True wealth. 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Today's readings show us how much corruption destroys people and society. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us a curious parable about a man who cheats. Accused of "squandering" his master's goods and facing dismissal, he thinks of a trick so that, in his own words, "when I get kicked out of the administration, find someone to take me in".. He calls his master's debtors and, using the authority he has as administrator - he has not yet been dismissed - he halves or considerably reduces what the debtors owe his master.

The attitude of the debtors shows that they are complicit in the corruption of the servant. Corruption is based on corruptors and those willing to benefit from their malpractices. But those debtors would have been really stupid to hire this man after he was dismissed, because they should have realized that he would practice with them the same dishonesty that he practices with his present master. This shows us the foolishness of the "economy" that creates corruption, generating a system in which people waste time and talent. Corruption and deceit are a great waste of both.

Another form of corruption appears in the first reading: those wicked men, impatient for the religious feasts to end so they can go back to cheating the poor, who are always victims of corruption. But God knows everything. We may get away with corruption on earth (though often we don't), but we will never get away with it before God. The Gospel shows us clearly that the Master (i.e. God) is aware of his servant's swindles, and even recognizes a small part of goodness in them (his cunning).

Our Lord's words are then mysterious. He could be speaking ironically, as if to say: "You think that friends who are made with money will get you to Heaven. But they can't and won't.". But they could also have the sense that money well spent, for the sake of others, will make us friends who, if they die before us, will welcome us to Heaven.

"If you were not faithful in unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true wealth?". Whatever wealth we receive comes from God. It is a tainted thing, but it can be put to good use if we use it for the good of others. True riches are eternal life. God will not give us the treasures of Heaven if we do not use well - for the good of others and honestly - the tainted treasures of earth.

Jesus concludes that we cannot "serve two masters... You cannot serve God and money."Who are we going to serve: God or money? That is the fundamental question.