Let me begin with a simple question: How much time do we spend preparing for our future? And how much time do we spend preparing for eternity?
We prepare for almost everything. We save money for retirement. We buy insurance in case we get sick. We invest in property. We prepare our children for their future. And nowadays, with the threat of El Niño, we are reminded to prepare even for drought and water shortages.
All these preparations are good and necessary. But today, Jesus challenges us to ask: Are we also preparing for the most important event of our lives—our meeting with God?
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us the rather strange story of a dishonest steward. When the steward discovers that he is about to lose his job, he immediately makes plans to secure his future. Surprisingly, his master praises him!
But take note: Jesus is not praising his dishonesty. He is praising his foresight. The steward knew that his present situation would not last forever, so he acted while he still had time. And Jesus makes this striking observation: “The children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.”
In other words, worldly people can be very clever when it comes to securing their earthly future. But sometimes, we Christians are not as serious about preparing for our eternal future.
Think about it. We worry about having enough money when we retire. But do we worry about having enough love when we meet the Lord? We make sure our children receive a good education. But do we make sure they grow up knowing God and loving others? We spend so much time improving our houses. But how much time do we spend improving our hearts?
And sometimes, we are very careful not to lose our money, but not so careful about losing our integrity, our compassion, or even our relationship with God. We can become very successful in preparing for life on earth, yet terribly unprepared for life in heaven.
My dear friends, there is another important lesson in this Gospel.
The steward did not wait until it was too late. He acted immediately. And that is precisely what Jesus is asking of us today.
If there is someone you need to forgive, forgive now.
If there is someone you have hurt, say sorry now.
If there is a poor person you can help, help now.
If your prayer life has become cold, begin again today.
If you have been dishonest in your work or in public service, change your ways now.
Do not wait until you are old, sick, or dying before taking God seriously. Remember, the best preparation for heaven is not something we do at the end of our lives. It is something we do every day of our lives.
And let us never forget: the money we accumulate, the positions we occupy, and the properties we own will one day be left behind. But the love we give, the good we do, and the lives we touch have eternal significance.
So today, let us ask ourselves one final question: If God were to call me tonight, would I be ready to meet Him? Not because we should live in fear of death, but because we should live with a clear sense of what truly matters.
My dear friends, let us be wise enough to prepare for tomorrow, but even wiser to prepare for eternity.