25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (C)

Twenty-fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (C) [Lk 16:1-13]

18.09.2022

The Parable of the Dishonest Steward

Readings: (1) Amos 8:4-7 (2) 1 Tim 2:1-8

1.  Theme in brief

Shrewdness and promptness required to face a spiritual crisis

2.  Focus Statement

Whenever a crisis arises due to conflict of values, or negation of Christ’s values, the disciples of Christ must be shrewd and prudent enough to take a prompt decision in favour of his values and come out of that crisis successfully. 

3.  Explanation of the text

In today’s parable, we see the manager or steward of a rich man in a deep crisis. He is going to be fired from his job (stewardship) on charges of squandering (wasting) his master’s property (16:1). In the beginning, the charges brought against him are not about his dishonesty – though later on he is called so (16:8) – but only about wasting or squandering his master’s wealth. Faced with a personal crisis, he suddenly becomes resourceful. He takes a shrewd, imaginative, prompt and resolute action, though it is fully dishonest or unjust (16:3). He acts by taking a drastic decision to do favours for his master's debtors (at his master's expense), hoping that those debtors will feel obliged to welcome him into their homes after he has been dismissed from his employment. He earns their favour by reducing the debt they owe to their master by changing the records (16:3-7). In modern terms, he offers them hefty discounts – fifty percent for oil and twenty percent for wheat (16:7). He takes advantage of the prevailing custom of reciprocal obligation in his culture to return such favours.

On the surface level, this story looks like Jesus is teaching his disciples to be dishonest like that steward. But a careful study shows that he wants to teach them about the necessity to use every means at their disposal to prepare for their eternal destiny (16:9). Shockingly enough, instead of expressing his anger over such an enormous loss and vouching for a stern action, the master commends the action of his manager, though it is a pure cheating. What is praised is not his dishonesty, but “because he had acted shrewdly” (16:8). Seeing the urgency of his crisis, this crook acted so wisely, swiftly and prudently. What is approved is only his swift, astute, shrewd and prudent decision to come out of the impending crisis successfully, not his dishonest and unjust means. What a smart action for a good future by a person who is in critical situation!

The lesson is that the disciples of Jesus are to show much more shrewdness than the steward and make a drastic decision for the Kingdom. Jesus further explains: If the “children of this age” (that is, people of this world) such as this dishonest manager are so shrewd, prompt, resolute and imaginative in dealing “with their own generation” (that is, in worldly or business matters), how much more should the “children of light” (that is, Christian disciples) be in spiritual matters or matters of God’s Kingdom (16:8). In other words, if the “children of this age” are so smart in worldly business matters, why should not the “children of light” be much smarter to promote the Kingdom of God? When faced with the crisis of making a decision for Jesus’ message of the Kingdom, they should surely imitate the manager’s shrewdness, prudence, resourcefulness and tact. They should learn a lesson from him to come out successfully when faced with spiritual challenges, trials and tests. Jesus says, instead of using “dishonest wealth” (original word is “mammon” in Aramaic) to exploit others (as the rich do), Christian disciples can “make friends for themselves” on this earth by sharing their earthly wealth with the needy, so that when it will be lost at death, the children of light may welcome them into eternal abode (16:9).

Here there is an indirect reference to the miserable failure of the leaders of Israel who are entrusted with the stewardship of ‘God’s property’ because they have not responded positively to the crisis created by Jesus’ new message (of God’s Kingdom). The same problem can be noticed among Jesus’ disciples also, as they are wavering in their decision to follow Him. Hence, Jesus seems to contrast the clever strategy of the cunning steward with the lethargy of his disciples to accept His message. He urges them to be faithful stewards even in small and little ways and not to become like this steward who was unfaithful in bigger responsibilities (16:10-11).

4.  Application to life 

Jesus’ message of the Kingdom confronts our consciences, creating a crisis in our minds whether to accept its values and live by them, or to reject them. If we decide to accept them, we have to act like this cunning steward resolutely and decisively in favour of love, peace, justice and in favour of the poor and the marginalized. Again and again we need to make a firm decision of the mind to love those who do harm to us, to serve those who hurt us so badly, to forgive those who do not deserve it and to make sacrifices for reconciliation and peace. When our human nature tells us to do just the opposite, we have to be as shrewd, imaginative, prompt, resolute and prudent as the steward in this parable to overcome these natural/human tendencies and come out successfully like him.

