If you wish to read the texts click here: Philippians 3:17-4:1; Lk 16: 1-8
The text of today contains a
parable found only in the Gospel of Luke and which is often titled as the
Parable of the Dishonest Steward. In the Parable, the steward is about to be
dismissed because of charges against him of squandering his master’s property.
Since he does not want to have to do manual labour or beg after his dismissal,
he responds to the crisis in his life by taking the decision of reducing the
debtor’s debts. The amounts mentioned are all large, and indicates commercial
rather than household transactions. By the reduction of the debts, he gains the
favour of his master’s debtors, which will stand him in good stead in the
future. It is not clear whether the steward acted dishonestly through this
action, because some presume that he was foregoing his own commission or acting
righteously by excluding the interest prohibited by Deut 23:19-20. Despite
this, however, most prefer the interpretation that the steward continued to be
dishonest and arbitrarily reduced the amounts of the debts. By doing this, the
steward casts an aura of goodness on his master and also provides for his own
future. The point of the parable of the parable is not so much honesty or
dishonesty, but a call to cast caution aside, seize the opportunity and make
provisions for the future before God. The kingdom is here.
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