Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR C TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY - 3.10.04 Hab 1,2-3.2,2-4; 2 Tim 1,6-8.13-14; Lk 17,5-10 Stewards and servants What
are we on earth for? Today,
Luke’s Gospel invites us to face the deepest question of our life: what is the
meaning of life? To this important question, people from 3000 years ago -
philosophers & scientists of all ages - have provided a labyrinth of
answers, deriving from, and arriving to, a limitless contradiction of human
reasoning & logic. Some answers are probing & pessimistic, some
egotistical & arrogant, some carefree & ‘do what you like’, some
finish up in God. Here are some
answers: The question cannot be asked, because it has no answer (Wittgenstein).
- It has no meaning because it does not operate on the real world: we will never
know (Schopenhauer) - Life has no meaning, it contains only suffering &
death - we are born to suffer (Stoics). But then, since life has no meaning, why
not enjoy what we can get, and be a law to ourselves? (Epicureans) - Some
answers hinge on happiness & power: we are born to be happy, seek happiness
and do all you can to achieve it, individually & socially - We have the
instinct to overcome things & people: it’s in-built in everyone to do it
(Hobbes). - True happiness is
achieved in the pursuit of reason and knowledge (Socrates) - We realize
ourselves, by devoting our life to worthy objectives and behave responsibly
(Derrida). Some answers derive from a sense of duty: We are born to help others
& solve our human problems (Voltaire). - Happiness is a goal: we are worthy
of it & work for it, by doing each our duty (Calvin). Finally, there are
answers that find the meaning of life in God: to achieve self-realization, you
must seek and promote the good of all for the glory of God - Life is a time of
testing and trial; as we live out the ‘eternal truths’ here, we will enjoy
happiness hereafter. Stewards managers & servants. In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives his answer to the above question. We are created to serve God, who calls us to administer his estate (his Creation) on his behalf; we are to dedicate our energies to help those among us who cannot help themselves and are in fact dejected and oppressed. Just as Jesus came from God to serve and to give his life on the cross so that we can be set free and have life in abundance, so the Lord calls each of us to continue that same mission of serving our brothers & sisters, so they may also be saved and have life in abundance. Therefore, God is all in all. His ‘loving design’ for the happiness of all creation will reach its completion in God’s glory in heaven. Against and alongside the many conflicting logics that prevail in our society, today’s Gospel presents to us the profound Christian logic behind the search for meaning. In many ways our Western culture has inherited from the teaching of Jesus its understanding of what it takes to be a servant - slave - manager - steward etc. Sadly, however it has lost its inner compelling logic. We indeed use freely & at many levels, the concepts of: servant of servant - public servant - God’s servant - good & faithful servant - serving a cause... We use also the parallel words ‘Minister’, which also means serving and servant) and ‘Ministry’ & prime minister. With all these words, we imply a rather patronizing desire to do good to others, make a difference and make the world a better place.... Of course all these meanings are true and worthwhile, but they fail to acknowledge their deepest Gospel logic. Namely that we all serve the Lord alone and no man. What we do to & for others, we do it in obedience to God, who is end and fulfilment of everything. To know God, to search for Him and to do his will is the answer to the age-old quest. With today’s parable we say ‘we are only (God’s) servants'. ______________________________________ |
