Gospel of Luke, chapter 16:8

The clear message in today’s scripture is that worldly people are shrewder in handling their affairs than those who are called to follow the Lord.

The scheming manager in today’s gospel is no stranger to our society. Bestselling books, such as, ‘Trump,’ ‘Iacocca,’ ‘Swimming with the sharks,’ and some box-office movies, like ‘Wall street,’ make it clear that the world is full of scheming and crafty businessmen. We live in a society where it is important to be a success, to “make it.” Jesus does not condemn the wily business managers for showing such “initiative” and sense of enterprise “when it comes to dealing with their own kind” (Luke 16/7). He wants us to learn from them and to use as much ingenuity as we can to succeed as Christians.

The treasure we have been given is not one that can be thrown away or trampled underfoot. It is the greatest treasure of our lives; it will outlast all the riches of the world which will pass and change and fade away. So, if you want to be successful, there is only thing that ultimately matters: use your energy and skills to improve your spiritual treasure and your reward will be truly great.

Jesus urges us to devote ourselves single-heartedly to God rather than money for we cannot serve two masters. How wise! There is a story in Aesop’s fables about a man who had two wives-one was his own age, while the other was thirty years his junior. As the years went by the man’s hair started to turn gray. The young wife was embarrassed by this, so she took it upon herself to brush her husband’s hair each night and to pluck out as many gray hairs as she could. The older wife, on the other hand, thought her husband’s gray hair made him look distinguished (and, of course, closer to her own age), so she took it upon herself to brush her husband’s hair each morning and to pluck our as many dark hairs as she could. Both wives did their work very well. In a short time, the poor husband was totally bald. By trying to serve two wives, he pleased neither.

In the same way, you cannot serve God and money. Jesus is asking you to put God first in your life; and to use your time, your energy, and your talents as shrewdly as worldly people to improve your spiritual treasure. This is what Jesus is conveying when He says:
“The people of this world are much shrewder in handling their affairs than the children of the light.”

Fr. Hugh Duffy

* * * Do not miss tomorrow’s blog on Generosity * * *