Luke 16:1-8
He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a steward, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.
And he called him and said to him, `What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’
And the steward said to himself, `What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.
I have decided what to do, so that people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewardship.’
So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, `How much do you owe my master?’
He said, `A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, `Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’
Then he said to another, `And how much do you owe?’ He said, `A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, `Take your bill, and write eighty.’
The master commended the dishonest steward for his shrewdness; for the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.
Homily:
I am still trying to understand why the dishonest steward was commended for shrewdness.
On one end, I see an understanding by the dishonest steward, that in showing mercy to others (by reducing the scale of what is owed), he actually serves and provides for himself in the future.
On the other end, I see a dishonest steward who even on the realisation of loss, still seeks a dishonest path, true to his path.
Or maybe the lesson is that the labels of good and bad on humans are too general, for within the bad, are good choices; and within the good are bad choices.
Dear Lord, increase my understanding of what you intend to teach me with this parable, Amen.