Sept. 22, 2019: 25th Sunday C
Sept. 22, 2019: 25th Sunday C
Kids are really smart. Some kids really know how to get what they want by spinning strategies, using their wits and charms. There was a 9-year-old boy that I know who loved to play video games. He didn’t own a game console, but on the way home from school, he would always drop by a local arcade and play a game or two. The problem was that his allowance money and coins in his piggy bank ran out. So he found an endless supply of coins from a cash register in his father’s store. At first, he would ask his dad for permission to take a coin or two with the excuse of buying school supplies or snacks. But soon, he became more cunning, often putting his hand in the cash register when his father was preoccupied with helping a customer. Please know that I’m not using this little boy as an example for our children here in the church to emulate. What is interesting is that this little boy was shrewd in his effort to avoid being caught and playing video games as many times as he wanted. I did get caught by my mom and was promptly disciplined. My days of stealing my parents’ hard earned money from the cash register were over.
It’s not too difficult to draw a comparison between this shrewd boy’s actions and what adults do in the world to get what they want. Not a day goes by that we do not hear or read in the news about someone who misappropriated or squandered an organization’s assets. Employees can squander their employer’s time, money, and resources in hidden ways, such as being dishonest about sick days off, overstating work hours, or padding travel expense reports with personal expenses. People are shrewd when it comes to making a profit for themselves or making connections with beneficial people for their careers. When money can be made, people use a survival-of-the-fittest kind of means to best the competition. If people can be so resourceful and strategic in advancing their position in earthly life which fades away, could they not also apply that resourcefulness and strategies in planning for their unfading life in Heaven? The dishonest steward in the parable shows us how one can be driven to secure worldly future by any means.
The steward in Jesus’ parable was about to be fired for squandering his master’s property. Realizing that he did not want to work after he was out of work, his survival instinct kicked in. He saw an opportunity to avert his personal disaster by making friends with those who owed his master money. This shrewd steward used his master’s money to buy favor from the debtors. While his master praised his dishonest steward for his quick-thinking scheme, Jesus was not holding up this dishonest steward as a model of virtue. After all, we can still learn a good lesson from a bad example. Jesus was showing his disciples how the world works. Those who belong to the world utilize connections, favors, and money to navigate the social and career ladder. Meanwhile, those who belong to the Heavenly Father realize that every moment of their life is an opportunity to serve God and neighbor and not self-serving. Jesus wanted his disciples to know that they cannot take anything from this earth with them when die. If you have a nice home, great health, and a wonderful career, thank God for the privilege to borrow them from Him at this moment. Be prepared always, though, to give them back to God and not hold onto them when He demands them back. Our Lord reminded us, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Lk 16:13) So look for opportunities to bless others with your surplus time and resources, helping the poor, being generous with your time with those who need your presence.
Our Lord concluded his parable saying, “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.” (Lk 16:10). How are we spending God’s gift of time and resources? Are we busy about being good stewards of these gifts, using them for serving God and neighbor?
