“The Goal of Being Faithful”

TWENTY FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

September 18, 2016

 

THE PARABLE OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS STEWARD

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Today’s parable can be confusing, but not if we look at the context in which it was presented. It is the fourth story in a series that began in Luke 15, prompted by the Pharisees’ accusations against Jesus. Jesus responded by telling four parables: the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Parable of the Lost Coin, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and today’s parable, the Parable of the Unrighteous Steward. Here Jesus uses a story about an unrighteous person to illustrate a point about righteousness. The steward wasted a certain rich man’s goods. The steward couldn’t deny it, so he had to update his accounts and leave his job. The steward made friends of his master’s debtors by striking off a considerable part of their debts to his master, prompting his former employer to commended not the fraud, but the shrewdness of the steward. Worldly men, in the choice of their objects of desire, are foolish; but they often know how to work their system better than believers. The Unrighteous Steward is not set before us as an excuse for dishonesty, but to point out how well worldly men apply their creeds and beliefs. This steward knew the importance of relationship in business. Relationship of an individual with God is very valuable, as mentioned in the first 3 parables. The Pharisees and the scribes looked at men as sinners, but we as the children of light see them as precious coins, which if lost will prompt us to do most anything just to find them. The Pharisees put more importance on the 99 sheep because of their market value, but to the Good Shepherd, one lost sheep is more important than 99 secured sheep. To the Pharisees the wayward son deserved punishment and should be forgotten, but for the loving Father, the returning son deserved a celebration and a new start in life.  Similarly, we learned from this steward the importance of relationship - most of all, our relationship with God, a relationship which the Pharisees did not have. Sometimes we wonder why unrighteous people seem to flourish, but God is at work in this world. As a result, the faithful are called to do good, take delight in the Lord and commit our ways to the Lord. staying true to who we are and whose we are. Our relationship with God should shine like a light, so that the deeds and ways of the wicked may be clearly seen for what they are and thus fade and wither.  God’s light will shine like the noonday!                                                                                                                                                                   Dcn. Garry F. Salguero