RBWords

    Judging from the reactions I've gotten in the past, this parable seems to be a difficult one.  Some of my readers think Jesus is praising dishonesty because the rogue steward rewrote the contracts and thereby deprived the master of his rightful returns.  The text of the parable says differently.

     First of all, the dishonest steward is dishonest before the scene in today's gospel scripture.  He is going to be punished by losing his job.  It is that prospect that motivates him to forgo his commission on the sales, a common practice for middle men.  A more modern way of looking at it might be the following.  If an auto dealer agrees to sell you a car for what it cost the dealer and forgo the profit on the car, would you not be grateful to the dealer or to the salesperson who gives up a commission so you can save some money?  In the "tit-for-tat" economy of Jesus' time, those customers would owe that rogue steward big time.  If he's going to lose his job anyhow, he'll have friends to take care of him when that happens.  What's more, he has made his master look good by reducing the contracts.  In a society, unlike ours nowadays, where public "honor" was and is a very high value, the steward has managed not only to make friends but also help that master in an ironic way.

    Jesus seems to sigh and wonder why "the children of light" can't understand why giving up something material for something immaterial can be of ultimate value.  The rogue steward knew the value of gratitude, if nothing else.  Notice that the master commends the "astuteness" of the rogue steward in providing for his future, not his previous dishonesty which was going to cost him his job.  If a rogue steward can cleverly by giving up short-term profit for a later gain, why can't a disciple show the same "astuteness" for the kingdom of God?  The power of the parable is in using whatever material blessings we have wisely with a view to ultimate values.  AMEN