Cycle C - Year II:  

18 September 2016: Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Gospel: Please read  Luke 16:1-13

Being wise and clever!

How can a bad person possibly give good example? That seems to be a contradiction. But life is full of contradictions... sometimes.

In this Sunday's Gospel, our Lord tells a parable that will shake our faith, or at least puzzle us at first glance. It is an example of contradiction.

In the gist of the parable, let us see why it is difficult to understand: an employee who cheats on his employer, who manipulates his master's money to make friends upon losing his job. And the master, instead of getting angry at the dishonest employee, even praises him "because he had acted shrewdly."

This is certainly a most challenging parable. And still, it comes from Jesus' mouth Himself, so it must say something terribly important for us.

Jesus obviously thought that the example of a rascal would be a

perfect illustration for a spiritual lesson about the kingdom of God. In the parable, the master praises the dishonest steward or employee certainly not for being dishonest but for being clever and for his shrewdness.

Now, the original meaning of "shrewdness" is "foresight". A shrewd person grasps a critical situation with resolution and foresight. Obviously, Jesus is concerned here with something more critical than a financial crisis. Instead, Jesus' concern is that we avert spiritual crisis through the exercise of faith and foresight. 

In practical life, the message of the parable is not to extol those who swindle their bosses. Rather, Jesus uses this parable to teach us the importance of acting prudently in spiritual matters, with the same tenacity that worldly persons apply in temporal matters. In other words, if Christians would only spend as much foresight and energy to spiritual matters (which have eternal consequences) as much as they do to worldly matters (which have temporal consequences), then they would be truly better off not only in this life but also in the age to come.

We must remember that material possessions carry a great responsibility. The Lord expects us to use them honestly and responsibly by putting them at God's service and the service of others. Because in reality we are God's servants and all we have actually belongs to Him. And He expects us to make a good return on what He generously gives to us. For God loves generosity and He gives liberally to those who share their gifts or blessings with others.

In sum, Jesus makes clear that our hearts must either be possessed by God's love or our hearts will be possessed by the love of something else. It's our choice. And we must be wise and clever, and shrewd in matters of the spirit in the acquisition of treasures that last forever.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!