Are We Doing Our All We Can To Get To Heaven?

Phil. 3:17-4:1 & Lk. 16:1-8

The words of Saint Paul to the Philippians almost 2,000 years ago are so relevant today. Many people are so obsessed with material things that they forget that we were made not to make this Earth but Heaven our eternal home. Paul is advising us not to follow their ways but his. We have to admire his humility and truthfulness. He sincerely attempted to live the complete Christian life and tried to do so every minute of the day and night. And where did this take him? To the heights of Heaven! If we follow Paul’s example as he invites us we, too, will be citizens of Heaven.

Have you ever found yourself reading a book and being on the side of the criminal who has plotted the crime so cleverly that you hope he will not be caught? That is somewhat the situation in today’s Gospel reading!

Jesus, of course, does not approve of the deviousness or dishonesty of the steward, nor does he recommend that we follow his example. He is concerned only with the initiative and enterprise manifested by the steward in his effort to save his own skin. He was willing to do almost anything to avoid ending up homeless or having to look for a job. All he wanted was an easy life for himself.

What we want is to get to Heaven but what price are we prepared to pay? Do we have as much initiative and enterprise about spiritual values as the steward did about temporal concerns?

Lord Jesus, may we love You above all things and share this love with others as did Your servant Paul, and may we have the astuteness and desire to value spiritual things more than temporal values.