Dishonest Wealth And Eternal Dwellings

The dishonest steward or manager probably said, “my commission checks are getting so big I had to hire an accountant.”

Some say the steward or manager was simply giving away his commission since back then it was embedded into the invoice or else the manager was helping the poor by cutting out the cruelly high interest charged by his boss, or maybe the manger has asked the landowner to lighten the debt because of a shortfall in that season’s crops.

Regardless, the steward is still called dishonest and he made a mess of his life and knew that he was responsible for his own misery.

We are all dishonest stewards. Imagine the judgement: The books were about to be opened up, and the verdict was clear—guilty. Then, Jesus comes and is willing to forgive our sins, and we accept the offer. Jesus on the Cross says to us, “How much do you owe God? Sit down and write: None!”

This is a story about redemption. He was called "The dishonest manager" but it is not his last description. The owner overlooked or ignored any personal loss and then describes him as “Commended,” “Prudent,” “Clever,” “Resourceful.” The manager had a growth-mindset.

Parents, teachers, and coaches shape mindsets of their students through their actions and words in how to think about themselves. It can be a fixed-mindset message that says: You have permanent traits and I’m judging them. Or it can be a growth-mindset message that says: You are a developing person and I am interested in your development. [source: Mindset, by a PhD and professor psychology at Stanford University, Carol Dweck].

For us:

1. Ask yourself like the manager, "What shall I do?" in Luke 16:3. He did not blame or get resentful for getting fired.

Illustration: To a disciple who was forever complaining about others the Master said, “If it is peace you want, seek to change yourself, not other people. It is easier to protect your feet with slippers than to carpet the whole of the earth.”

In view of the steward’s ability to speak to his true interests and act before the final reckoning is our situation right now: there is a period of grace. At the same time, the outcome of the reckoning is clear to him. Even though there is some leeway, his actions are governed by a sense of urgency. When we die, the owner's words are to us too, “Prepare a full account of your stewardship.”

Sooner or later the time will come when possessing money will cease and unless they have previously been converted to higher values of an indestructible kind, one is left stranded in poverty. That time of course, is the moment of death. The steward survived the crisis.

Calling wealth “dishonest” reflects the danger of vainly trusting it and not using it for your eternal dwelling.

Jesus asks us, “Why is it that the worldly people plan, manipulate and strategize with respect to money, yet you hardly pay attention to the crisis that you are in—and fail to show a plan or purpose, and act creatively with your life and resources when the time is ticking away in your life?”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes St. John Chrysostom: What we have does not ultimately belong to us. We are administrators - stewards of God's gifts. Like the dishonest steward, when we give to the poor, we are assuring that someone will welcome us into eternal life. Make friends by almsgiving to be received into eternal habitations.