Reflection: Luke 16:1-8

Friday of the 31st Week of Ordinary Time - Luke 16:1-8

Jesus has another parable for his disciples today. It is the story of the rich man and his steward. Someone in the rich man’s household reports to the master that his steward has been squandering his money. Naturally the master immediately calls this servant in and asks to see a list of his expenses and the monies that he had spent.

The servant panics. He didn’t expect to get caught. Now what was he to do? Notice: he is not repentant. He simply wants to ensure his future. He doesn’t have the skills to become a laborer and he doesn’t want to end up on the street. So the servant devises a plan. He calls in each of his master’s debtors and reduces the amount of money that each of them owes his master.

What is unbelievable is the master’s reaction when he discovers the steward’s dishonesty. Instead of firing the man or putting him in prison, he commends the steward for acting prudently. In today’s world, I doubt that this is how an employer would respond. It is more likely that the steward, at the very least, would find himself or herself out of a job or perhaps find himself or herself in jail.

At times in our lives, we find ourselves in a difficult and frightening situation. At these times do we turn to God? Do we trust God to give us another chance? The gift is: God always gives us another chance! Our part is to trust that God will never leave us!