Amos 8:4-7 / 1 Tim 2:1-8 / Luke 16:1-13
In life, we would have come across many wise sayings that are actually quite easy to remember.
But when we don't hear them often enough, we will not remember them that easily. So, if out of sight may lead to out of mind, then when we don't repeat it, we will not remember it.
One wise saying that has just five simple words, and it is this: Honesty is the best policy.
When was the last time that we heard that saying? Or when was the last time that we said it?
When a person has honesty as a principle in life, then he will do what is right and just, he will be responsible and accountable.
That is the kind of person that we will put our trust in.
But have we been able to find an honest person or a couple of honest persons to put our trust in?
Or, turning the question around, do we think that we are honest enough for others to put their trust in us?
And if honesty is the best policy, then is honesty also our policy, especially when it comes to money?
In the gospel parable, we heard of a steward who was wasteful with his master's property, or in other words, that steward was dishonest.
The master found out, and the steward was to be dismissed, but he quickly did something to secure his future, and it was at the master’s expense.
But Jesus said something that is rather astonishing and maybe even confusing. Jesus said this: The master praised that dishonest steward for his astuteness.
To be astute, is to have the ability to accurately assess a situation or a person and to turn it to one's advantage or gain.
So, Jesus said that the master was impressed by the steward’s astuteness, even though he was dishonest.
What Jesus is saying is that the world will be impressed when a person is able take advantage of others and to gain by crooked means, be it by lying or cheating, or by wheeling and dealing.
But as Jesus emphasized, honesty is not just in big things; rather it begins with little things.
One test of honesty is having to queue up. We don’t like to queue up. To cut queue may not be deemed as a moral issue, but it says a lot about the character of the person.
We may have heard about the long queues of people who want to pay the last respects to the late Queen Elizabeth.
There is an edifying story about a famous football player who queued for 12 hours to pay his last respects.
He didn't use his celebrity status to get things his way, but he joined the rest of the people to wait for their turn to pay respects. And he got respected for that.
Yet there were other stars or big names who used their status to cut the queue. They may have gotten what they wanted, but it came with the price of negative comments.
As for us, we want to take honesty as our policy not because people are looking at us.
We want to do what is right and just, and even when we falter, we want be responsible and accountable.
Because, the 1st reading reminds us of what God said to His people: Never will I forget a single thing that you have done.
But God is not watching us to see if we are doing the wrong thing.
He wants us to believe in His love and goodness, so that if honesty is our best policy, it is because we believe that God loves us and that He wants us to do what is right and just and loving.
So let us keep our eyes on the Lord, as we speak with honesty, think with sincerity and act with integrity.