135. The Parable of the Unjust Steward and Teachings From It. Lk. 16:1–18

The Lord also said to his disciples: There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and it was reported to him that this man was wasting his property. He called him and said to him: What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward. Then the steward said to himself: What shall I do? My master is taking away my stewardship; I cannot dig, I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into their homes. And calling each one of his master’s debtors, he said to the first: How much do you owe my master? He said: A hundred measures of oil. And he said to him: Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty. Then he said to another: And how much do you owe? He answered: A hundred measures of wheat. And he said to him: Take your bill and write eighty.

And his master commended the unjust steward because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this world are more shrewd in their own generation than the sons of light.

And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

He who is faithful in very little is faithful also in much; and he who is unfaithful in very little is unfaithful also in much.

If then you have not been faithful with unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this and scoffed at him. And he said to them: You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

The law and the prophets were until John; since then the good tidings of the kingdom of God are proclaimed, and everyone enters it by force. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the law to fail.

Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.