triumphguy #122
In fact IF you do believe that the Parable of the Unjust Steward supports capitalism then you had better follow this one to the letter too: The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard - where Jesus pays the last hired laborers who only worked an hour in the cool of the evening first and as much as the laborers he hired in the morning and who worked through the heat of the day!
Jumping to conclusions helps no one, however well meant.
Just as Christ’s Parable of the Talents most strikingly acknowledges Christ’s respect for the work of business, so does the parable of the Dishonest Steward – the steward is dishonest, “but the nature of his work is not. In fact by praising his shrewdness, Christ admires his opportunism. While the steward abuses the trust his master extends to him, it must be recognised that the nature of the work that is entrusted to him is fundamentally good. The sin of the steward is his misuse of his master’s business, not the work of business itself.”
Entrepreneurship in the Catholic Tradition, Fr Anthony G Percy, Lexington Books, 2010, p 47].
St Jerome understands Christ’s intent:
“Why, even shopkeepers who are particularly frugal, and slaves who are not wasteful, and the care-takers who made our childhood a burden to us and even thieves when they are particularly clever, we speak of as diligent; and so the conduct of the unjust steward in the Gospel is spoken of as wise.” [St Jerome, Jerome’s apology for himself against the book of Rufinus, Book 1, 24, in: Schaff, Theodoret, Jerome, 495].
“If the import of the parable is that Christians should have the ‘shrewdness to recognise and seize the opportunity that exists’ in the person of Christ, then clearly the work and remedial action of the steward is foundational to the functioning of the parable. [Joseph a Fitzmyer, *The Gospel According to Luke: Introduction, Translation, and Notes, The Anchor Bible, Doubleday, 1985, 1098]. The steward, his work and his remedial action – his shrewdness and opportune behaviour – is clearly most fitting to highlight the way the believer should act in relation to Christ.” [Fr Percy, op. cit., p 48].
In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus is teaching that the true servant must be faithful, prudent and industrious. Of the three, two doubled the master’s money after some considerable time, while the third servant only buries the money and throws the responsibility on the master, very much like some on this DB who fault “capitalists” for everything – as the master has no share in the operations but expects a profit. The master unmasks the charade to uncover the true motive for the third’s conduct – sloth. The faithful servants are well-rewarded by being faithful, prudent and industrious with the master’s money. “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt 25: 14-30).
The parable primarily teaches that God’s gifts, of nature and especially of grace, are held in stewardship and must not be allowed to lie idle. They are to be used to further His kingdom.
[See *A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, Ed. Dom Bernard Orchard, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1951].
Dr Chafuen notes that “many people close to Jesus were quite wealthy for their times. Joseph seems to have had his own business and perhaps a donkey; Peter owned a fishing boat, and Matthew was a tax collector. Jesus praised the rich man Zaccheus. It was the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea who kept faith even when the Apostles were beset by doubt (Mt 27:57). Jesus does not condemn the possession of riches but, rather disordered attachment to them.” Notice also that Jesus did not ask His Apostles to renounce their property.
Christians For Freedom, Ignatius 1986, p 45].
