Reading I: Amos 8:4-7
Reading II: 1 Timothy 2:1-8
GOSPEL: Luke 16:1-13
What Type of Boss Are You?
In this Sunday’s Gospel, the parable of the unjust steward seems not only out-of-character for Jesus – it almost seems contradictory with his usual teachings. Jesus actually seems to praise the steward for his dishonesty! “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”
Managing vs. Leading
During one of my graduate classes in Management, we spent a great deal of time drawing a distinction between “doing the right thing” and “doing what was right.” I believe this concept can help clarify the parable of the Unjust Steward.
It goes something like this: A Manager “does what is right,” while a Leader “does the right thing.”
The Manager operates by the book – he is a rules-based person, and all of his actions and decisions are based upon policy and procedural manuals.
The Leader, on the other hand, is more concerned with the outcome than the process. Although the Leader strives to operate within the rules, he knows that situations may arise that just don’t fit neatly within the established policies and procedures.
Managing and Leading, In Action
To illustrate: Bill is an excellent employee. He has been with the company for seven (7) years, has never been disciplined or even reprimanded, and always receives excellent reviews. Bill has an eight-year-old son who is receiving a special award at school, and he would like to attend. Bill commutes over an hour to work, so he will have to miss half a day of work. However, Bill has already used up all of his vacation time, so he speaks with his supervisor.
Scenario #1: Bill’s supervisor is a Manager. He listens to the situation, and then allows Bill to take the necessary time-off without pay. According to policy, Bill has already used his allotted vacation, but approving an absence without pay is specifically within the Managers authority.
Scenario #2: Bill’s supervisor is a Leader. The Leader listens to the situation, and then congratulates Bill on the success of his son, telling him to enjoy his visit to the school. When Bill reminds the Leader that he has no vacation time left, the Leader replies with a laugh, “I guess it’s a good thing you don’t need to use vacation time for this then, huh?”
If the CEO discovered what had happened, what do you think she would say? It would probably depend upon whether she is more of a Manager or a Leader. Chances are good that the Leader would be commended for his decision. It may not have been strictly according to policy, but it was the right thing to do!
Whether or not the Leader had the official authority to grant paid leave to Bill is not as important as the fact that the Leader had the ability to grant the time. He had the ability, and he used it to build good-will and improve morale. Technically, he broke the rules – he didn’t do what was right (according to the book) – in order to do the right thing.
Dishonest Acts vs. Dishonest Wealth
So let’s apply the concepts of Managing and Leading to the parable of the dishonest steward. The core idea is that it is possible to do something against the rules, yet still be doing the right thing.
The steward in Jesus’ story is dishonest in one regard. He relieves his master’s debtors of large portions of their debts, in hopes of gaining their favor. The steward does not have the authority to do this, but he does have the ability! In essence, he is using wealth that he has acquired dishonestly in order to generate good-will – and Jesus commends him for it!
The important thing to keep in mind is that it’s not about the money. It is about the good works that are done with the money. In fact, the proper use of “dishonest wealth” is far superior to the improper use of “honest wealth.” Jesus doesn’t commend the dishonest steward for breaking the rules; he commends him for doing the right thing.
Life Application:
Think of a time when you broke the rules, yet actually did the right thing. How did you feel about it at the time? How do you feel about it now?
Do you believe that someone who is dishonest in small matters is dishonest in great ones? Does the magnitude of the dishonesty matter?
Check out the REAL Word Podcast for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C):
Original article by Brandon Jubar, 2004 – 2022.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.