The Holy Gospel according to 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 generationthan the children of light.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection: This Gospel, the Parable of the dishonest steward, is a puzzling parable. The steward squandered the rich master’s property. When the steward was discovered, he acted shrewdly to secure his future but reducing the debts of those who owed his master. The steward used his cleverness, his foresight and his ability to act decisively in a crisis situation. It appears that Jesus is commending the dishonest steward for acting this way, but is not condemning him for his dishonesty. The master’s commendation may seem strange until we realize that the master values the steward’s imagination, energy and commitment that he displayed.
This parable challenges us to reflect on how we use our time, treasure, talent, resources and imagination in the service of others. Are we as diligent in seeking the kingdom of God as the steward is in securing his future? Are we investing our time, treasure, talent, resources to serve God’s purposes, not just our own? Jesus calls us to use what we have wisely.
I think the lesson we can take from this is about intentionality and purpose. Just as the steward planned for his future, we are also invited to plan for our spiritual future, using our gifts to bring love, mercy and justice to others. May we be as clever in pursuing holiness as the the steward was in securing his well being.
Action for the Day: Pray for the grace on how we can use our heads, our hearts and our imaginations in the service of others, especially those less fortunate than us, in the name of the Gospel.
Audio Reflection:
Thank you. God bless. From Joella.