To read the texts click on the texts: Rom 15:14-21; 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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ReplyDeleteDespite you explaining the honesty vs dishonesty of the steward, Fr. Errol, I am still perplexed. I am one of the “most” you mention, who chooses to interpret the steward’s actions as dishonest because:
ReplyDeletei. The steward makes those decisions to secure his own future with nary a thought of how those losses will affect his master's livelihood/future.
ii. He does not consult his master prior to his reducing the amounts due by the debtors.
But I am aware that I do not always understand God’s ways, and instead of arguing my point endlessly (like I used to earlier!), I’ve chosen instead to focus on these important lines of yours:
>but a call to cast caution aside, seize the opportunity and make provisions for the future before God. The kingdom is here.
- Right. Fastening my bootstraps to attempt traversing the straight and narrow. Sigh.
Kate
in My homily at Mass I said READY-FIRE-AIM. Let me know if it makes sense to you. God be with you and Mary always intercedes.
Deletein My homily at Mass I said READY-FIRE-AIM. Let me know if it makes sense to you. God be with you and Mary always intercedes.
Delete>in My homily at Mass I said READY-FIRE-AIM. Let me know if it makes sense to you.
ReplyDelete- Oh, complete sense. It’s what I do! Ready to pull the trigger, um, I usually actually *do* fire, and then .... check to see if I was aiming at the target.
Is this impulsive and rash (re)action what you are referring to with your READY-AIM-FIRE, Fr. Errol?
Kate