25th Ordinary Sunday – 18th September 2022 — Gospel: Lk 16,1-13
Being detached for good
The parable of the dishonest manager condemns the abuse of trust and privilege by those formerly placed in a special position by God. The key to understanding the parable lies in perceiving where the manager’s dishonesty lay. Most obviously seen in what he does with his master’s creditors – writing down reduced amounts; in this way he is defrauding his master. However, the master finds fault with the manager before he has recourse to this trick. His dishonesty, or his incompetence, in the way he has conducted his master’s affairs is the reason for his dismissal. What he does after receiving the notice – reducing the debts – shows that he is an opportunist.
The parable envisages a situation where the manager enjoyed considerable autonomy of his master’s property and gained a share of personal commission or interest in everything. There is nothing dishonest in this as far as the master is concerned; for he gets his interest and the manager gets a cut as well. What the manager does after the dismissal notice is quite interesting. Faced with crisis, the worldly-wise manager took vigorous action. He cancels his own cut because he reckons that it will be more advantageous. His master praises him for acting more sensibly and giving up his attachment to material things. He has not clung to his wealth but used it to win goodwill that will serve him in a long-term future. Jesus reminds that worldly wealth is to be used to store up “treasure in heaven” (12,33). At the same time, God’s people are called to use their money and worldly things to help those in need.
