Gospel: Luke 16: 9-15
To be trustworthy is an important value indeed, but there is a world of difference between human loyalties and that of which Jesus speaks in today's Gospel. For us human beings we equate loyalty to personal or institutional loyalty - not betraying another person or snitching on anyone. And this is fine as long as the person or institution to whom we are loyal is blameless. But when we absolutize such loyalty without consideration of any other values we get sex abuse, financial improprieties, and cover ups...
To what, then, does Jesus ask us to be trustworthy and loyal? These are clearly measured in deeds, deeds of loving-kindness and mercy toward others, deeds rooted in the command to love God and love neighbor. We show this loyalty first by small acts of love and mercy, then to greater and greater deeds. In giving food and drink to the hungry and thirsty, in visiting the sick and imprisoned, in providing clothing to the naked and shelter for the homeless we demonstrate our fidelity to God.
In calling us to be the church, Jesus did not instruct us to establish an institution and corporation or a vast bureaucracy. He called us to come together to do the deeds of mercy and love that he did. We are to be faithful to him and to his example alone in seeking to live as disciples committed to love and mercy.
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