Gospel: Matthew 19: 23-30
A disciple lives in their own time, forming their judgments and theology based on this world around them. The Master, on the other hand, lives on a different plane entirely. Jesus tells his disciples that it is very difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, a statement that shocks them. They reply, if that is true then who can be saved? They believe, as many do, that riches are blessings from God, a sign that God has favored them and surely they would be the core of God's reign.
But this idea assumes that riches are acquired honestly and through hard work alone. The reality is that riches are more often than not gained through dishonest means, frequently through the exploitation of and theft from others. What is more, the hoarding of this wealth is itself its own sin, theft from the poor and needy who lack the basic necessities of life. In the mind of the Master, riches are not a blessing but a great curse, a weight around one's neck that drags one down to a depth of misery.
We still think as those disciples. We fawn over the rich in our "stewardship" campaigns, in the lust for political power and influence, in the love of our ornate temples and residences of our prelates. We think all these are blessings of God, signs of God's singular favor. It is all an illusion, a house of sand that leads to our ruin. We remain shocked at Jesus' statements against the rich and seek to explain them away. After all, it's not good copy for our direct mail appeals.
2 comments:
Nice reflection, Jude, but I'm not so sure I'd toss "stewardship campaigns" in with "lust for political power and influence ...love of our ornate temples and residences of our prelates."
Stewardship is a real need and, unfortunately, people have to be reminded to do it. They often must be made to see the necessity. If that's a "campaign," then I'll plead guilty to having been a campaigner.
When I worked for Unbound, part of my job was trying to persuade people to give money in the form of sponsoring children. I had the task of communicating an urgent need and, yes, we did make appeals to the wealthy. I suppose someone might see that as sucking up, but I saw it as recognizing a practical reality.
When you're thirsty you go where the water is.
Most of our stewardship campaigns have little to do with care for the poor. Those that do are worthy. Most of stewardship is about maintaining buildings, salaries of staff, and the like. And it is about appealing to the more affluent who want to hear a certain message.
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