The Gospel for THURSDAY, May 26, 2005 (Augustine of Canterbury)
Luke 16:1-9
He also said to his disciples, ‘There was a rich man and he had a steward who was denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.” ‘Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil,” he said. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down and quickly write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat,” he said. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.” ‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.’ ‘And so I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings. -- The New Jerusalem Bible. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1995, c1985
An Ethical Puzzler
Earlier "scholarship" on this passage attempted to find a way in which the master's praise could be considered deserved, in an ethical or moral sense. Within the past twenty to thirty years, that school of thought has devolved into questions, only. No one, it seems, can conjure up a reasonable rationale that will survive critical thinking.
A Reflection
So what is the message for us?
I believe that Jesus' parable of the dishonest (some say 'wasteful') steward has at its core the lesson that dealing in the world is not a pretty business. Moreover, praise from one's master may not be reckoned always to one's credit.
The writers (and maybe the editors/redactors) of this account, found only in the gospel attributed to Luke, have left it for us in stark surroundings, with no helpful contextual hints, and only the God/money distinction from Jesus.
But that message, alone, certainly bears repeating -- sometimes many times a day [!] -- when we are dealing in the world. It is tiresome to hear young women and men, not to mention my peers in the geriatric set, carry on so tirelessly about job and career, or doing extra work for "advancement." I have been guilty, myself, and can identify with the motives that I have had in my journey in the world.
The master in this case doesn't seem upset that his servant has robbed him; we can guess that he is so rich that a few measures of grain or oil are inconsequential. We can guess that he admires the cunning exhibited by his servant. But that's all we can do. Neither is very satisfying as a reason, but perhaps that detail of the parable is not meant to have closure.
It's a refreshing surprise to discover a crisp new banknote given in change. Compared to the other money, it's not dirty. And we should probably remember that most of our encounters with money could have dirty ethics or shady morals associated with them. When we remember who our master truly is, that association will vanish.
The Collect
O Lord our God, who by your Son Jesus Christ called your apostles and sent them forth to preach the Gospel to the nations: We bless your holy name for your servant Augustine, first Archbishop of Canterbury, whose labors in propagating your Church among the English people we commemorate today; and we pray that all whom you call and send may do your will, and bide your time, and see your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
8:10:12 PM 
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