The Parable of the Dishonest Steward

Inside Catholic ^ | September 21, 2010 | Mark P. Shea

[annalex]

The only problem with this is that the owner COMMENDED the unrighteous steward for unlawful behavior

He commended the steward because the steward, for whatever personal reasons, improved the business. When a business faces bad debt, the only way forward is to discount it. That is what the steward did and the boss recognized the wisdom of his action.

Note, too, that it is unlawful only if the boss complains, because the debt was to the boss and not to some third party. But the boss did not complain, he was happy with waht the steward did.

[Seven_0]

It helps immensely to have a sense of Whom God is, His character and personality.

Jesus was talking to the disciples. Doesn't James 1:5 prevent him from upbraiding them?

[MHGinTN]

I was responding to "How do you determine which parts of scripture are satire?"

You have lost me in jumping to "... talking to His Disciples ... prevent Him from upbraiding them." Where did I infer He was upbraiding his audience? When He spoke to pHarisees, He did tend to upbraid them. On occasion He upbraided a disciple, such as when He told satan to get behind him as Peter tried to order Jesus to stop where He was going.

James 1 All joy count [it], my brethren, when ye may fall into temptations manifold; knowing that the proof of your faith doth work endurance, and let the endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire -- in nothing lacking;
[1:5}and if any of you do lack wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all liberally, and not reproaching, and it shall be given to him; and let him ask in faith, nothing doubting,
for he who is doubting hath been like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed, for let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord -- a two-souled man [is] unstable in all his ways.

James the brother of Jesus was head of the Church in Jerusalem. He was writing to bolster the faith of fellow JEWISH believers, instructing them on how they could grow in grace and knowledge, already members of The Church.

[Seven_0]

You have lost me in jumping to "... talking to His Disciples

The parable of the unjust steward Luke 16:1

I was responding to "How do you determine which parts of scripture are satire?"

What if this parable isn't satire?

[MHGinTN]

The parable is not satire, IMHO. Jesus is teaching His Disciples, bue also expecting them to carry the learned message forward when He is no longer physically present. The following is the story in verses 1 thru 13: 1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

In which verse(s) do you see the gist of the lesson? Or do you catch the gist of the lesson or gists of the teaching?

[mware]

Here is my priests take on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRs6c1woi1Q

[mware]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRs6c1woi1Q

[MHGinTN]

From the posted material, “ ...if you hope to come to a happy ending when (not if) your luck in this world runs out, then you should do your best to get in good with the ones with whom the Judge will consult when He is deliberating His verdict about you on That Day: the hungry, thirsty, sick, naked, and imprisoned. If you come with tip-top recommendations from the upper-crust citizens of hell, but don’t have the least of these to put in a good word for you, then Heaven help you, brother, because the hope of your salvation is hidden indeed.” Recall that Jesus taught some would asked ‘when did we feed you, or when did we give you shelter’, and He replied that ‘in as much as you have done this to the least, you have done it unto Me.’

[MHGinTN]

You are fortunate indeed to have such an Priest. The essence of his explanation is ‘with the same measure you treat others you will receive from God, and it is not the mammon which will receive judgment, but the steward of mammon’, if I am not mistaken.

[mware]

Yes, I am fortunate.He was my parish priest but was reassigned to serve in another parish.I drive the 30 miles twice a week to hear him. Once on Sunday and again on Monday for scripture study and Novena.

[MHGinTN]

When I joined Grace Episcopal Church in Anniston, AL, we had a Priest of outstanding character and insight. When he moved on to the Atlanta area the Church seemed to ‘sag’ and was never quite the same. Now, the entire denomination is of no use to me. I need to find a good Catholic Church within driving distance ...

[mware]

I hear you my FRiend. One needs to be feed. My old parish was not doing it. I gladly drive the extra miles.

Good luck in your hunt.

If you find a priest who is Maltese you have a shot at find a good priest. Since I converted two of the four priest I have had were Maltese.