26th Sunday of Ordinary Time—C2004
Luke 16:19-31
Deacon Lee Hunt (St. Monica)

Share so Everyone Has What They Need

There is a story about a pastor who told his parishioners that there was good news and bad news. The good news was that the parish had enough money to do anything that it wanted. The bad news was that the money was still in their pockets.

Stewardship of treasure, time, and talent: I’ve always struggled with all three of these. I have always contributed some amount of money to church. The problem was to decide how much. After all, I had to raise four children and how much money would I need to retire? Being mathematical, I could always calculate the amount needed. The real problem was getting it out of my pockets.

I was early retired at 55 and could not find a job. Two years later I began to study to be a deacon and between semesters of college courses, some company always called me to consult until the next semester began. Since this went on for three years, I became a believer that God does take care of me. During that time I never quit giving my treasure, time, and talent.

Well, giving treasure can be easier than giving time and talent. After all, writing a check or making an electronic payment takes almost no effort. Time is more important to me than either my treasure or talent. When I was employed, others always set their watches by when I left for the day. It was always exactly at the normal quitting time because using time for my family and me was of higher priority.

My earliest memory of using my time and talent is when my four children were very young and I became a Big Brother to 5-year-old Scot who had no dad or man in his life. My children still talk about Scot 30 years later.

After many years of using my time and talent, I have found that I always get back more than I give.

This especially has been my experience when going on mission to the villages in Peru where families are concerned with their daily existence. We help them with food and clothes and rebuilding their homes. Since their material goods are minimal, they develop a deeper relationship with God who is their last remaining hope. This love shows in their families and how they treat us. I know the Peruvians and Oklahomans think we are both getting the better end of this relationship. Each of us has what the other needs so badly.

In the Gospel, we heard quite a reversal between how the rich man and Lazarus lived their earthly and eternal lives. Possessions are a constant theme for Luke, although he never tells how to use them. Possessions by themselves are neither good nor bad, but what one does with them is. Possessions can be obstacles to discipleship or they can be placed at its service. We must relinquish property, power, privilege, and status so as to empower others. The ideal is that all people will have what is needed through sharing, which involves treasure, time, and talent.

In the gospel, Abraham was rich and remained rich, and he is still remembered for his generous hospitality. No one remembers the name of the rich man, but we all know who Lazarus was. The rich man was so consumed with his possessions that he walked past Lazarus without evening acknowledging him. The rich man, even when in Hades, wanted to use Lazarus as his servant to cool his tongue and warn his brothers. This rich man just didn’t get it. He was all about himself. He had nothing to share; even the concept of sharing never entered his mind. It seems to me that he ended up in the appropriate place.

How do we share our treasure, time, and talent in our parish? One way is helping in ministries and service opportunities. These are apparent in our weekly bulletin, and Committees booklet, both of which are available in hard copy and on the parish home page.

In our larger community, there are many opportunities to help those in need. There is a place that fits our unique talents provided we make the time. If our time is heavily involved in raising a family, we can help others as a family and teach them love for others in need. There were two families on our mission trip to Peru this summer and I saw the children absolutely blossom by serving and being served.

Here is Edmond, there are organizations that feed the poor, provide them with groceries, provide counseling and medical help, and specialize with the needs of children and expectant mothers. We do not need special training to help, only the desire to assist someone in need. For example, there are 13,000 children born into poverty each year in Oklahoma.

How will we share our treasure, time, and talent so that all people will have what they need?