.” Riches without wisdom is poverty waiting to happen. On the other hand, with wisdom, riches are never far away from a person. To be wise is to be truly rich even if one has no money.

Keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself.” (1 Kings 2:3)