If you feel
embarrassed by next Sunday's Gospel, you are not alone. Even the Lectionary is embarrassed. In the parable, Jesus seems to praise dishonesty. That just cannot be right. So, the Lectionary offers an optional shorter version of the Gospel that does not include the offending parable. In the parable, an employee is asked to show his records. He has been squandering his employer's property. He knows he will get fired, so he goes to the debtors and reduces their debt. This wins their friendship for the days of unemployment that certainly lie ahead. But, surprisingly, the employer is impressed with the dishonest employee's solution and commends him. Dishonesty pays.

I'm sure if we could talk with Jesus about this, he'd say we got the wrong idea about his parable. In the parable the master commends the dishonest steward not for being dishonest but for being clever. The parable also never says that the guy keeps his job. Furthermore, the sayings appended to the parable insist you cannot serve both God and money.

Nonetheless, the Lectionary's embarrassment over the parable is palpable. In addition to the permission to drop it from next week's Gospel, we hear a first reading from the angry and articulate Amos.

Amos prophesied in Judah during the middle of the eighth century before Christ. There were earlier prophets, like Elijah and Elisha. But Amos is the first of the prophets to have his very own book. He delivers visions of untold woe to an unfaithful Israel.

During this period between major conflicts, Israel was enjoying prosperity, and a privileged class of the rich had developed. Even though the economy was good for the rich, it was very bad for the poor. Wealthy landowners oppressed those who were less fortunate. They had lost their sense of social responsibility.

Now, the religious life of the rich looked impressive. They worshiped at the temples. They even observed the religious calendar that forbade commerce on certain holydays.

Herein lay the problem. Amos faced a people outwardly religious, but inwardly corrupt. They lost the connection between love of God and love of neighbor. They went through the outward trappings of religiosity, but failed to love their neighbor, especially the poor, as they should. Guilty of hypocrisy, they would not be saved by these hollow religious observances.

After Amos, a number of prophets promised a new age for God's chosen people. Exiles would return home. The weak would be strong. The valleys would be raised. The hills would be lowered. God would put a new heart into people. God would write the covenant not on stone but on the heart. Even though Israel strayed, God would welcome the people back. Many of the prophets gave Israel good news.

Not Amos. Amos gave bad news. In his view, the chosen people had messed things up irrevocably. Those most to blame were the civil and religious leaders. But also the rich. God had had enough of the mistreatment of the lowly. The wealthy were ignoring the divine word. Profits yes, prophets no. Well, God would come to punish. No one would escape. Sorry. Nice try. But it's over.

In next Sunday's first reading, Amos tells the people about his vision. God had words for the upper class. Being wealthy, they were trampling on the needy and destroying the poor. They were watching the skies for the new moon to end. When the festival of the new moon was over, they would go back to making profits. More accurately, they would go back to cheating. God thunders out at them,"Never will I forget a thing they have done."

When the Lectionary pairs this reading from Amos with Jesus' parable of the dishonest steward, it's as if the Lectionary is saying to us, "Don't get any ideas." We are not to emulate dishonesty. Prudence, certainly. But not dishonesty. If you listen to Amos, you know that love of God has to be supported by love of neighbor, or you do not have love of God.

If we go to church and read The Catholic Key, it's not enough. We must also practice justice. What have you done for the poor lately? Do you own too many things? Do you spend more on yourself than on the needy? Could you do with less so that others could do with more? Remember the biting words God speaks through Amos about those who take advantage of the poor: "Never will I forget a thing they have done."

Father Paul Turner is pastor of St. Munchin Parish, Cameron.

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