Stewardship – Day 21 of 40

Armodoxy for Today: Stewardship – Day 21 of Lent

Hemos superado la mitad de la Cuaresma. Hemos subido la colina y ahora estamos en la cima, descendiendo. Miramos desde lo alto y vemos dos caminos: uno que dejamos atrás y, lo que es más importante, el que tenemos frente a nosotros. Es este camino el que conecta con una vía más amplia, que es el viaje de la vida. Todo lo que descubrimos durante este periodo de Cuaresma es parte del proceso de superación personal que fortalece nuestra posición en la vida, al brindarnos las herramientas para enfrentar mejor sus desafíos, ya sean físicos, emocionales o espirituales. Dios nos da los medios para manejar las complejidades de la existencia y hacer que el camino sea sencillo.

As we come down off of the mountain, we enter a world that is very real. It is a world filled with difficulties and challenges, but at the same time, it has many victories. It has many moments for us to rejoice and many more to enjoy. Life is very real! How appropriate, that today, at this half-way mark in Lent, the Armenian Church prescribes the Parable of the Dishonest Steward as its Lenten lesson. This lesson, found in Luke chapter 16, connects us to the reality of life.

The Parable of the Dishonest Steward is given to us by our Lord Jesus. We read that there was a steward, that is, a manager. He was charged with taking care of his boss’ assets and money. Jesus refers to him as a shrewd, and even “dishonest” manager. He gets caught red handed in some business shenanigans and is on the verge of being fired. He acts shrewdly and doubles down by doing even more dishonest deeds against his employer thereby making friends for himself, especially considering his impending unemployment, this was a tactical preemptive move. He is calculated and knows that when he gets fired, these new friends will hire him. Then comes the kicker… Jesus brings it down to this, “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”

Your act of charity is simple, read the Parable of the Dishonest Steward in its entirety. We will take a dive into this story which leaves many people perplexed because the “hero” is a squirrely character. Fast today from making any judgment calls, on the people in the story as well as in life.

Celebrate the half-way mark of Lent with some Lenten Cookies, the recipe is below.

We pray, Lord, I thank you for entrusting me with my life and the world in which I live. Help me to become a better steward of my life and my world. Amen.

Lenten Recipes by Deacon Varoujan: Recipe 21: Lenten Cookies