25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C

 

TO BE WORTHY OF TRUST

LK 16: 10-13

 

The shorter version of today’s Gospel gives us a very special lesson. The Lord Jesus extols the virtue of trustworthiness. Who do you trust in your life today? 

 

Often, we take trust for granted. We merely believe that the people around us, those we grew up with are people we can trust. Children trust their parents. Students trust their teachers. Citizens trust the government. We trust our friends.

 

But what is the basis of all this? What is the reliable criterion? The gospel takes us into a least considered component of trust. It is the little things, the small matters, done with diligence and responsibility that builds trust. The Lord says that if we can be trusted in “very small matters,” then we can be trusted with great ones. Before we look for people to trust, we better ask ourselves if we too can be trusted.

 

In life we have been given the basics of living well in the community. We have the foundations of culture, religion and tradition to guide us in our personal or societal actions. Not everyone today wants to hear this, but this is tested and tried, proven to be true. We cannot ignore the simple rules or guidelines handed down to us to help us navigate life in a world that is increasingly in confusion and disarray.

 

In the first reading, Amos reminds us that we must not cheat one another; we must not manipulate the poor; we must not deceive those who rely on us. To be trustworthy is not only to live your life well, but to live well with others in the community. But sometimes we do forget the small things that guarantee that we will not fail. As Christians, we have the Ten Commandments, the teachings of Jesus, the guidance of the church as the basic requirements we need to follow in order to please the Lord.

 

There is an amusing exercise applied to small children that involves giving them a piece of marshmallow. They may eat the treat now, but if they wait for some minutes, they can enjoy an additional one. Not too many pass the test. To be trustworthy demands an “internal discipline,” not mere external compliance. One who possesses this also has a sense of punctuality, positivity, persistence and fidelity. In the Letter to the Hebrews, Jesus is called our true High Priest because the Father found him worthy of trust.

 

Honestly confronting ourselves before the Lord and reviewing our daily actions and words, do we see ourselves trustworthy like Our Lord?