Perhaps the biggest risk we run is settling into a day-to-day rut, cruising along without anxiety about our eternal salvation. 

Thankfully, Jesus jolts us with this eyebrow-raising parable (Luke 16:1-13)  

Before getting into the specifics, let me add to that spiritual jolt by repeating what the Lord God swears by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done! (Amos 8:7) 

God reserves the brunt of his divine wrath for those who take advantage of his darlings, the poor.  He will deal in a stunning, merciless way with those who use life’s necessities to exploit the poor and the weak.  

The jolt that we experience now has all to do with wealth and power and how they relate to our eternal salvation. 

Spiritually speaking, Jesus points out how, daily, we operate on the cutting edge. There is no margin for error in dealing with God’s gifts to us. 

Every day is a decisive day when it comes to handling correctly what we possess. 

As we go over this incredible, outlandish parable, we might want to compare its lesson to the remarkable qualities that each member of a SWAT team must possess.  

They are called upon to turn around very critical situations: a little mistake, a slight slip and tragedy occurs, affecting many. 

Clearly, in dealing with whatever is entrusted to our stewardship, we are expected to act decisively, swiftly and correctly.  And that’s a tall task indeed! 

And, before we get to act decisively, swiftly and correctly, we ought to become convinced that whatever we earned, we gained, we worked hard to attain, is not ours but received “in administration” from the Lord. 

Please notice that here Jesus sets himself apart from the way of reasoning of the children of this world. (Luke 16:8) 

The steward was praised by his former master because he was quick to see that he was a person in trouble among other people in trouble, all needing each other.  

Decisive, swift, correct action requires first, also our being naturally proactive: we ought to be people who, in time of personal crisis, can count on friends [even if acquired] with dishonest wealth. (Luke 16:9) 

Looking at what we received from him; we must strike the correct balance between what we need for us and our family to make a dignified living, including time for healthy relaxation and rest and what we are urged to share with those who will become our lifesavers chosen by God to make us welcomed into eternal dwellings. (Luke 16:9) 

The Lord has placed these future lifesavers all over: close to home and in mission lands. 

An effective way of becoming habitually cognizant of our obligation to attend to Jesus’ needs present in those who necessitate our care close to home and in mission lands: the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the naked, the sick, and those in prison, is to recall his description of the Last Judgment. (cf. Matthew 25:31-46) 

Once discovered and dishonestly ingratiated, the rich man’s debtors became the lifesavers of the dishonest steward. 

Similarly, once permanently in the back of our mind, the needy, in whose features Jesus disguises himself, will become our lifesavers for all eternity, if we share with them decisively, swiftly and correctly whatever God has given us. 

Jesus concludes this odd story by listing three qualities we must develop: we ought to become prudent, trustworthy and single-hearted stewards. 

Prudent in how we use the body, mind, health, life, time, opportunities, wealth, skills that the Lord has given us to give him glory and to share with our brothers and sisters in their needs. 

Trustworthy: so as not to squander foolishly, without appreciation, not only the insights the Lord gives us as we read the Holy Scripture, live out the Eucharist, enjoy many other spiritual favors but also his “minor” gifts. 

Single-hearted: Jesus puts it bluntly: we cannot serve both him and mammon (money).  This is rather plain and, thus, easily grasped. 

Today, after Jesus’ big jolt to our routine, we realize that we can never be too busy to consider how every single act of our stewardship over our body, mind, health, life, time, opportunities, money, skills affects others—and our eternal future. 

Once again, today, the Lord gives us his Body and Blood in Holy Communion to improve the quality of our stewardship. We shall not let him down: our eternal future of glory depends on it.