"For the worldly are more astute than the other-worldly in dealing with their own kind" (Luke, 16:8).
A cunning person is better equipped in dealing with another cunning person, just as a miser knows the trick of the trade in confronting another miser. In the parable of Jesus about the rich man and his steward, we see the master applauding the dishonest steward for acting astutely. The conclusion drawn by Jesus is that the worldly people are more astute in dealing with their own kind, i.e., the worldly people (Luke, 16: 1-8). The other-worldly people, on the other hand, are full of intelligence of a different order that is divine in nature and is foreign to the worldly. This allows them to see God's creativity everywhere and invite Him to re-create one's own life. Jesus recommends use of our wealth for charity so that we may be able to win friends in the other world where our present wealth would be a thing of the past. No wealth or treasure can really be ours when compared to our life that should be really ours. If we are irresponsible by squandering what is really not ours, nobody is expected to give us what is really ours, i.e. eternal life (Luke, 16:9-12).
Even as we live in this world, how can some be other-worldly and others this-worldly? It does not mean that in order to be other-worldly, one has to run away from or cut all relations with the world. It depends on our personal attitude, wherever we are, that makes us other-worldly or this-worldly. Even when a tragedy strikes, it may transform our lives for the better. Brooding over our life can be either for coming out of it stronger and better or for breaking us to shreds! The former manner of brooding over helps us to strengthen our inner life with full vigor to rise up again, whereas the other type drags us into further desperation The difference is between the other-worldly and this-worldly. St. Paul expressed it thus: :"For the wound which is borne in God's way brings a change of heart too salutary to regret; but the hurt which is borne in the world's way brings death" (2 Cor. 7:10).
What is God's way that makes our life other-worldly and the world's way that makes it this-worldly? In a nutshell we may say that all that is related to our soul and its connection to God is God's way and everything that is connected to our body and this world is the world's way. Our primary inclination is to tend to our body and its needs for which we need the resources of this world. As a result, all of us are extroverts, meaning 'turned towards' the world and as it is natural, it is to be accepted as normal. This is in consonance with what St. Paul says: "Observe, the spiritual does not come first; the animal body comes first, and then the spiritual" (1 Cor. 15.46). Of itself, it does not make a person this-worldly provided we are willing to turn back inwards to see the implications of being human that cannot avoid the reality of our soul and its connection to God.
Our usual tendency to blame the situations of life for our failures and failings should not be resorted to as an escape route to avoid our responsibility. For, very often it is due to our failure in attending to the infinite capacity we are endowed with that we encounter disaster! St. Paul warned about adapting ourselves to the pattern of this world instead of renewing our minds and thus transforming our entire nature (Rom. 12:2). The clue lies in the state of our minds and not in the state of affairs in the world, which could also be transformed through the transformation of ourselves.
Our mind has the capacity to transform our lives whereby we become other-worldly even as we are engaged in the daily routines of this world. As long as we take care not to be a slave to anything or anybody other than God, we are free and are other-worldly. Our outlook and views may not tally with those in the world who hold fast to merely worldly values. They are smart in dealing with similar worldly people and we should not have any regrets in being relegated to the background as we have a greater treasure to cherish of which they may be unaware! Other-worldly does not mean that we cannot engage the world, but it means that our engagement with it is capable of transforming it to a new and higher level
A cunning person is better equipped in dealing with another cunning person, just as a miser knows the trick of the trade in confronting another miser. In the parable of Jesus about the rich man and his steward, we see the master applauding the dishonest steward for acting astutely. The conclusion drawn by Jesus is that the worldly people are more astute in dealing with their own kind, i.e., the worldly people (Luke, 16: 1-8). The other-worldly people, on the other hand, are full of intelligence of a different order that is divine in nature and is foreign to the worldly. This allows them to see God's creativity everywhere and invite Him to re-create one's own life. Jesus recommends use of our wealth for charity so that we may be able to win friends in the other world where our present wealth would be a thing of the past. No wealth or treasure can really be ours when compared to our life that should be really ours. If we are irresponsible by squandering what is really not ours, nobody is expected to give us what is really ours, i.e. eternal life (Luke, 16:9-12).
Even as we live in this world, how can some be other-worldly and others this-worldly? It does not mean that in order to be other-worldly, one has to run away from or cut all relations with the world. It depends on our personal attitude, wherever we are, that makes us other-worldly or this-worldly. Even when a tragedy strikes, it may transform our lives for the better. Brooding over our life can be either for coming out of it stronger and better or for breaking us to shreds! The former manner of brooding over helps us to strengthen our inner life with full vigor to rise up again, whereas the other type drags us into further desperation The difference is between the other-worldly and this-worldly. St. Paul expressed it thus: :"For the wound which is borne in God's way brings a change of heart too salutary to regret; but the hurt which is borne in the world's way brings death" (2 Cor. 7:10).
What is God's way that makes our life other-worldly and the world's way that makes it this-worldly? In a nutshell we may say that all that is related to our soul and its connection to God is God's way and everything that is connected to our body and this world is the world's way. Our primary inclination is to tend to our body and its needs for which we need the resources of this world. As a result, all of us are extroverts, meaning 'turned towards' the world and as it is natural, it is to be accepted as normal. This is in consonance with what St. Paul says: "Observe, the spiritual does not come first; the animal body comes first, and then the spiritual" (1 Cor. 15.46). Of itself, it does not make a person this-worldly provided we are willing to turn back inwards to see the implications of being human that cannot avoid the reality of our soul and its connection to God.
Our usual tendency to blame the situations of life for our failures and failings should not be resorted to as an escape route to avoid our responsibility. For, very often it is due to our failure in attending to the infinite capacity we are endowed with that we encounter disaster! St. Paul warned about adapting ourselves to the pattern of this world instead of renewing our minds and thus transforming our entire nature (Rom. 12:2). The clue lies in the state of our minds and not in the state of affairs in the world, which could also be transformed through the transformation of ourselves.
Our mind has the capacity to transform our lives whereby we become other-worldly even as we are engaged in the daily routines of this world. As long as we take care not to be a slave to anything or anybody other than God, we are free and are other-worldly. Our outlook and views may not tally with those in the world who hold fast to merely worldly values. They are smart in dealing with similar worldly people and we should not have any regrets in being relegated to the background as we have a greater treasure to cherish of which they may be unaware! Other-worldly does not mean that we cannot engage the world, but it means that our engagement with it is capable of transforming it to a new and higher level
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