Gospel: Luke 16:1-8
At another time Jesus told his disciples, “There was a rich man, whose steward was reported to him because of fraudulent service. He summoned the steward and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? I want you to render an account of your service, for it is about to be terminated.’ The steward thought to himself, ‘What am I to do now? My master will surely dismiss me. I am not strong enough to do hard work, and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I will do: I must make sure that when I am dismissed, there will be people who will welcome me into their homes.’ So he called his master’s debtors, one by one. He asked the first debtor, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ The reply was, ‘A hundred jars of oil.’ The steward said, ‘Here is your bill. Sit down quickly and write fifty.’ To the second debtor he put the same question, ‘How much do you owe?’ The answer was, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ Then the steward said, ‘Take your bill and write eighty.’
The master commended the dishonest steward for his astuteness: for the people of this world are more astute, in dealing with their own kind, than are the people of light.
Reflection:
"The Kingdom of God is at hand."
Today’s parable is the opposite of that of the wealthy landowner. The landowner doesn’t see any danger and thinks that his vast wealth makes his life completely secure (Lk 12:16-21). And yet, that night, his life comes to an end. The crafty steward, on the other hand, does think about his future, as he is about to be dismissed for fraud and he realizes that he will be left with nothing. And so, to win some friends to cushion the blow, the steward further disadvantages his master by undercharging his master’s debtors. The wording of the passage almost sounds as if Christ is praising the steward for his dishonesty. However, this is not the case. Jesus is praising the attitude of wisdom and foresight, not the crime. Forward thinking can be put to different uses, and so Jesus is saying that we should put as much effort into developing spiritual foresight as those who expend great mental efforts on trying to secure a materially comfortable future. Spiritual foresight gives due attention to the things of heaven. Jesus is saying, Be wise! Don’t forget them! Why so? Because “the time has come; the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mk 1:15).
© Copyright Bible Diary 2025