Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“I can’t believe this story came from the lips of our Lord.”

This quote is from one of the great biblical authorities of all time:
St. Augustine!

Augustine is saying that today’s Gospel account is considered one of the most difficult of all scriptural texts to understand.

What all the fuss is about is hinted at in the title of this story:
The Parable of the Dishonest Steward.

It’s the tale of an estate manager skilled in crooked business dealings.

This man was so duplicitous that when fired for blatant criminal activity, he shrewdly found a way of protecting his future. His former employer surely shook his head in disbelief at how cunning the steward was.     

The Dishonest Steward even gets praise from Jesus!

At first reading, it’s puzzling. Why would Jesus commend the strategies of a crooked schemer?

The answer Jesus gives is this:
Despite all his dishonesty, the steward represents someone smart enough to ensure that his interests – however unscrupulous – will be protected in the future.

That’s why Jesus tells the story.

Jesus is urging us to do the same. He tells us to act astutely and with similar determination to ensure our future. He’s insists we be as intensely concerned about what makes for our ultimate fulfillment as this con man was about his. 

The whole point of the parable is to remind us about what really matters, what truly counts in the long run:  
Experiencing the divine love that will change us, transform us, make us into people who truly reflect the God we believe in.

This is our true future. To achieve that goal, we are challenged by this unique Gospel story to order our lives accordingly.   

We are called to prepare for the future, to place all our energy and talents into assuring that our life’s direction is one fully committed to the reality of God and God’s reign.

One of the most important of all future realities is the health of our climate.
Our planet, our “home” in this world that God created, is under heavy assault by our own failure to protect and cultivate it.

Several years ago, a “double issue” of Time magazine was dedicated entirely to this urgent concern. In one of its many compelling articles, the author wrote:

“Climate change is a public health issue. It has been linked to chronic conditions, such as kidney disease, depression, asthma attacks and a host of other life-threatening diseases. Scientists are reporting that climate change is poised to increase extreme heat significantly in frequency and severity, leading to more public health risks across the U.S. and the world at large. We are now experiencing the most profound and dangerous physical changes in human history.”  (Emphasis mine)

Rising sea levels and worsening hurricane seasons predict greater tragedies to come.

More and more carbon dioxide released into the air creates a vicious climate feedback loop.

Longer and worsening droughts threaten food production and increase wildfire risk.

A combination of hotter summers and more frequent, intense storms threatens the livelihood of farmers.

Today’s Gospel reading – as shocking as it is on first reading – encourages us to be as shrewd, as smart, as dedicated, and as fully committed as the Dishonest Steward in addressing issues that immediately reflect our attitude towards the reality of God in our lives – such as the gift of the planet we are fortunate to call our “home.”  

Our future, and that of our children, depends on it.

Ted Wolgamot, Psy.D.

NOTE:
Pope Francis, in his powerful encyclical “Laudato Si: On Care For Our Common Home” offers this prayer:
God of love, show us our place in this world
As channels of your love
For all the creatures of this earth,
For not one of them is forgotten in your sight.
Enlighten those who possess power and money
That they may avoid the sin of indifference,
That they may love the common good, advance the weak,
And care for this world in which we live.
The poor and the earth are crying out.
O Lord, seize us with your power and light,
Help us to protect all life,
To prepare for a better future,
For the coming of your Kingdom
Of justice, peace, love and beauty.
Praise be to you!
Amen.