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Gospel: Luke 16: 1-8
Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
‘What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.’
The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.’
He called in his master’s debtors one by one.
To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’
Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.’
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than the children of light.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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So many people work hard to put bread on the table. We spend our entire adult lives working, trying to get ahead, building a successful career, making a name for ourselves.
That’s a very good thing. It’s good to work hard, to be creative, to take initiative.
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That’s why Jesus praises the dishonest steward in the Gospel.
Though he’s made several mistakes and wasted his master’s fortune, he devises a scheme to repay some of those debts while forging new relationships for the future.
He’s determined and creative.
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Jesus challenges us to put that same type of effort into our spiritual lives – to be as determined to serve the Lord as we are to be successful.
For example, some men pride themselves on being good mechanics; they believe they can fix anything.
Jesus says to us today, “Brothers, are you as good at fixing the wounds in your family or the wounds in your own heart as you are at fixing your car?”
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Many women pride themselves on their ability to dress well or to turn their house into a tastefully decorated home.
“But sisters, are you as equally creative in cultivating Christian virtues – charity, patience, and forgiveness?”
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That’s the Gospel challenge – to be as determined to be a Saint as we are determined to be successful.
How, then, can we work a little more our spiritual lives today?
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Image credits: (1) Parable of the Unjust Steward, Dr. Brant Pitre (2) Crossroads Initiative (3) Spiritual Direction, Anne Solomon