Glory be to Jesus Christ!
🌞
Of the Saturday before Christmas:
For the readings from the Apostle, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02122023.html
For the readings from the Gospel, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/09122023.html
This reading is preceded by the one I wrote about here:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12112023.html
The immediate continuation of this reading is the one I wrote about here:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/19112023.html
The Apostle Paul testifies that all humanity, including those who are not Abraham's descendants in the flesh, can be part of the Church in Christ, through His sacrifice. Thus, the whole Church is the people of God
after Pentecost. It is not without reason that all the faithful are called people
in Greek.
This reading is preceded by the one I wrote about here:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/23092023.html
The immediate continuation of this reading and the verse in common — verse 15 - with this reading is the one I wrote about at the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17112023.html
Mammon was the eastern idol of prosperity and wealth. So, Christ is telling the faithful to use wealth and various goods properly, doing God's will, doing good and mercy, showing true love.
He first says that there are no trifles in the matter of salvation, because trifles have the ability to influence the heart of a person, and the heart is very important. Therefore, a person who neglects the little things does not have the necessary diligence for the Kingdom of God, and their heart may turn away and become unfaithful because of them. On the contrary, a careful person shows that these things are important to them, which is evidence of faithfulness.
True riches are eternal, imperishable, the gift of deification and being children of God in the Kingdom of God with all its attendant consequences. If a person neglects God's temporary gifts or uses them to their detriment, then they will not be entrusted with true wealth.
God looks at a person's heart, at them, at their life, not at their wealth. And people very often value wealth, and they begin to love money and property so much that they depart from God. Money then becomes an idol, and God does not like idols, because those idols destroy people for eternal life.
That is why the Lord calls people to have a right attitude to wealth and to do God's will.
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!