Luke 16:1-13
He also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a steward, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. And he called him and said to him, `What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.' And the steward said to himself, `What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewardship.' So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, `How much do you owe my master?' He said, `A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, `Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' Then he said to another, `And how much do you owe?' He said, `A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, `Take your bill, and write eighty.' The master commended the dishonest steward for his shrewdness; for the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations. "He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
Personal Reflection
Who would have come up with such a story? More proof, to me, that the Gospels are Truth. For Jesus does not teach the easy way. He implores us to do the right thing, to be faithful in the little things. What little things require my faithfulness? How am I doing on a daily basis with these little things?
Am I faithful to the commandments? To the precepts of the Church? Do I obey my superiors? Do I obey the laws of the land? Am I compliant with God's will or do I fuss about the inconveniences to serving God alone?
For, as Christ insists, we cannot serve both God and mammon. This world will pass, but the Kingdom of God is eternal. What do I serve? Myself? My family? God first? I find sometimes that my service of my family can overtake my service of God. Do you? It's not my actions in this regard that are in error but my intentions. I limit my service as to my family and don't offer it as service to God. Thus, it seems empty and often pointless.
God has blessed us. Even many saints throughout history with lives full of challenges and horrors we could never dream of have been able to see the goodness of God in their lives. Do I see the generosity of God? Am I a good steward?
