Today's Gospel in Art - The man who can be trusted...

Clinging to the Cross, by Danny Hahlbohm, 2014 © Danny Hahlbohm Art

Gospel of 7th November 2020 - Luke 16:9-15

Jesus said to his disciples: 'I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?

'No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.'

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, 'You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people's sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.'

Reflection on the Painting

Trust is essential in any relationship. If we are not entirely trusting of someone, we will never grow close to that person and will always be on our guard. In order to engage with someone and love them, we need to be able to trust them. And they need to be able to trust us. And so at the start of many friendships, we share something personal with the other person and entrust them with something about ourselves. As the friendship moves on and matures, we will share more and more with them, even important things.

So, who do we trust? Jesus is telling us in today's reading that God is the one to trust. No matter how much we may mess things up, or disappoint Him, He will still be there for us. Whatever we tell Him and entrust to Him, He will never break our confidence… as He already knows everything even before we tell Him… We want to trust God. We need to trust God. We know that. So why do we find ourselves clinging to what we can see, feel or touch, rather than being able to let go and fully trust in Christ, by embracing His cross?… clinging on to Christ's cross instead of clinging to worldly things... steady in the midst of stormy seas, as skilfully illustrated by our artist, Daniel Hahlbohm.

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