27 March | Youth
«For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.» Matthew 25:14
Taking care of other people's things can be more difficult than taking care of our own. I will illustrate with a true story. It happened in São Paulo, Brazil. A university professor decided to travel with his wife. He planned everything and asked a student to take care of his house. The young man accepted. The house was incredibly beautiful: big, spacious, comfortable. The boy soon had an idea that seemed brilliant to him: he invited his friends for a pizza party on Saturday night.
It was a very pleasant occasion, until suddenly someone rang the doorbell. One of the guests asked the young host: “Are you expecting anyone else?” He said no, and thought: “Did a neighbor come to complain about the noise?” What was his surprise when, when he opened the door, he saw the owner of the house! “Was there a problem, professor? I thought you would not be back until tomorrow.” “Yes, that was the plan,” he replied. “But my wife is not feeling very well, so we decided to return early.” Can you imagine his situation?
I once heard from a neighbor in the neighborhood where I grew up: “Shame is stealing and not being able to take it!” I never agreed with that. Shame is a moral control mechanism that we develop from the age of three; sometimes a little earlier. Many scholars are currently claiming that this feeling is harmful, that it limits our potential, that it represses and oppresses us, as if it were, let us say, “a jailer of the soul.” I partially agree. Nobody likes to feel condemned by other people's eyes. However, I like to think that guilt and responsibility are different things and that, to a certain extent, they cancel each other out. What do you think?
I imagine Jesus' return not as a day of reckoning, but as a moment of joy, a happy occasion. Many, however, will regret having doubted this encounter or failing to prepare for it (Matt 25:24-30). They have forgotten that our bodies are the Lord’s house (1 Cor 3:16) and that this house needs to be well taken care of. Being a faithful servant is not something out of this world. Taking care of other people's houses has its charms, but there are also liberties that we cannot take. Think about this the next time you want to impress your friends, satisfy some
need, or carry out some crazy plan over the weekend. The house is a loan. Do not forget!