Proper 20, The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

We are presented with one of Jesus' most puzzling and challenging parables: the story of the dishonest manager. In it, a man who is about to be fired for mismanagement uses his final moments on the job to cleverly secure his own future. Surprisingly, he is praised not for his dishonesty, but for his shrewdness. This parable isn't a lesson in cheating; it's a radical call to examine our priorities. It forces us to ask: Are we as determined and forward-thinking about our eternal future as we are about our earthly security? Who, or what, do we truly serve?