Homily for Friday of the 31st Week of the Year

In the parable that we hear in today’s Gospel reading, we find a rich man confronting his steward about misusing the man’s property. He commands him to make a full accounting, telling him that he will no longer be employed by him.

The steward recognizes that he will need the help of his master’s many debtors, and so he calls each of them and lowers the debt that each on carries. While this does bear a little bit of dishonesty, it points to a much greater message 

We see that the master is no longer quite so angry with the steward after he lowers the burden of the debtors. Perhaps, in seeing the mercy with which the steward treated the debtors, he also tempered his response with mercy.

In the LORD’s Prayer, we ask God to be merciful just as we are merciful. May the story of the dishonest steward guide us in our response to people in our lives. +