In our personal and spiritual life, we can ask ourselves whether we use the same shrewdness and prompt decision and action. For example, if one’s addiction to alcohol, drugs, mobile phone, internet, T.V., sex, etc., damages character and causes unrest in one’s family, one cannot overcome it by half-hearted resolutions. One has to accept one’s defeat over that addictive habit and take a drastic decision to surrender oneself into God’s hands and allow him to take control of one’s life. One who decides not to drink alcohol in a society where it is culturally promoted has to use a number of tricks to escape from the occasions for drinking. He may have to make excuses such as: “I have some urgent work and cannot go to that place,” “I am not keeping well and am forbidden to drink”….. Of course, one has to behave like a ‘dishonest steward’ to save oneself from utter ruin. This is what we call a sinless ‘white lie’ which does no harm either to oneself or others; on the contrary saves us from spiritual and social downfall or breakdown. Similarly, one who is undergoing depression needs to take a swift and prompt decision to seek help before it is too late. The message is: In times of crises nothing short of a radical decision will prevent a disaster in our life.

In the midst of so many conflicting values and allurements in the world today, we need to use the same resoluteness and imaginative decision and act promptly like the cunning steward in order to preserve our goodness, honesty and integrity. For instance, if we do not want to be a part of the corrupt practices of the world in our workplaces and public life, we need to make shrewd plans to escape from its all-pervading trap. Whenever we are confronted with worldly values which totally negate the gospel-values, our conduct or action reveals whether we are ‘children of light’ or ‘children of this generation’ (that is, secular world, cf. 16:8). There is always a temptation to follow the crowd (because everybody is doing it, though wrong) and avoid consequences. Remember the common refrain: “Why should I burn my fingers?”

Let’s apply this message to socio-political situation of the modern world. The whole world today faces several crises, such as the challenge posed by the poor nations to the rich and powerful nations; global warming and environmental degradation; growth of terrorist organizations; violation of human rights….. We have to question whether our world leaders have the swiftness, prudence and political will exhibited by the steward of this story to take a decisive action to save the Mother Earth from further environmental disasters such as global warming up, climate change, water crisis, etc. Injustice done to God’s creation is alarming and the world is in a crisis situation just like the steward in this story was in. The challenge posed by the education and empowerment of the poor, the indigenous people and the downtrodden, and their political consciousness leads the powerful class to rethink about their traditional views about them and their bad treatment of them. Faced with the new awakening among the weaker and the marginalized sections of our society, we need to take prudent and imaginative steps to bring them to the mainstream of society.

The Lord has entrusted us also with stewardship of material and spiritual wealth and responsibilities in our state of life or jobs. Today’s gospel text leads us to self-examination whether we use our master’s wealth responsibly or dishonestly and wastefully as the steward of this parable did. This passage hints that we are not really owners of anything but only stewards of which we have to give an account. We won’t be able to give proper account if we live merely by chances as they come, and not by choosing to live a life in accordance with the gospel. Though we have earned our wealth, it is not going to be permanently ours; after all, it is our Master’s wealth. It is a gift entrusted to us by our Master. We are accountable to the Master concerning the way we use our money/ possessions/ material wealth. We need to always remind ourselves that God gives us material wealth and resources to spend them not only for our needs, but also to test our faithfulness to Kingdom-values. Our riches, give us enough opportunities to help the needy.

Jesus calls material possessions “dishonest wealth” (literally “unrighteous mammon”), because the love of material things is often at the root of various kinds of sin. As St. Paul puts it: “Those who want to be rich fall into temptation, and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith …. (1 Tim 6:9-10). Allurement of wealth can lead people to commit all sorts of unrighteous acts such as unjust, illegal and corrupt ways of earning money. Therefore Jesus tells us in this parable to use material wealth or possessions wisely and prudently. We are called to resist the temptation of ‘worshipping’ or deifying money and wealth. We need to use some of our wealth to help them so that they become our friends. When our money becomes useless at the hour of our death, the poor will welcome us into the Father’s house. Therefore, we should exhibit the same shrewdness or astuteness for our future eternal security as shown by the steward of this story for his earthly security.

But, instead of taking prompt action, we ignore the critical issues, postpone decisions and sleep over them out of fear of backlash, opposition, criticism or out of desire for personal gain. We need to repent for two things: (1) for the times we have failed to respond positively and promptly to Jesus’ message (of God’s Kingdom) just like the leaders of Israel; (2) for our lethargy and for wavering in our decision to follow the Lord radically as was the case of his disciples.

5.  Response to God's Word

Is our life driven by the values of Christ or the world? In spite of calling ourselves children of light, do we follow the dark forces of this world? Are we serious and prompt in taking decision in favour of Christ’s values every day when we are confronted with negating values? Do we use the shrewdness used by the cunning steward of today’s parable (or by the business people in the world) to make the Kingdom-values realised in our families and society? What prompt action can we take to uphold family values of togetherness and deeper communication, when everybody wants to go where he/she wants, and do what he/she wants on Sundays (which is the only off-day in a week for many)?

6.  A Prayer

Jesus, give us the grace and strength to act resolutely and decisively in favour of love, peace, justice and in favour of the poor and the marginalized. We are sorry for the times we avoided or postponed decisions to live by your values out of fear of consequences. Grant that we may take shrewd and prompt action in favour of your holy will in times of crises in our personal and spiritual life as well as in crisis situations of our world today. Amen.