Wealtlh Cannot Buy Salvation

Sept. 21, 2025

Today’s Gospel is one of the more confusing of all of Jesus’ messages. He tells of a steward who is about to be dismissed. He calls his master’s debtors and tells them to write off about 50 percent of what they owe. Through this he hopes that they will be friendly to him when he is laid off and will take him in and give him a job. Jesus spoke favorably of him for being prudent in dealing with these matters in a way to guarantee him security after his dismissal. By the way, as steward, he had a right to do what he did.
   
What is Jesus telling us? First of all, he wants us to use material wealth in a way to guarantee us salvation. How do we do that? Give to the poor. Our Lord tells us that what we do for the least of His brothers and sisters, we do for Him. Through generosity we build up our relationship with Christ, for it is He whom we are feeding and clothing and sheltering and visiting.

Secondly, we tithe. Now the traditional Old Testament tithe was 10 percent of everything, off the top. The New Testament never identifies how much we should tithe. We have the story of the rich young man, whom Jesus tells to go and sell all he has and give it to the poor, and then come and follow Him. How much should we tithe? The New Testament figure seems to be between 10 percent and everything.
   
We are also to use our wealth in order to please God. This means being careful not to fall into idolatry by falling in love with our possessions and finding our identity and purpose in life in those possessions and in our wealth.
—Fr. Mike Comer