A businessman who heads his own company interviewed three applicants for a job. As a test, he asks: “If you divide six by two, what’s the result?” “Three,” answered the first applicant. He was not hired for being too honest.
“Two,” answered the second applicant. Again, he was not hired because he was dishonest and for being an ignorant fool.
This third applicant answered, “Sir, if I were to divide six between you and me, I would rather give you four and take two, myself.” He was hired for being clever.
The dishonest steward in the parable is accused of squandering the money of his boss. When he sensed that he is about to be fired out, what he did was he called all those who had debts with his boss to his own advantage and reduced their bills as much as 50% discount. Those percentages that he reduced, in my own reflection, could be his commission or his own profit. He reasoned out that after he would be fired out, there would be people who would take care of him because of their utang-na-loob (gratitude). The boss was so impressed not because of his being dishonest but because of his being wise.
Let us consider the truth that each one of us is the steward Jesus is talking in the parable and the rich man is God Himself who entrusted to us all the graces and what he created. If we reflect this gospel, a steward should have the following characteristics based on the parable itself.
The first, a steward is wise. As I stated that when this dishonest steward sensed that he is about to be fired out, he called all those had debts with his boss to his own advantage and reduced their bills as much as 50% discount. He reasoned out that after he would be fired out, there would be people who would take care of him because of their utang-na-loob (gratitude). He is wise because he invested now for the good of his future.
Many husbands and wives and children work as overseas workers because of their families: so that their children will go to schools and obtain college degrees, have decent homes and buy things for the home and many more. Many of us buy insurances, life plans and lots in memorial parks so that if we have gone away our families will not find it hard to bury us.
Now let us invest not only in terms of material things in this world but above all let us invest for eternal life. Jesus said: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (v. 9). I think these word of Jesus could be reworded as follows: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of worldly wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.” In other words, let us share of what we have for others. To make friends by means of worldly wealth requires one to perform acts of charity by helping the needy with physical items such as food, clothing and furniture. Those who have been helped will remember their donors. Those who receive alms become your friends because you are merciful to them in their time of need, just as God is merciful to you in your need for his forgiveness and help and welcome you into His eternal home.
The second characteristic of a steward is that he is trustworthy. Jesus does not tolerate unfaithfulness. Like for example, for a Christian there are no white lies, he is always truthful. If we have learned not to use hurting words or rough language against people, we will not be tempted to use hurting words or rough language against people we will not be tempted to use violence. As Jesus said: “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones,” (v. 10).
Also true wealth consists not in what we keep but in what we give away. Possessions are a great responsibility. The Lord expects us to use them honestly and responsibly and to put them at his service and the service of others. We are God’s servants and all that we have belongs to Him. He expects us to make a good return on what He gives us. He trusts us. God loves generosity and He gives liberally to those who share His gifts with others. Somebody said that life is a gift of God. What we do for life is our gift to God. A Rabbinic saying says: “The rich help the poor in this world but the poor help the rich in the world to come.”
The last characteristic of a steward is he has focus. The term use by Jesus to refer to us is that of a slave. As we all know that a slave has no right. He is totally obedient to his master. Therefore there is no part-time slave but only full-time slave. So let us give 100% of ourselves to God above all.
Jesus concludes his parable with a lesson on what controls or rules our lives. Who is the master (or ruler) in charge of our life? Our master is that which governs our though-life, shapes our ideals and controls the desire of the heart and the values we chose to live by. Many different things can rule us – the love of money or possessions, the power or position, the glamour of wealth and prestige, the driving force of unruly passions and addictions. Ultimately the choice boils down to two: God and “mammon.” What is mammon? Mammon stands for material wealth or possessions or whatever tends to “control our appetites and desires”. There is one Master alone who has the power to set us free from the slavery of sin and addiction. The Master is the Lord Jesus Christ.
In other words we should not serve two masters but let us make God as the focus of our lives. We have a whole set of values in our life and there is a hierarchy in the choices we make as one priest said. That is, God before worldliness, spouse before others, family before work, happiness before pleasure, integrity before wealth and people before things. It is not very easy to make a decision if all values are at play like: separation from our family versus the future of our children, friendship versus more attention to our family, correction of an injustice versus a smooth relationship; avoiding bad habits in our children versus being understanding and not judging a person’s behavior versus correcting abuses. Actually, they do not contradict each other but there is hierarchy of values.
If we honestly believe Christ’s teaching on an afterlife, then it’s high time to be wise, trustworthy and a focused steward of God.