Summer brings a little bit of uncomfortable moments due to warm weather. We are exposed to too much heat from the sun; however, in the evening it cools down. I believe God has been good to balance everything for us. We are His children and “in the spirit of adoption, through which we cry, ‘Abba, Father’.”
In today’s epistle taken from the Romans, St. Paul says, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” Being children of God, we realize that our work pattern in life must be according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh. There are many people whose enjoyment in this world relies on fleeting things, like pornography and illicit immoral actions, walking according to the flesh; however, our obedience to the Holy Spirit is important to God who wishes that the Spirit should rule over our flesh. When we allow the flesh to reign over the Spirit, we find ourselves bound by the sinful pattern and desperation that marked St. Paul and St. Augustine in their true life struggles. Walking in the Spirit means that the course, the direction, the progress of one’s life is directed by the Holy Spirit. It is a continuous and progressive motion.
St. Paul is very clear to say this, “For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption of sons whereby we cry, “Abba, Father.” Living as a child of God means having an intimate, joyful relationship with God, not like the bondage and fear demonstrated by the law. A child of God can have a relationship with God so close that they may cry out, Abba! Father! (Daddy!). It is easy for us to imagine Jesus relating to the Father with this joyful confidence, but we never consider that we establish the same posture and privilege of relating to the Father even as Jesus Christ does. Remember we are in Christ.
In the gospel today from St. Luke, we feel some kind of difficulty understanding this passage. Maybe we struggle because we can’t understand this parable about the “dishonest steward.” We focus too much on the crooked and deceptive manner of the steward rather than to grasp the intent of Jesus Christ. There are many things we need to consider so that we can have a better understanding.
First, the steward was so clever to plan ways to gain sympathy and to win more friends in order to save himself from being booted out as a steward because he was squandering the property of his business owner. In every difficult situation in life, we must be clever to find solutions and to see what we can do to gain eternal life.
Second, to rightly interpret the scripture passage, we look into the context, the cultural background and unity. In this case, I am looking into the ancient practices between the owner and the steward. At first, we thought that this steward was dishonest for allowing his master’s debtors to change all the numbers that were supposed to be paid to his manager. His dishonesty seems like he is allowing himself to steal and making himself appear as “good” due to his generosity to alter the said debts, but it was not the case here. In ancient practices, whatever loans of any person, the owner and the steward have to add a percentage or interest to what was borrowed. On the part of the steward, he was not stealing from his boss, rather he was giving up his own commission.
Third, the prudent steward was confronted with the decision of saving his life by making friends who would take care of him after he was fired or by trying to hold out to the end unto the possibility of making money by eliminating his share; hence, he chose to save his life. His master and Jesus, through this Parable, call him a “prudent and wise servant.”
We must remember that God has given us abundant opportunities, gifts and first, second and third chances to redeem ourselves from shame and iniquities. We profit much from all these gifts and make manifold commissions like the dishonest steward. Have we used them properly to work and to build the kingdom of God? Have we used them to the flesh or according to the Spirit? If we are living according to the flesh, then I believe that we are squandering God’s gifts on things simply for our own advantage. Jesus gives us this parable in order to have a thorough evaluation and examination of ourselves to make proper accounting. Jesus says that the “children of this age” are shrewder in dealing with their own generation than “the children of light.” If you are losing money from your business, the best way is to fix it right away. When it comes to making choices concerning our survival here on earth, let us work for our eternal best interest.
God bless you.
Fr. Arlon, osa
