Friday 7 November 2025

Today Jesus shocks His listeners again —
He praises a dishonest steward.
The man’s about to lose his job for wasting his master’s goods,
so he calls in the debtors and cuts their bills in half.
Not exactly saintly behaviour.
Yet Jesus says:

“The children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.”

Why would He praise that?

Because the man, though morally crooked, was clever enough to act decisively.
He saw trouble coming, and he did something about it.
He used his time, money, and influence to secure his future.
And Jesus’ point is simple and devastating:
if worldly people are that clever about temporary things,
how much more should disciples be clever about eternal ones?

Jesus isn’t endorsing dishonesty — He’s calling for urgency.
The steward acted because he knew his time was short.
He didn’t procrastinate; he planned.
He didn’t deny reality; he faced it.

That’s what holiness should look like.
Faith isn’t passive waiting; it’s active preparation.
We know that one day we’ll give an account — not just for our money,
but for our mercy, our opportunities, our love.
So Christ is saying: “Wake up. Be spiritually strategic.”

Be as passionate about heaven as the world is about profit.
Be as creative for charity as others are for success.

The word “shrewd” doesn’t have to mean selfish.
It means wise, alert, intelligent in action.
We need that kind of sanctified shrewdness in the Church.

There are Christians who are very good — but not very clever.
They mean well but live carelessly, waste opportunities,
drift through prayer, and wonder why nothing changes.
And then there are others who have learned to plan their spiritual life
with the same focus they’d bring to a job or a family budget.

That’s the kind of disciple Jesus wants:
not a naive dreamer, but a wise builder.
Someone who reads the signs of the times,
recognises the urgency of grace,
and acts before it’s too late.

The saints were never naive.
They were spiritually strategic.
They used time well, loved intensely, and invested their lives where it mattered most — in eternity.

That’s exactly what we see in St Paul today.
He writes to the Romans with the zeal of a man who refuses to waste a moment.

“It has always been my ambition to preach the Gospel where Christ has not yet been named.”

Paul isn’t sitting comfortably; he’s pushing boundaries.
He’s strategic, tireless, determined.
He plans his mission routes, raises funds, builds communities, trains leaders.
He’s the shrewd steward of grace.

His motive isn’t ego — it’s evangelisation.
He wants to make Christ known where He’s not yet loved.
And that’s still the mission of the Church:
not to guard comfort, but to go where the Gospel isn’t yet alive.

At the heart of both readings is the question:
Where are you investing your life?

The steward invested in friends who would welcome him later.
Jesus flips that image:
invest your life in mercy, forgiveness, generosity —
so that when you stand before God,
you’ll be welcomed into “eternal dwellings.”

The currency of heaven is not money, but mercy.
The return rate is eternal.
And every act of charity — every small kindness, every sacrifice unseen —
is a deposit that will last forever.

That’s why the Eucharist is the most “shrewd” thing you can do.
It’s not a sentimental ritual; it’s an eternal investment.
You give an hour — God gives you grace.
You offer bread and wine — He gives His Body and Blood.
It’s the best exchange in creation.

So today, Jesus isn’t telling us to cheat —
He’s telling us to wake up.
Be as clever in holiness as others are in worldliness.
Use your time, your mind, your talents for heaven’s profit.

The world hustles for gain that fades.
The disciple hustles for grace that lasts.

So don’t drift. Don’t delay.
Act now, plan your prayer, live your mercy.
Because eternity is too long to leave to chance —
and grace is too precious to waste.