Selection of the sermons of Father Ezekiel Oko
God or Mammon?
"You cannot serve God and mammon" is how Jesus ends the long speech that we have just heard in the Gospel. God and Mammon! What exactly does Jesus want to say to his disciples then and to us today? What does he mean by Mammon?
Mammon is an Aramaic term and originally meant "possession" or "wealth". Today the term is used pejoratively for money in general. So it's about money and the economic endeavor to increase wealth.
One might think that with his story Jesus is questioning the value and necessity of money? But, that's not entirely true. Because he appreciates the value of money. He also speaks, for example, of the drachma, which is valuable to the old woman.
He is skeptical of an excessive fondness for wealth. We can see this in various parables that he tells about it.
Once he told a rich man to give up his possessions and follow him. He warns against wealth, especially when it risks possessing someone's heart. For that would be a form of slavery and could destroy everything that matters to man.
We may know people who want to amass money and wealth at the expense of others. People who are willing to sacrifice their families, their relationships and all kinds of togetherness for their economic endeavors. This shows: Mammon demands that everything be sacrificed for wealth.
Yes, we live in a world ruled by capitalism. Capitalism makes it possible for a few people who are economically savvy and smart to amass so much money and wealth for themselves. We also know individuals whose wealth is greater than that of an entire country. It's not bad to be financially savvy and smart. Because we also need to use our assets sensibly. But it becomes problematic when we lose our hearts when we take advantage of others, or risk the lives of the poor when we harm valuable relationships.
Today we hear about economic crisis and inflation everywhere. We are all feeling the crisis, albeit not equally. Where is this crisis coming from? It is the result of the economic power game between the rich countries. It's all about economic power play. It's about wealth and power. It's about Mammon.
That's just a glimpse of Mammon's global impact. But what does today's message mean for me personally? What is Jesus saying to me? He tells me that my money, my wealth and anything I can create economically has no absolute value. They are only relatively good and have useful value. They are just a means by which I can do good. I can use it to save lives, nurture relationships, and support my faith in God. I am only a steward of this remedy.
Today, on Caritas Sunday, the gospel is particularly fitting. Because the message helps us to think carefully about what we can spend to support the poor through Caritas. Dear sisters and brothers, create money if you can, because it is valuable. But don't forget that it has no absolute value. It should serve the higher values! Money can't buy everything.
Overview