8 November 2019 - wealth enough

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Jesus said to his disciples, "A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
'What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.'

Jesus became poor in order that we might become rich (see Second Corinthians 8:9). Yet we have not always been good stewards of this grace. We have all squandered the grace given by Jesus at times. There is no way to make up for these lapses by the exertion of our own efforts.

I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.

Though we have been unfaithful there is still hope for, "love covers over a multitude of sins" (see First Peter 4:8). Jesus teaches, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" (see Matthew 5:7). Critically, we don't have the ability even to show mercy on our own apart from God. It is part of the riches of the grace he gives that we can show his mercy to others. But he does pour out his riches upon us. When we don't horde them for ourselves but let them flow to others we can hope to receive mercy in our turn. "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you" (see Matthew 7:2).

He called in his master's debtors one by one.
To the first he said, 'How much do you owe my master?'
He replied, 'One hundred measures of olive oil.'
He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.'

Paul is bold because he knows of about the riches of the grace given to him. He refuses to boast "of anything except what Christ has accomplished" through him. The call on us today is to care more about showing mercy to others. Let us ask that our hearts become more like that of Paul, even if the transformation happens little by little. What is a small way we can show mercy today? Can we experience the LORD's mercy for us while we do so? We can if we are open to it.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.