Homily for Friday, 7 November 2014– Ferial

Friday of the 31st week in Ordinary Time

Readings of the day: Philippians 3:17-4:1; Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5; Luke 16:1-8

Does anybody here find Jesus’ parable of the dishonest steward in today’s Gospel reading confusing? “The master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently,” we hear at the end of our Gospel reading. Could Jesus actually be commending the steward for his dishonesty?

This is not quite the case, but then what is the point Jesus makes with this parable? The dishonest steward is commended for being “prudent” with his master’s wealth, but we know that it is possible to be “prudent” for all the wrong reasons. The dishonest steward is prudent in securing a future for himself; making friends for the long term with his master’s debtors by reducing their debts. He has nothing to lose with his master; he has already lost his job as steward. The dishonest steward is quite “prudent” or shrewd indeed.

But we are called to be more than prudent or shrewd with wealth of this world. By this parable, Jesus calls us to stewardship that is more than ensuring a comfortable and secure future for ourselves. What is the stewardship to which Jesus calls us?

The kind of stewardship to which Jesus calls us means that those of us with money or material wealth are called to support those who have less. Our Christian faith calls us to uphold this “common good.” This does not mean that it is wrong to be rich or to have more wealth than other people; it means that nobody should be in need. No one should be so poor as not to be able to feed themselves and their families, especially in a country as prosperous as ours. Everybody who works should be able to earn a living wage.

At the same time, the stewardship to which we are called by Jesus Christ; by our Christian faith is also a call to discern; to know the difference between wealth of this world that is passing and the wealth of God and God’s kingdom that is eternal. This kind of stewardship involves some self-giving, even self-denial for the good of all.

In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul speaks of people who have not grasped this difference between our passing world and God’s kingdom; eternal life. St. Paul writes to people he loves, the Philippians, who understand this difference. Nevertheless, St. Paul reminds them and us that “Their minds are occupied with earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven.” Many, in St. Paul’s time and in ours, will pressure us into thinking and behaving otherwise. St. Paul does not mince words in describing these people: They are “enemies of the cross of Christ”; opposed to the self-giving and self-denial necessary for Christian stewardship.

The Christian stewardship to which we are called is more than ensuring future comfort and security. It is more than mere prudence or shrewdness with wealth of this world. Our calling to Christian stewardship is to put our passing worldly wealth at the service of the common good while striving for the eternal wealth of heaven, where we have our first “citizenship.”