In attentively reading the Gospels, we find Jesus often saying or doing something totally unexpected by his hearers and frequently foreign to our own expectations as well. Familiarity has softened the impact of much of Jesus’ message and has enabled us to concentrate on the comforting words while conveniently ignoring the challenging or disturbing. Yet, it is almost impossible not to be disturbed by Jesus’ apparent praise of this dishonest man. (Note that the "owner" of v 8 is not the owner of the estate, but is better translated "master," referring to Jesus.)

First, we might ask how dishonest was the manager? Certainly he must have misused his position of responsibility (v 1), but his reducing of the debtors’ bills was very likely only an elimination of his own profit from those deals. Thus he would have been foregoing his own money in return for the good will of people who may previously have hated him for his hard business practices. In a sense he was using the profit they owed him to buy his way into their hearts.

The point, however, is not to justify the manager. The whole parable leads up to Jesus’ lament that worldly people devote more energy and intelligence to their pursuits, which will end in dust, than we who have committed ourselves to God’s eternal kingdom.

All the gifts of creation are good when ordered according to God’s design, but become death-dealing when exploited for a profit that stops at one’s own personal gain. To serve money is in essence to serve only oneself — and self-centeredness is incompatible with God-centeredness.

In today’s world, we can appreciate the spirit of Amos’ condemnation of the exploitation of the poor by the rich and powerful, even if the festivals and weights and measures are not our own. Then as now, basic dishonesty often wore the cloak of respectability — the wealthy and greedy merchants scrupulously observed religious feasts (v 5). Then as now, exploitation was a matter of real suffering and death for the victims. Then as now, the perpetrators ignored the fact that their profit was gained through inflicting human misery. Then as now, this grave harm in human society — and God’s order — was caused by placing greater value on money and profit than on life and people.

For most of its history, the nation of Israel was poor and subject to domination by more powerful peoples. This song arises from this sense of poverty and helplessness, but it affirms that the poor are God’s special, chosen ones. Response: "Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor."

The Christian life is based on prayer; and all prayer is in union with Christ, the one representative of humankind before the Father. This passage is striking and challenging because the writer commands first of all prayer for worldly authorities, most of whom are indifferent or antagonistic toward Christian goals. The Church as the body of Christ cannot fail to stand as representative of all humanity before God.

1. How can you — as an individual, as a family, as a community, as a parish — make better use of this world’s goods to bring about God’s Kingdom?

2. Re-evaluate your own prayer in the light of Paul’s word.