Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: September 21, 2025

Date: 25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Scripture Text: Luke 16:1-13

Jesus said to his disciples,

"A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, “What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.' The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.' He called in his master's debtors one by one. To the first he said, 'How much do you owe my master?' He replied, 'One hundred measures of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note.Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.' Then to another the steward said, 'And you, how much do you owe?' He replied, 'One hundred kors of wheat.' The steward said to him, 'Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.' And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.

"For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon."

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

The gospel reading for today can be confusing to us when we hear the owner praise the dishonest steward. We need to realize the steward was still being fired. The owner’s praise wasn’t for the steward’s goodness but rather his zeal and creativity for his own gain. Jesus uses this to raise the question of what the world would be like if the good in the world were as zealous and creative in their efforts to serve the LORD lovingly and for the LORD’s glory. Jesus is telling us it isn’t enough to just try to get along and do nothing horribly bad, we should always be working to find new ways to lovingly serve the LORD.

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

Do I try to just get by or am I actively and tirelessly looking for ways to serve the LORD and to bring Christ to others and others to Christ?

Praying:

LORD, Jesus Christ, send your Spirit to stir within me, to rouse within me a desire to do all I can whenever and wherever I can to serve You with love, to serve You well, to bring You to others and others to You through You in the Spirit for the glory of the Father. Amen.