別人的財物 Other People's Money

別人的財物（路16:9-15）

基督宗教信仰是非常理性的，所以少了迷信和宗教狂熱的機會。今天所讀的福音片段，它的邏輯簡直滴水不漏！基督宗教信仰就是這樣附合理性，怎可能是不合時宜呢？

「小事上忠信的，在大事上也忠信；在小事上不義的，在大事上也不義。」（路16:10）你能找到破綻嗎？你能列舉相反的例子嗎？你能找到一個在雞毛蒜皮的事上不義的人，例如貪小便宜的人，委任他做政府的財相嗎？

從這個基礎上，耶穌進一步推論：「如果你們在不義的錢財上不忠信，誰還把真實的錢財委託給你們呢？」（16:11）「不義的錢財」是甚麼？我們立刻聯想到不勞而獲的「橫財」，例如賭博贏到的錢，甚至「賊贓」！處理「賊贓」不忠信，即私吞「賊贓」，恐怕我們沒有這樣的膽量；但享受賭博贏到的錢，有甚麼不對？對不起，賭場內祇有「莊家」是贏家，最後你祇會得到傾家蕩產的下場，沒有享用「不義的錢財」的機會！所以，「在不義的錢財上不忠信」祇能有靈性的解釋，是指我們由天主白白得來的恩賜，但我們浪費了這些恩寵。即是祇顧享受這些恩寵帶來的利益，而沒有用這些恩寵來服務有需要的人！這是人之常情嘛，何罪之有？如果這樣是有罪，這位天主的要求太高了！但甚麼是「真實的錢財」呢？是黃金？還是永生？

且看耶穌的終極教訓：「如果你們在別人的財物上不忠信，誰還把屬於你們的交給你們呢？」（16:12）「別人的財物」指甚麼？基金經理的客戶？不是！是天主賜給各人的恩寵，是天主的，不是你的。「你們的」應該是指為我們預備了的「天堂留位」！如果我們沒有善用天主的恩寵，誰還會把天堂的一席位，交給我們呢？

信耶穌基督絕不迷信。
天主保祐！
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：washingtonpost.com

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Other People's Money (Luke 16:9-15)

Christianity is very rational, thus reducing opportunities for superstitions or freneticism. The logic of the gospel passage we read today is air-tight! Christianity is so reasonable that it is impossible for it to be irrelevant today!

Are you able to point out the flaw in this statement, “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones” (Luke 16:10)? Are you able to give counter-examples? Are you able to name a dishonest person in small matters, such as somebody who has been greedy in small conveniences or advantages appointed the Financial Secretary in the government?

Upon this foundation, Jesus argues one step forwards, “If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth?” (16:11) What is “dishonest wealth”? Immediately come to mind are fortunes such as payoff from a casino or even robbery loots! I’m afraid we don’t have the guts to handle loots dishonestly. But what’s wrong with enjoying payoff from a casino? I’m sorry, bankers are the only winners and you’ll end up losing your last cent and have no chance to enjoy this dishonest wealth! Thus, being “not trustworthy with dishonest wealth” can only have a spiritual interpretation. It means God freely gives us graces but we squander them. That is to say, we enjoy the benefits which come along with those graces but fail to make use of them to serve the needy! Isn’t enjoying benefits a natural human tendency. What’s wrong with it? If that counts a sin, perhaps this God is too demanding! But what is “true wealth”, gold or eternal life?

Let’s read the ultimate teaching, “If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?” (16:12) What is this “what belongs to another”? Clients of fund managers? No! It is the graces God gives you. They belong to God, not to you. “Yours” must refer to “your reserved place in heaven”! If we do not make good use of God’s graces, who will give us the place reserved for us in heaven?

Believing in Jesus Christ is absolutely not superstitious!
God bless!