Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

[Scripture Readings: Am 8:4-7; 1 Tm 2:1-8 Lk 16:1-13]

Today’s Gospel urges us to imitate the example of a scoundrel. This is a story about a clever rascal who lived by dealing unjustly, taking huge commissions from his master’s indebted renters, and wasting his master’s wealth. There are no calluses on his hands from earning a living by his own labor. Nor will he go begging, because he is a slave of unrighteous mammon, wealth acquired by dishonest gain. We aren’t told how this sly deceiver was wasting his master’s property, whether by negligence or swindling, incompetence or self-serving dealings. But one day his wasteful ways were uncovered and the master gave him notice of dismissal. The unjust steward is an example for Christian disciples not because he squandered property, but because he acted wisely in providing for his future in a time of crisis.

There is more to this story, however, than a lesson in prudence. We will understand it better by seeing the story within the context of the rest of Luke’s gospel. Picture Jesus walking with his twelve disciples along the long dusty road from upper Galilee to Judea. He has set his face to go to Jerusalem where he will be crucified. St. Luke, who was a fellow missionary with St. Paul, devotes over forty of his gospel, from the middle of chapter 9 to the middle of chapter 19, to tell the story of this long final journey of Jesus. Today’s parable is part of that journey. Luke presents Jesus preparing his disciples for missionary work after his death, resurrection, and ascension. This journey section is a missionary catechesis not only for the apostles, but for all of us because the Church is missionary by its very nature. Part of the Church’s mission is to teach us how to provide for our futures.

As Jesus walks with the apostles along the narrow road he keeps warning them about the danger of riches. They are to take no purse, no bag, no sandals. He tells them the parable of the rich farmer who had more than he needed, so he built bigger barns rather than share his surplus with the needy. The farmer provided for his future by laying up treasure for himself but he was not rich toward God. This is a great paradox: we acquire heavenly riches by giving away earthly riches. Jesus said: “Give alms, and so provide purses for yourselves that hold treasure in heaven.” Today’s parable of the unjust steward who was caught squandering his master’s property immediately follows the story of the prodigal son who squandered his father’s property. The prodigal provides for his future by returning to his father’s house with sincere repentance, and the steward provides for his future by doing good to others even though he does it for a self-serving motive. The Lord commends him for his prudence and the good he did, and urges us to do the same so that we will be welcomed into the eternal dwelling places. Jewish rabbis have a saying: “The rich help the poor in this world and the poor help the rich in the next world.”

In this journey section as Jesus draws closer to Jerusalem, he goes on to tell yet another parable about the corrupting power of riches. It is the story of a rich man who gave nothing to the poor man, Lazarus, who was lying at his door. The futures of these two men turn out very differently. Before Jesus reaches Jerusalem he counsels another rich man to sell all he has, give to the poor, and follow him, and he will have treasure in heaven. But the man went away sad for he was very rich. He was enslaved to his wealth.

Among the twelve apostles walking along the road with Jesus there was a scoundrel, an unjust steward, who did not take to heart Jesus’ warnings about the danger of riches. He was untrustworthy in a small matter. It was Judas Iscariot who used to take what was in the money box entrusted to him, for he was a thief. If he ever asked himself, “What shall I do?” he failed to act with the wisdom of the unjust steward, because Judas went right on being a thief in small matters, until the day he betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver.

The Word of God helps us to understand ourselves. Today’s story about the danger of riches is more than a parable, it is an allegory. The rich man is our heavenly Father, for who is richer than God? The steward represents each of us, for we have to render an account of our use of this world’s goods. Just as the steward wasted his master’s property so we have acted unjustly and without charity at times. What shall we do to provide for our future? The prophet Amos warns us not to ignore the needy and the poor. The prophet Micah encourages us to act justly and to love tenderly.

First: act justly, use riches justly: without greed or theft, embezzlement or shoplifting, vandalism or extortion, fraud or hoarding, not withholding a fair wage from employees or wasting an employer’s goods.

Second: love tenderly, use riches with charity: give alms, live in simplicity of life, share wealth, care for others, give not just out of superfluity but out of the substance of our goods. For if we are faithful in small matters, and all of this world’s wealth is small compared to our divine inheritance, then we will be received into everlasting homes where we will share in God’s own nature. In this liturgy of the Word Jesus asks: “What will you do?” And at the table of this Eucharist he offers us the strength to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with our God on the journey to the heavenly Jerusalem.