September 19, 2010 25th Ordinary Sunday Amos 8:4-7; 1 Tim. 2:1-8; Lk. 16:1-13 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Readings:   http://www.usccb.org/nab/091910.shtml   ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   The parable is concerned with money. The parable is spoken by Jesus because he knows we have been given more than we need. Jesus knows there is a great danger of greed, squander, or ill-gotten gain with this God-given surplus. The steward of the parable wasted his master’s property. Instead of being satisfied with his wages, he consumes his master’s wealth.   The proper use of God’s gifts is more than simply being thankful. But in service to God, we also use this wealth to the benefit of those around us, our neighbours. Where God gives, he gives in excess. God gives this excess so that you may give to others in public confession of His work for you.   The steward, after being fired for wasting the possessions, then calls in the debt of his former master’s debtors to gain some positive reputation with them. The dishonest manager is commended for his shrewdness, not for his dishonesty. Shrewdness is having a sharp sense of judgment. He is commended for his quick thinking in working with the debtors to win their favour.   Although the sons of this generation are dishonest, unjust, wasteful, and greedy, they act with quick judgment with the mammon they have. They use this wealth shrewdly for the benefit of making friends.   The lessons that we can learn from the parable is that money is not an end in itself; it is a resource. And if we believe the message of stewardship in the Bible, all that we have belongs to God. We are indeed merely stewards, like the man in our story. And we should not squander the Master's resources. We need to be trustworthy with little so that we can be trusted with much. God does want us to be shrewd with the wealth that God has entrusted to us so that we serve God and people in need.   Jesus may have been praising the decisive action of the steward. When he discovered that his livelihood was threatened, he proved resourceful and clever. In his determination to provide for himself and his family, he took strong actions in a crisis situation. This man didn't bury his head or wring his hands.   Jesus advises that we too should take decisive action, especially about our spiritual lives. When we find ourselves drifting spiritually, we must take decisive action. Every week in our church we invite people to make decisions for Christ. Jesus would advise us to respond to the invitation - to take action.     <<   Previous: 24th Ordinary Sunday  | Next: 26th Ordinary Sunday >>   Go Back to SERMONS (Year C)