25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Homily Video
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Homily Transcript
So our Lord’s saying at the end of the Gospel this Sunday is the tail-end of a parable that He had given, which we didn’t read, but it’s the parable of what’s called the dishonest steward. You might be familiar with this one and remember, it’s the situation that Jesus describes where the steward’s been squandering his master’s wealth, and then finally, when the master comes home and wants an accounting of his bank, more or less, the steward gets real clever and he cuts his debts in half, and so forth, and he saves himself, but then he abuses the servant underneath him. And then so Jesus ends this parable by not saying that this dishonest steward gets punished, but basically saying the dishonest steward was smart, that he was clever. He did everything in his power to save his own skin, and that we need to, in a way, do something similar when it comes to attaining the Kingdom of God or to have a relationship with Christ, to get into heaven. We have to do whatever it takes, even if it means being shrewd and clever, cutting our debts, if you will. Whatever we need to do to have a strict relationship with Jesus Christ, to get to heaven, we should do it. So think about it in the spiritual life, in the prayer life, okay? We cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and mammon. We have to be all-in for Christ Jesus. It’s like being, you gotta choose, you’re either gonna be a Cubs fan or a Socks fan, okay? Or a Bears fan or a Packers fan, okay? I’m not gonna say where I stand. I’m a Bears fan, though. However, when it comes to Jesus, all right, we have to be all-in for being a Christian. We can’t be secular and Christian at the same time. One of them, we’re gonna be mediocre, we’re gonna be half-Christians or half-secular, or whatever. It doesn’t mean we have to just always stay in church, day in and day out, 24/7. We can live in the world, but think about if there’s something that’s holding you back from Jesus. Sin, an attachment to some material possession, an addiction, whatever it might be. Something that’s preventing you from having a full relationship with God. Be like the dishonest steward and just get rid of it. Don’t play around with it. Cut it in half, or whatever, but there’s honesty that we have to have with ourselves and with God, admitting, okay, there’s something that’s holding us back. Bring it to our Lord and then let Him get rid of it and allow ourselves to then have that full relationship with Jesus. Remember, we cannot serve both realms. We have to be all-in for Christ Jesus. So friends, maybe this week, when we have some time to pray with our Lord, we can just, without any shame or humility or an embarrassment, or anything like that, but just take an accounting of ourselves, of our souls. Where do we stand with Jesus? Is there something that’s getting in the way between us and the Lord, and if there is, just get rid of it and have that full relationship with God. Amen.
Readings
First Reading:
Amos 8:4-7
Second Reading:
1 Timothy 2:1-8
Gospel:
Luke 16:1-13 or 16:10-13
Featured Text
A special thank you this week to our friends from the St. Juliana Parish , Chicago in the congregation.
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