6 The Dishonest Servant

Gospel

Luke 16:1-8

The master praised the dishonest servant

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”

Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.”

‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.’

Reflection

The steward’s crisis sparked sudden, creative action; he used his master's resources to secure his future through mercy to others. Jesus does not applaud the man's dishonesty, but rather his decisive preparation for what lay ahead. Often, we are far more diligent about our earthly security than our eternal reality. We are called to be "children of light" who act with similar urgency, using our current gifts—time, talent, and treasure—to invest in relationships and God’s kingdom before our stewardship ends.

Reflection Question

In what areas of my life am I "astute" regarding worldly success, and how can I redirect that same energy and resourcefulness toward my spiritual growth and the service of others?

Prayer

Lord, grant us the wisdom to recognize that all we have belongs to You. Help us to be resourceful and generous with Your gifts, using our lives to build a legacy of love and mercy that welcomes us into Your eternal home. Amen.

Comments

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