Homilies

25th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: THE PARABLE OF THE DISHONEST STEWARD

Upon listening to this gospel passage, people would have questions on the parable. For one, how could a master praise a steward who is known for his dishonesty? If Jesus is the master in the parable, would that mean that he too would praise the dishonest steward? Well, the parable is indeed difficult to interpret, but let us to see and reflect on the possible reasons for such commendation or praise.

First, the parable shows that the steward values people and his friends. When the master told him that his service or job would end soon, he immediately thought of his friends. He said, “I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.” His dishonesty was not for himself, but for the master’s debtors. The false value is property, but the true value is friends or friendship.

Second, the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. Jesus then moralizes, "For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” The prudence of the steward is seen in his foresight, in his planning for the future. Christians, who are the children of light, should also carry themselves that prudence by not being carried too much by the current of this world. Christians are aware that this world will end and we will all die. We need to face that future with God, and we need to prepare for it. The world is not “the world.” There is an afterlife which is more important than this present life. This world is simply temporary, but our future with God would be eternal.

Third, let us try to reflect on the concluding words of Jesus in the gospel. He says, “No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon." For those people who are obsessed with possessions, the saying can be true. Because if wealth and possessions can become gods for a person, then, logically, he would despise Christ for it. However, for those people who are aware of the importance of God in their lives, they would have a healthy understanding and relation to wealth.

In sum, the point of the parable is this. We, Christian, should make friends of wealth and possessions because these are not real, true and lasting values. Instead, we should make friends of God. This will last.

« Back to Homilies Index