9.16.25 - Dishonest Steward and The Book of Malachi
- tmaley
- Sep 20, 2025
- 16 min read
Pictures & Recording coming Sunday evening.
Catholic Understanding & Biblical Defense Class 9/16/25
Every Tuesday, 7PM-8PM (EST). This meeting is a lecture/Q&A format. It is free.
Meetings on Meetup: www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy
Past classes are posted on our Catholic Catacombs Website: www.CatholicCatacombs.org
House rules/notes…
Our meetings/classes are on ZOOM every Tuesday, 7-8 PM. Sign up on Meetup at www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy
to receive Zoom reminders and meeting recaps afterwards. Zoom ID: 829 7355 9896 Password: 358319.
RSVP Reminder: Please RSVP whether you are attending the meeting or just reading the Recaps afterwards. The more RSVPs, the more Meetup will give exposure to “Catholic Bible Study” – a good thing!
Questions. We encourage questions although we ask that you keep them on topic and brief. You can ask during the meeting, or in the chat box, or if you prefer you can email us through Meetup.com, or Ron directly: ron@hallagan.net.
Recaps. Within a day or two after each meeting, we will post the edited meeting notes of our discussions on our website, www.catholiccatacombs.org. Taylor will notify everyone when this is posted and provide you with a link.
Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between Christian denominations and religions in general, and we seek to be respectful at all times. Protestants especially are our friends and brothers-in-Christ; in fact, I personally owe much of my return to the faith to them!
No politics. It would be easy for us to self-destruct, but that’s not our goal :). Our goal is to learn, understand, and apply the Bible and our Catholic faith to our everyday lives.
“The Chosen” TV series. All of us seek a relationship with Jesus Christ and it can help if we have seen and heard Him. The Chosen series captures Jesus better than any show I have ever seen. Season 4 is underway. Highly recommended.
Catholic Prayer & Fellowship. Are you interested in praying the rosary, etc. with other Catholics during the week? Follow fellow member Jason Goldberg at https://www.meetup.com/online-catholic-prayer-fellowship-and-spirituality/.
Cursillo. Interested in meeting weekly over coffee to discuss how God is involved in your personal and professional life? Join Cursillo (cur-see-yo). Initiation involves a 3-day retreat at Mission Hurst in Arlington. For men’s groups, contact Ron (ron@hallagan.net) and Jennifer Pence (Jennifer.pence@gmail.com) for women’s groups.
Our Bible Study is a combination of Exegesis and Apologetics.
Study and interpretation of Scripture A reasoned defense of the faith
Format: Each week of the month has a repeating theme, as shown below.
Wk 1: Gospel Week – we study several Gospel stories, especially the tough ones.
Wk 2: Bible Week – we are working our way through the Bible. We are studying the Prophets.
Wk 3: Questions and Survey Topics chosen by Members:
Fathers of the Church, Heresies, Church Councils 2) Near Death Experiences 3) Jesus prefigured & prophesied in the OT 4) Apparitions and modern miracles 5) Suicide 6) What happens to pets after they die. 7) Prison ministry stories 8) Could you review of Plenary and Partial Indulgences again?
Wk 4: Apologetics:
Gen 1-3 (Creation Story, Adam & Eve, the Fall of Man, The Meaning of the Trees)
Faith and Doubt
Deeper meanings of the Mass
Each meeting is (roughly) as follows:
15 min Apologetics/Catholic Reflection
15 min Upcoming Gospel reading
30 min Weekly topic/theme
1 hour
Taylor will send a link to everyone with today’s notes.
The class is also recorded if you want to listen to it anytime.
Reader for the day…
Opening Prayer: O LORD
Thank you for your promise that where two or three of us are gathered in your name, You are there.
So Lord, we have a quorum!
We ask you to open our minds so that we may understand your Word,
And fill our hearts so we may change our lives.
And as you taught us to pray together…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen!
