‘Make friends with dishonest wealth’

VERY intriguing words of Christ, indeed! (cfr Lk 16,9) We

need to go slow, keeping a good grip on our reflex reaction, to know

what Christ really meant by them. Otherwise, we can easily

misinterpret these divine words.

   

            To be sure, Christ did not say that we should generate our

wealth in a dishonest way. “No servant can serve two masters,” he

said. “You cannot serve God and mammon.” We should avoid dishonesty.

  

            What Christ really wanted to say was that since we cannot

avoid dishonest wealth given our wounded and sinful condition that

often leads us to be dishonest, we just have to make sure that we use

that dishonest wealth properly while trying to eliminate dishonesty

wherever it is found.

  

            In another part of the gospel, he already warned his

apostles, and us, about the naked reality of our life in this world.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd

as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Mt 10,16) In short, we have to

learn to deal with this condition. We are not yet in Paradise.

  

            Christ wants us to know how to cope with this ugly

condition of our life here on earth, and even convert it into

something that is good, purifying and redeeming. What usually happens

is that the so-called “good people,” or those who want to follow

Christ or who want to be holy, get so idealistic that they would be at

a loss as to how to deal with the ugly reality of our earthly sojourn.

  

            Thus, he made this reproach: “The sons of this age are

more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of

light.” (Lk 16,8) These words were spoken after Christ in a parable

commended the shrewd manager who made some arrangements after he was

given notice of being fired.

  

            Of course, using dishonest wealth properly can be done in

many ways. One could be that it has to be returned to where that

wealth rightfully comes from. If that is not possible anymore for one

reason or another, then it can be used to atone or to make up for

whatever damage the dishonest way of acquiring may have caused.

  

            Thus, in that episode of Christ meeting the rich chief tax

collector Zaccheus, Christ again commended the rich man for what the

tax collector did with those whom he may have cheated. (cfr Lk

19,1-10)

   

            “Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I

have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the

amount,” said Zaccheus. And Christ answered: “Today salvation has come

to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son

of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Lk 19,8-10)

  

            Or that dishonest wealth can be used to do some good or to

promote the common good of society. In all of this, we should try our

best to undo any practice, system, structure, culture or lifestyle

that generates this dishonest wealth.

   

            We have to be realistic in dealing with the actual

realities of our life. This does not mean that we have to make

compromises in our morality. In fact, given the unavoidable unpleasant

things in life, we have to be most clear and sharp in distinguishing

between what is good and evil, what is moral and immoral.

   

            Only in this way would we know how to deal with dishonest

and sinful practices in this life. It would be good to review the

principles to guide us regarding the distinction between formal, that

is, intentional cooperation in evil, on one hand, and material

cooperation, on the other hand. We need to be experts in the latter,

given the facts of life.