Dishonest Wealth

Gospel: Luke 16: 9-15

When we hear the term "dishonest wealth" we moderns think of dirty money, money that was acquired in an underhanded way through organized crime or the like.  But by the phrase "dishonest wealth" Jesus simply means money in general.  Today's Gospel text is rather clear in that regard, and Jesus' general indifference toward money in other passages of the Gospels makes it clear that money is something not to be trusted.

This does not mean, however, that we can live without it.  We, of course, need money to pay for the necessities of life - food, shelter, clothing.  But beyond that we must not trust ourselves to money.  If we acquire more money than what goes beyond our needs, we are faced with a great choice.  We can do what most people do and hoard it or use it for our own selfish ends.  Or we could use it to help others - to feed, clothe, and house those who lack what we have.  

To be entrusted with dishonest wealth is our ultimate test.  What will we do with such money?  The way of the world and most people is to use it to our perdition, to hoard it for ourselves.  The way that leads us to be entrusted with the honest wealth of God's kingdom is to use money to help others, to undertake the works of mercy so that others may have the necessities of life as well.  Jesus rejected the temptation of the desert to entrust himself to dishonest wealth.  What will be our choice?