101. The Dishonest Manager

He said to his disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made to him that this man was wasting his possessions. He called him, and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting because you can no longer be manager.’

“The manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, seeing that my lord is taking away my position? I don’t have strength to dig and am ashamed to beg. I know what I’ll do, so that when I lose my job, others will welcome me into their homes.’ Calling each of the debtors, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my lord?’ He said, ‘A hundred barrels of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and quickly write down fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A thousand bushels of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eight hundred.’

“His lord commended the dishonest manager because he had done wisely. The children of this world are, in their own way, wiser than the children of the light. Make friends by means of wealth while you can, so that when you fail, you may be received into an eternal home. 

Reflection

It is hard to imagine an employer commending an employee for being smart in the way he cheated him. Perhaps the message here is to live a selfish life so that when everything falls apart (and it most likely will), you’ll be ready to turn to God. Do you know anyone who is dishonest, but happy? Does ill-gotten gain ever truly enrich us?

Prayer: Deliver me, Lord, from foolishly thinking I can get to where I want to go in life by taking shortcuts.