Collect and Readings for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity – Jeremiah 8.18-9.1, Amos 8.4-7, Psalm 79.1- 9, Psalm 113, 1 Timothy 2.1-7, Luke 16.1-13

The Prayer for today Almighty God, whose only Son has opened for us a new and living way into your presence: give us pure hearts and steadfast wills to worship you in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

This week’s readings remind us that the way we deal with worldly finances and possessions should be scrupulously honest, fair and wise. It should be directly affected by our spiritual values and reflect our beliefs completely.

The story of the cheating manager and his cunning way of avoiding trouble has the rich man praising him for his cleverness. This does not mean that Jesus is advising us all to follow the manager’s example, of course, but it certainly highlights the zeal given to worldly affairs compared with the laid-back attitude so often given to eternal and spiritual matters. If we were to take the same trouble over our spiritual journey as criminals invest in embezzlement, the results would be dynamic in the extreme.

Jesus also picks up on our need to be responsible with our worldly affairs. It is no good excusing ourselves from such responsibilities on the grounds that we are only interested in spiritual things. Jesus is always practical and realises that the way we manage our weekly budget, our expenses and our life-decisions is important. If we can’t manage these honestly and sensibly, we are likely to be irresponsible about the important things of life as well.

Jeremiah was deeply saddened by his own people using their privileged position as a cover for ungodly behaviour. The closer we get to God’s way of thinking, the more saddened we will be by the lack of integrity we see around us. We are bound to start noticing people’s misdirected ‘worth-ship and longing for a change of direction. This sadness and yearning is all part of walking in step with the God who loves us and desires that sinners should turn and live.

Some things to reflect on:

• Is it possible to live as a Christian in the world of business and competition?

• How can we make sure we take seriously our responsibility to support our leaders in prayer?

God bless and stay safe and well.

Rev’d Fiona Robinson