25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (The Dishonest Steward)

The parable of the dishonest steward is a little confusing at face value, so I’ll offer some explanation. But the steward’s clever approach toward money made me think of a story I once heard about a man in need of legal help, who went to consult a lawyer. Worried about the potential cost, he asked, “Can you tell me how much you charge?” “Of course,” the lawyer replied, “I charge $800 to answer three questions.” The man was stunned. “Don’t you think that’s a pretty high fee, just to answer three questions?” The lawyer admitted, “Yes. Yes, it is…So what’s your third question?”

          Again, this parable is a bit perplexing. Part of the challenge is Jesus’ use of irony and even a little sarcasm, doesn’t translate so well, given how the cultural and linguistic realities differ from ours.

          We should understand that in that time, wealthy property owners usually employed stewards to manage their property. The steward’s job was to make money for their employer, and often times that came through binding contracts on behalf of the employer. It was entirely acceptable for the steward to charge interest, up to double the original amount owed. While the steward had responsibility to collect what was owed, he also had liberty to determine the interest amount, with the understanding that any amount collected above what was originally owed was rightfully his. This is not so different from debt collection agencies that we have today.[1]

          In this parable, the steward knows he is about to be dismissed. Rather than wallowing in self-pity, he decides to act shrewdly and to make provisions for his future. He goes to those who are indebted to his employer and takes a different and does not act in his employer’s best interest, forgiving the debts with only a portion of what is owed.

          As the Gospel itself makes clear, his hope is that he will win favor with the debtors and that they therefore will in turn, show kindness and support to him when he’s eventually dismissed by his employer. In other words, he doesn’t care so much about the present, because he knows it is fleeting. Instead, his sights are set on the future.

Jesus praises the shrewdness of the steward, for his creativity and efforts to secure his future. His point is to call us as his followers to be equally clever and diligent in making money and in making decisions on how to use it in preparation for our future beyond this life.[2]

More to the point, this Gospel tells us a few things. First, like the steward, we can and should be bold and shrewd in our business and even at work. Second, we must be just in our daily work and in our places of business. As Christians, we are called to rise above the temptation to cut corners in our work, in our treatment of our fellow workers, and those with whom we hold business dealings. Third, we are to nurture the discipline to use our financial resources and convert it into heavenly capital by seeking to use it for God's purposes, and in accord with His will.

          In no uncertain terms, Jesus tells us we cannot serve both God and mammon—mammon, here meaning wealth. Jesus warns us about being guided by wealth and desire for it. “While money can be a good servant, it makes for a bad boss”[3].

We should regularly re-evaluate how we’re carrying this out. Our credit card statements would likely be a good way of measuring what/whom we have chosen to serve. And if it’s true, as it's been suggested, that time is money, it brings yet a whole other level to evaluating how we have and are investing.

We can't escape the trappings that come with the culture in which we live, but that doesn't excuse us from applying our Christian principles to our own lives in this money-driven culture. Perhaps we can take a little time in the coming week(s) to consider and evaluate how we are investing and what (or whom) we are serving.

[1] James W. Kinn, Teach, Delight, Persuade

[2] Ibid.

[3] Harold A. Buetow, PhD, JD, Ode to Joy, Cycle C