Let us go back to the story again. There was a rich man who learned that his steward was embezzling lots of money from his business. The rich man wanted to have a full accounting of or, in layman’s terms, audit of his entire estate. The steward got so worried because he knew that his days were numbered and he would be doomed, so he thought of a plan - a back up plan to help himself. He called his master’s debtors for a meeting. He asked the first worker how much he owed his master—he said, “one hundred measures of olive oil.” The dishonest steward said, “okay, just put 50 instead of 100.” Another debtor said that he owed his master “100 barrels of wheat”— the dishonest steward said, “okay, put 80 instead.” The question that you might ask is why did he do that? Well, he knows that his master will learn everything that he did, all the things that he squandered, but he wanted to be sure that there would be people who would be able to help him when he became poor and needy. He would be counting on his master’s debtors whom he helped cheat in their debt. Also, he doesn’t want to be alone in facing the punishment of his master; he wanted the debtors to be involved as well. But, the most shocking part of the story is that the master, who had been cheated, praised the cleverness of the steward. It seems that it just doesn’t make sense.
What is the point of Jesus in the story? Well, not that he encourages us to be dishonest. Rather, when he said that, “the sons of this world are shrewder in their own generation than the sons of light,” Jesus wants to tell us that if we can be as clever, eager and ingenious in our attempt to attain and spread goodness as those with worldly concerns in their attempt to attain money and power, then the world would be a better place. If we can be as clever or more clever than the dishonest servant in doing good, then we become more effective evangelizers. If only people would give more
attention to the things that concern the soul as they do to things that seem to be important but, in the end, are quite insignificant if we compare them to the things that are really eternal and heavenly, we would be much better human beings. People spend twenty times or more the amount of time and energy on things that will not give them eternal life than on things that will assure us of heaven.
To be good stewards of God’s gifts is what the gospel is asking of us today. If we really analyze what Christian discipleship is it is basically knowing how to be a good steward because everything that we have is from God – money, success in personal relationships, children, special gifts and talents—they are from God’s graciousness and generosity. Ultimately, we cannot claim any exclusive ownership of them. In fact, they are there to serve one purpose: to glorify God. That is why if the things that we have – whatever it is that we value most — doesn’t bring us to conversion, doesn’t bring us to a deeper relationship with God, then they aren’t serving the purpose. Therefore, no value in the end. Let us ask ourselves right now, what is the most important treasure that you have? Do we use that treasure or gift for the greater glory of God or for some other selfish reasons? As stewards of God’s manifold gifts, having been blessed with so much, there is an expectation that we have used those blessings wisely, prudently and justly. As what the famous line in the movie Superman says, “With great power comes greater responsibility.” If God were to ask you right now, like the master did to his dishonest servant in the parable, for a full accounting of your life or if God were to audit what he has given to you, how will you fare? Do you think God would reward you for being a good steward? - Fr. Cary