Upcoming major holy day: Sat, Nov 1, All Saints Day Mass Times www.masstimes.org
TODAY:
Apologetic/Reflection: difficult passages
Gospel Reading for Sun, 9/21: Jesus Compliments the Dishonest Steward? – Luke 16:1-13
Bible Timeline: The Book of Malachi, Timeline
Exegesis Reflection:
Speaking of difficult passages, translation becomes an important tool in interpretation. We saw that last week in translating hate. To give you another example of why this is so, consider that Greek (NT) has 5 million words. However, English has only 180,000 words. Consequently, Greek has many more words to describe things than English does. For example, in English we basically have one word for love – love. We can love our cars, food, sex, our family, you name it; we use the same word. Greek, on the other hand, has at least 5 words for love: Eros (physical/sexual), Ludus (playful/ uncommitted love), Philia (deep friendship/loyalty), Storge (family love), and Agape (selfless, unconditional, intentional, sacrificial love). God-Christian love always refers to the last, Agape Love. Agape love also applies to self-love – but proper self-love that God wants for us in our ongoing relationship with Him, which sometimes means tough love. When we give this gift of Godly self-love to ourselves, we are able to reach out to others from a place of fulfillment and not from a place of lack.
Anyway, this is why we have to look up words like hatred since the translations to English are sometimes incomplete.
A reasoned defense of the faith Study and interpretation of Scripture
Exegesis Reflection, cont’d…
Recall the Gospel reading from our last class where Jesus seems to be saying we should hate our families if we want to be his disciples...
Jesus used a nuanced meaning for the Greek word for hate, and employed other teaching tactics as well. Who remembers what these were?
First part of the answer: the translation of hate from Greek (also Hebrew) also refers to a hierarchy of love: i.e., who or what to love in order, or relation, to one another. In this case, he means we must love God more than family (he does NOT mean we should hold animosity towards them).
Secondly, Jesus’ employed “hyperbole” (intentional exaggeration to make a memorable point). He doesn’t want us to ever forget that loving God (him!) must become first in our lives before all other things/people we love.
Who remembers why it makes sense that we love God first?
Because God is the source of Agape love – the highest of loves – which humans possess but which comes from God. It works opposite of worldly love, which is limited. God’s love works such that the more you give it away, the more you have. Love like this is endless and eternal.
Apologetics comment: Another reason for understanding difficult readings is because atheists love to cherry-pick passages like these to argue that Christianity makes no sense or preaches bad things. Now you know better!
Well, if that wasn’t enough, today we have another one of these difficult readings that atheists might like to throw in unsuspecting Christian faces – today, Jesus seems to be praising a steward for his dishonesty!
As we shall see, we can’t judge the book by its cover.
The Dishonest Steward – Luke 16:1-13.
Context
What is a “steward”?
The person the Owner places in charge of the estate. He manages everything, including the owner’s finances.
Who else was do you recall were stewards?
Adam & Eve. God gave humans a higher/spiritual nature and then placed them in the Garden/Eden to teach them to be spiritual and physical stewards over the earth.
Although they failed the biggest test (relationship/reliance on God), humans were given (gifted) another chance to reestablish our reliance on God, which means we all remain God’s stewards-in-learning today. The success of our stewardship is directly related to our relationship and reliance on God.
The Gospels refer to mammon numerous times. What does mammon refer to?
It is an umbrella term, meaning it refers to several things, literally and metaphorically. Literally, it refers to money and wealth, but with generally with a negative connotation in the sense that money and wealth often leads to selfishness, greed, and excessive control over others. So, you can easily see the metaphorical meaning, which is an over-attachment to the things of this world – not only money but also reputation, fame, and immediate gratification over seeking the good of others (a good steward).
Luke 16:1-13
Jesus said to his disciples, "A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said, 'What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.'
The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.'
He called in his master's debtors one by one.
To the first he said, 'How much do you owe my master?'
He replied, 'One hundred measures of olive oil.'
He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.'
Then to another the steward said, 'And you, how much do you owe?'
He replied, 'One hundred kors of wheat.'
The steward said to him, 'Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.'
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
Exegesis (Interpretation/Explanation)
Jesus said to his disciples, "A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, 'What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.'
