What We Can Learn from the Dishonest Steward
耶穌又對門徒們說：「曾有一個富翁，他有一個管家；有人在主人前告發這人揮霍了主人的財物。主人便把他叫來，向他說：我怎麼聽說你有這樣的事﹖把你管理家務的賬目交出來，因為你不能再作管家了。那管家自言自語道：主人要撒去我管家的職務，我可做什麼呢﹖掘地罷，我沒有氣力；討飯罷，我又害羞。我知道我要做什麼，好叫人們，在我被撒去管家職務之後，收留我在他的家中。於是，他把主人的債戶一一叫來，給第一個說：你欠我主人多少﹖那人說：一百桶油。管家向他說：拿你的賬單，坐下快寫作五十。隨後，又給另一個說：你欠多少﹖那人說：一百石麥子。管家向他說：拿你的賬單寫作八十。主人遂稱讚這個不義的管家，辦事精明；這些今世之子應付自己的世代，比光明之子更為精明。我告訴你們：要用不義的錢財交結朋友，為在你們匱乏的時候，好叫他們收留你們到永遠的帳幕裏。小事上忠信的，在大事上也忠信；在小事上不義的，在大事上也不義。那麼，如果你們在不義的錢財上不忠信，誰還把真實的錢財委託給你們呢﹖如果你們在別人的財物上不忠信，誰還把屬於你們的交給你們呢﹖沒有一個家僕能事奉兩個主人的：他或是要恨這一個而愛那一個，或是要依附這一個而輕忽那一個：你們不能事奉天主而又事奉錢財。」
路加福音 16:1-13
在這主日的福音中，耶穌以「不忠信的管家」的比喻教導我們該如何看待天主給我們的管家職份。
首先，人必需認清自己作為管家的身份。管家的職責是按照主人的意願去看管財物。一切都是屬於主人的，因此管家無權自作主張任意妄為。在現實生活中，很多人忘記了自己不過是一位管家；我們所得到的一切，包括生命，都是屬於天主的。我們該跟從天主旨意，好好運用各種恩賜。
在福音中，主人跟管家說：「把你管理家務的賬目交出來，因為你不能再作管家了。」耶穌提醒我們終有一天，我們要向天主交出賬目。我們生命完結時，就是管家職份完結的時候。
耶穌給了我們一些忠告。那位不義的管家為將來打算籌謀，竟然得到稱讚。耶穌的意思是人往往為世俗的事認真安排，很多人在事業上成功，但在屬靈的事上卻仍停留在小學生的層次。耶穌希望人能把同樣的心思、時間花在屬靈的事上。
耶穌最後說：「沒有一個家僕能事奉兩個主人的。你們不能事奉天主，而又事奉錢財。」金錢和世俗的事物為人的確是很大的誘惑，願我們仰賴天主的幫助，全心事奉天主。
Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.' The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.' He called in his master's debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?' He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.' He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.' Then to another the steward said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?' He replied, ‘One hundred kors of wheat.' The steward said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.' And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”
Luke 16:1-13
In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus used the Parable of the Dishonest Steward to teach us our role as God's stewards.
First of all, we must recognize our role as stewards. A steward must deal with the goods of another according to the will of the owner. Everything belongs to the owner, the steward has no right to do as he pleases. Many people have forgot that we are just stewards. Everything that we are blessed with, including our lives, belongs to God. We should follow the will of God to make good use of all our gifts.
In the Gospel, the owner said to the steward: "Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward." Jesus reminds us that someday we will all be called to account and our stewardship will end. When our lives come to an end, we will cease to be stewards.
Jesus offered some advice to us. It is surprising that the dishonest steward was praised for his attempt to plan for his future. Jesus is trying to teach us that most people devote lots of time and effort in worldly matters. But when it comes to faith, they know as much as a third grade student. Jesus would like us to devote the same amount of time and effort on spiritual things.
Lastly, Jesus said: "No servant can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and mammon." Money and the lure of the world is very powerful. May we rely on God's help, to pray for a miracle to prefer God to the world.
“Doctor’s Diary” Ep073