At first glance this Gospel passage is about worldly things, things like olive oil, wheat, worldly wealth, described in our passage as dishonest wealth.  In the original Greek this wealth is called Mamona, translated here in our passage as dishonest wealth. In Luke wealth can have a tendency to seduce one away from God.  Mamon can become a false god of sorts leading one to a separation from the divine. 

This passage is also about spiritual wealth and eternity. This dishonest wealth, when used correctly in this world, can lead to a life of eternal joy united totally in the Godhead of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.   

Let’s unpack this passage that for many, like me, can leave us at first read scratching our heads with an exasperating...huh? What?

We have a master, probably an absentee landlord.  We have his agent, his man on the scene, so to speak, that handles the day in and day out affairs for the master.  Word has gotten to the boss that his agent, his steward has been dishonest and has squandered his property. The master tells the steward that he’s finished, sacked, fired.  But first he wants a final accounting from his agent.  

So our steward has a dilemma: He’s too weak, out of shape, if you will, to do manual labor and he’s too ashamed to beg. In his soliloquy he comes up with a great idea in his estimation: he’ll forgive the interest owed to the master, which probably in part if not all, is his own commission as steward, as overseer of the landlord’s holdings.  By doing this he reasons that after he’s fired those debtors of the landlord will welcome him into their homes.  He’ll have a place to stay; he’ll have food and drink. 

Now here we must understand the custom of stewards in those times in Israel.  In the Old Testament usury was forbidden, that is charging interest on a loan. But by the time of our gospel reading, it was common practice for such stewards and agents to make their living by charging interest or a commission to those who are in debt to a landlord.  It was the custom too of tax collectors.  That’s why tax collectors were despised because they put a surcharge if you will on taxes owed and they kept that surcharge for themselves. 

So our steward calls in debtors.  The first owes 100 measures of olive oil to the master landlord.   That’s about 800 gallons. He cuts the debt to 50 measures, or 400 gallons.  So he’s giving up personally 400 gallons of olive oil that he could sell.  Next he calls in another who owes 100 kors of wheat.  That’s about 1,000 bushels.  He tells the debtor to write a note for 80 kors, a reduction of 20-percent. By doing this the steward gives up 200 bushels of wheat for his own use.  

Of course the debtors are overjoyed to follow his instructions.  They know a good deal with they see one.  And the steward has forfeited his own commission in the hopes the debtors will take care of him in gratitude after he’s fired.  

And in the parable, Jesus says, that the master commended the steward for his shrewdness, as we read, “for acting prudently.” The steward took action in the light of his future needs and the gritty reality of what lies ahead for him. He secured his future.  

Jesus uses this example of the steward who expended every effort to secure his future, as a testament as to how his followers, the sons of light, how they too should take determined action to secure their eternal futures.  Jesus says the steward models behavior his disciples can emulate.  The steward refused to be a victim of circumstances and changes a bad predicament into one that has benefits for him and for others.  

Jesus says, “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”  

Dishonest wealth, meaning wealth that can corrupt, wealth that can take charge of your life. Rather, use that wealth, your money and property, your time, your talent, for the good of the poor, for the good of the lowly, for the sick, for victims of violent storms, for victims of hatred and war, for the Church, for our church here as we expand in our mission to bring Christ to the world, to our city, to our neighborhoods, to our homes, and when that wealth fails, that is no amount of money can keep death away, when that money fails by our death, the gates of heaven will be open to us for our eternal dwelling.  

As Christians we should be as prudent, as wise, as shrewd as the dishonest steward in acquiring our grace and goodness and ultimate salvation.  Jesus tells us our personal resources will eventually cease and while we have such resources, they should be used for the good of others and for the good of the Church’s mission on earth.  

There should be no separation between faith, our belief in our ultimate goal of salvation and life, how we use our wealth and resources while we are here.  

This is summed by by the Church’s document Gaudium et Spes, Joy and Hope. We read: “The council exhorts Christians as citizens of both cities, (that is earth and heaven) to perform their duties faithfully and in the spirit of the Gospel.  It is a mistake to think that, because we have here no lasting city, but seek the city which is to come, we are entitled to shirk our earthly responsibilities; this is to forget that by our faith we are bound all the more to fulfill these responsibilities according to the vocation of each one. But it is no less mistaken to think that we may immerse ourselves in earthly activities as if these latter were utterly foreign to religion and religion were nothing more than the fulfillment of act off worship and the observance of a few moral obligations.  One of the gravest errors of our time is the dichotomy between the faith which many profess and the practice of their daily lives.”

Our true wealth consists not only on what we own, but what we have given away.  In so doing we have made friends with God and made friends with those we have helped and if they leave the earth before us, they and the Lord will be at eternity’s door to welcome us to our eternal home.  

We will hear words like, well done my good and faithful servant. You were faithful and true to small matters and so you will be trustworthy in the great and wonderful matters of heaven where you will joyfully recline at the eternal table of the Lord.