The parable of the dishonest steward

Gospel Reading: Lk 16:1-8

JES US said to his disciples, “A rich man has 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 kors 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 are the children of light.”

REFLECTION The master commended that Dishonest

Steward for acting prudently. What the parable teaches us is that we imitate not the dishonesty of the steward but his prudence – his “creativity” or “shrewdness” in preparing for his future. As the master praises the steward for such shrewdness, so Jesus rouses us to be shrewd and creative in our being stewards ourselves. Yes, we can remain unproductive, even naïve, stewards. God calls us to be worthy stewards by being creative in our mission. This way, we can all contribute to a vibrant Christian community.

Just imagine what the Church would be like if all of us employed our creativity to the fullest.