Making the right decision

For 8 years in Brasil and several in Aotearoa, I had the rewarding job of visiting men and women in prison. It meant that I got to know many of them quite well. My discovery was that they were generally good people who through anger, greed or desperation had taken a bad decision, which they later regretted. In today's gospel from Luke 16:1-8, Jesus tells the story of a man who was to be dismissed from his work because he was not being honest with his master's property. ''What I to do?'' he asked. ''I am not strong enough to dig, I am ashamed to beg.'' Then came with a bright idea and took a cunning decision. He called in those who owed his master for produce that they had bought. He urges each of them to write a lesser amount on their bill, thinking that in that way those debtors would welcome him into their homes when he lost his job. It seems to us to have been a bad decision as he was robbing his master of part of the money owed to him. But to our surprise, the master praised him. He did not praise him for his dishonesty but for his astuteness in searching for a way to protect himself. Jesus is using the story to challenge us. The unjust steward was making a great effort to ensure a secure future for himself. Jesus sees us as children of the light and is urging us to reaffirm our decision to follow him. Let us answer in the words of Peter who was hurt when Jesus asked him three times if he loved him. ''Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you.'' ( John 21:17)