Gospel from Friday 11/4 - PLEASE EXPLAIN!

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I read Friday’s gosple in the Magnificat- it’s Luke 16 1-8- and realized that since the first time I heard this parableI’ve never understood it. It’s the story about a dishonest steward who, on facing a review of his service by his master, forgives parts of the outstanding debts that are owed the master. Thus he hopes to make himself more appealing to the other landowners once he has lost his job. Yet the steward is commended by Christ for knowing how to deal with “his generation.” What am I missing here?
:confused:
 
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Lumancer:
I read Friday’s gosple in the Magnificat- it’s Luke 16 1-8- and realized that since the first time I heard this parableI’ve never understood it. It’s the story about a dishonest steward who, on facing a review of his service by his master, forgives parts of the outstanding debts that are owed the master. Thus he hopes to make himself more appealing to the other landowners once he has lost his job. Yet the steward is commended by Christ for knowing how to deal with “his generation.” What am I missing here?
:confused:
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So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? (Luke 16:8-11)
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40)I would suggest that the two are talking about the same thing: being a wise steward of what you have. Christians have a notorious tendency to be apathetic about material concerns, an unsurprising consequence of spiritual motivations. However, we should use all that we have, as enthusiastically as possible, in the service of Go[o]d.
 
I didn’t get it either, thanks for raising the question!

I googled and found this link in case it helps:

rc.net/wcc/readings/nov4.htm

Gotta run for now, but when I return I’ll continue the search…

YYM
 
Fr Robert Altier explained in his homily that Jesus is not commending the person for acting dishonestly, but pointing out that the steward is looking at his situation and thinking “How can I arrange matters to make sure I am taken care of?”

Father applies the parable to the situation where we look at ourselves and say, “You know what? I’m going to be cast into hell because of my sins. What is it that I need to do? How am I going to be received into God’s house when I die?” that is when we need to be able to sit down and say, “If I can get to Confession, I can be forgiven and I’ll be able to get into God’s house.”

He explains that, even though the person “is acting out of pure selfishness”, ie going to Confession because we are afraid of going to Hell, “that is still enough to be able to be forgiven in the sacrament of Confession.”

Read his homily here desertvoice.org/written/Alti110405.htm

Although it is better to go to Confession out of love, because we have separated ourselves from God, are sorry and wish to restore the relationship, it is better to go because we fear Hell than not go at all. I just listened to Fr John Corapi’s talk on How to Make a Good Confession, and he makes the same point.
 
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Lumancer:
I read Friday’s gosple in the Magnificat- it’s Luke 16 1-8- and realized that since the first time I heard this parableI’ve never understood it. It’s the story about a dishonest steward who, on facing a review of his service by his master, forgives parts of the outstanding debts that are owed the master. Thus he hopes to make himself more appealing to the other landowners once he has lost his job. Yet the steward is commended by Christ for knowing how to deal with “his generation.” What am I missing here?
:confused:
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This for me simply means if you can be trusted in small things, you can be trusted in much greater things.
If we make a mess of what were given here on earth, (can’t be trusted) then how do we think we will be trusted in much greater things, (Heaven)

It’s like the parable of the talents, we all have to an give account as to how we used them.

Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in that which is greater: and he that is unjust in that which is little, is unjust also in that which is greater.

16:11 If then you have not been faithful in the unjust mammon; who will trust you with that which is the true?

16:12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s; who will give you that which is your own?
 
'Forgiveness is our only mission in life ’ are the words I once read in a lttle, bestseller book by a once atheistic, Jewish psychiatrist ( not giving out his name - becuase of some new age slant ) ,

The above explanations all seem relevant ; is there an element of
mercy there as well…
Did he realise all of a sudden that he too is soon going to be like them , that he might obtain their mercy, by showing mercy …

Blessed are the merciful, they shall be shown mercy…

Unforgiveness has been shown to be a cause of many an illness - physical, emotional …ofcourse spiritual…
Yet, giving and accepting Mercy need work, humility, trust …seeing our own indebtedness and brokenness…being able to trust our brother /sister…
 
I think this parable has an important message for us living today because we live in an age of enormous material wealth and most of us don’t really know how to use it to our advantage.

One part of Jesus’s message is this “Use the worldly goods we have to make friends with others so that when they (the worldly goods) fail us, a lasting reception will be ours.”

This is as straight forward as it sounds. People like to receive gifts and go to parties and get free food and get a good deal because they know someone and they do remember it and are likely to feel a little like they owe the person that provides them these kinds of things. If a person provides those things to others, he or she will be remembered as a generous person and others will be more likely to share with that person when and if the opportunity arises.

Note that Jesus does point out the inevitable conclusion of worldly goods - they will fail us. Our money will run out, the oil well will dry up, the wealth will disappear one way or the other, and we shouldn’t cling to it like it will somehow save us in the end. It won’t. Sharing whatever wealth we have is a much better long term idea.

Part of Jesus message is this “You cannot serve God and money”

If we cling to wealth as though it will save us, then we can’t cling to God. But only God will really save us.

This, I believe, is the message of that parable.

peace,

-Jim
 
What do you think of this interpretation?

God = master, me = unfaithful steward, being a member of God’s family = working for the master, the abilities God gives us = the master’s money. Rewording the parable to make the above substitutions, we get:

I failed to use God’s gifts and as a result lost my place in His family. Realizing that I could no longer go back in time and use His gifts properly, I shared those gifts with others (i.e. taught others how serve God). Having shared God’s gifts, I am returned into His family. Moral: If you don’t use God’s gifts to directly glorify God, then at least use them edify others. In so doing, you retain your position in His family and also benefit others.

Maybe a little over simplified, but it’s the only way I can see making friends with dishonest people as a positive thing.

(This is complete off-the-cuff speculation. Please critique me as harshly as you like.)
 
It is a parable so we need to look deeper.
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trogiah:
I think this parable has an important message for us living today because we live in an age of enormous material wealth and most of us don’t really know how to use it to our advantage.

One part of Jesus’s message is this “Use the worldly goods we have to make friends with others so that when they (the worldly goods) fail us, a lasting reception will be ours.”

This is as straight forward as it sounds. People like to receive gifts and go to parties and get free food and get a good deal because they know someone and they do remember it and are likely to feel a little like they owe the person that provides them these kinds of things. If a person provides those things to others, he or she will be remembered as a generous person and others will be more likely to share with that person when and if the opportunity arises.
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Jesus is illustrating what a worldly person is clever enough to do, not recommending it. His message to us is that we should prepare for the time we will need to rely on the generosity of others.

"What am I going to be able to do to make sure that I’m taken care of?” Apply this to when we die. We need to build up spiritual treasure and friendships in Heaven
 
Eileen T:
It is a parable so we need to look deeper. Jesus is illustrating what a worldly person is clever enough to do, not recommending it. His message to us is that we should prepare for the time we will need to rely on the generosity of others.
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This is a good insight as it helps explain a difficulty many people have when they read Scripture in general, and Jesus’ parables in particular. Jesus does not necessarily endorse the behavior of every person in the parable, he is simply trying to make some point about the kingdom of heaven. To get caught up in the details is sometimes to lose the point in the process. Jesus’ parables, while they have many allegorical elements, are not always strict allegories, i.e. where EVERY person, place, word, or action has a hidden meaning.

Similarly, in this coming Sunday’s readings about the talents, we correctly identify God (or Jesus, if you will) as the Master in the story. However, many people are disturbed at the the usurious attitude of “God” at the end of the parable. “Would God really act like that?” we ask. In doing so, we focus on a device used to move the story along and in the process lose track of the larger message of what Jesus is trying to teach us.
 
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