by Msgr. Joseph P. Calise
A quick reading of the Gospel parable can be irksome. A dishonest steward is reported to his boss for squandering property. When he is told to prepare an account of his work because he was being fired, his response was seemingly to squander even more of the owner’s property.
Of course, we expect to hear about the punishment that is going to be meted out, but instead the master commends the dishonest steward for acting prudently. Obviously, this needs more than a quick reading.
The Collegeville Bible Commentary on this section reads, “The charge against him (the steward) was not dishonesty, however, but wastefulness and mismanagement: and in his preparations for the future he may not have been dishonest either. Stewards were often paid from the interest charged on loans. In the present case, the amounts he deducted from the individual debts may have been the (exorbitant) interest originally coming to him. Usury was against the law. By erasing this extra charge, the steward might have been seen as reforming his life and performing an act of justice!”
That prudence, which is praised by the master, might be indicative of a change of heart. He could appear worthy of hire to someone else. Rather than simply collect as much as he could for himself before leaving, he used what was available to him to better prepare for the future.
That use of wealth in contrast to the cheating and selfishness condemned in the First Reading from the Book of Amos teaches us an important lesson about the use of this world’s goods.
Poverty can be a curse or a virtue depending on its circumstances. The vow of poverty freely accepted by those in religious life is virtuous because they put the wealth of this world aside to be better able to concentrate on the things of heaven. Yet, there is also the poverty that causes many in our world to suffer from starvation and disease and deprives people of the necessities of life, a poverty that many charitable organizations strive to eradicate.
If poverty can have the proverbial two sides of the coin, the same can be said about wealth. I can use whatever resources are available to me for my own personal gain and comfort, or I can be mindful of those less fortunate and share what I have with those in need. It is not only about what you have but also about how you use it.
Ebenezer Scrooge is an example of both the right and wrong way to use wealth in Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol.” When we first meet him, he is a miserly, unhappy man who balks at his worker’s desire to spend Christmas with his family rather than work.
The needs of others are of no concern to Ebenezer; their debts are due when their debts are due. Visits from the Spirits of Christmas past, present and future open his eyes not only to the effects of his actions on others, but also — and perhaps more importantly — to what his miserliness was doing to Ebenezer himself.
He gets the message, and when we last see him, he is rejoicing in Tiny Tim’s prayer, “And God bless us, every one.” He has a conversion moment when he realizes that the generous use of his wealth can bring him happiness and help alleviate the sufferings of others.
It was not the wealth that was evil, but his failure to use it unselfishly. Like the steward in today’s Gospel, he came to understand that he needed to use the resources he had at hand to prepare for his ultimate future — the same message and challenge the church gives us today.
Readings for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Amos 8:4-7
Psalm 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8
First Timothy 2:1-8
Luke 16:1-13
Msgr. Calise is the pastor of Transfiguration-St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, Maspeth.