Squander/waste – another translation?
The Greek also translates as, “to remove as in winnowing or sifting.” This translation makes sense since it appears the steward is skimming money off the top from what he is collecting.
How did stewards earn their pay in those days?
They earned their pay by adding an amount to whatever was owed to the Master – like an added commission. If you recall, the Jewish tax collectors were paid the same way by the Romans. But the tax collectors often went further by adding far more to what was owed in order to enrich themselves. So the taxpayers were first hated because they were fellow Jews collecting taxes from them for the Romans and secondly because the taxpayers were enriching themselves. It appears we may have a similar case with the steward.
Once the steward realizes he is being fired, he becomes worried because “he cannot do manual labor and he is too proud to beg.” He also knows that when he gets fired, he will find himself among all these same people. What to do?
So, he comes up with a plan that will hopefully make these people welcome him: he will cut the amount that they owe to the Master.
Then we notice that he cuts different amounts from their debts – from 20% to 50%, which either reflected the size of his own commission or perhaps how much he figured they could pay. But the point is that he was cutting his commissions. That is why the Master wasn’t technically being cheated – he got all his money. Yet they people knew they were being overcharged, and that is why the complaints reach the Master in the first place.
When the Master finds out that the steward is reducing people’s debts by cutting his own commissions, what is the Master’s response?
“… the Master commended the dishonest steward for acting prudently.”
Is it beginning to make sense?
Yet, even if the Master wasn’t being cheated, should he be “commending” the dishonest steward?
Jesus says, “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.”
First, who are the children of light?
The people who seek and know God.
What does Jesus mean ?
At this point in his life, the steward realized that his master’s creditors’ gratitude and friendship was more valuable to him than money. That’s the first step in the right direction. Yes, it’s self-protection, but it’s like someone doing good for one’s reputation which is slightly better than not doing any good at all.
So, Jesus is not praising the steward’s dishonesty; what He is drawing our attention to are the good deeds the steward does in order to win friends who will help him in his hour of need.
The point of the parable is that our Master, the Lord God, will also praise us when we are generous with those who may be indebted to us for one reason or another. Extending mercy is more important than what we might consider our just reward when dealing with members of the human family. Our Divine Master will take into account our acts of mercy when we come before Him and we must give an accounting for what we have done in our lives as well as the unsettled debts we owe Him/others for our sins.
Let’s continue looking at what Jesus says…
I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest mammon, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
Can you see why atheists would have a field day with a comment like this? “Make friends with dishonest mammon?” What the heck does that mean?
As we reviewed above, mammon means wealth or earthly attachments. Now, money is often called “dishonest” because it has been acquired dishonestly even before passing into the hands of someone who is honest. Now when we consider that we are stewards of God’s planet/creation, then nothing really belongs to us. It’s all God’s, including ourselves and our gifts and talents. So anytime we use any of our gifts for self-serving purposes, are we are acting like the dishonest steward?
Jesus is pointing out the practicality and shrewdness of what our story’s earth-bound steward has figured out. He is looking to his next life, so-to-speak. Jesus is saying we should be looking to the real next life with the same shrewdness and ingenuity!
Can we keep in mind that our money/talents/good looks/whatever belong to God, and that we ought to see them for their eternal benefits not just temporal benefits? Because the temporal benefits will disappear and it will be the eternal value of every deed that will welcome us into heaven.
The person who Is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.
This may seem like common sense, but the person who is dishonest in small things is usually the last one to see it. That can easily be us if we aren’t careful, but we can fix it quickly and receive forgiveness. The first step to fixing a problem is to be aware of the problem.
No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
If we put this world’s attachments (mammon) before God, that means we are serving mammon.
I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest mammon, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
All our worldly attachments are, in a sense, dishonest mammon if we don’t realize we are the stewards and that everything we have comes from God. Therefore, we should remember to be grateful to God for every good thing that happens in our lives and bring our mistakes and difficulties to Him for discussion, forgiveness, and assistance. That’s the relationship He is looking for!
Best, most comforting verse for this study:
“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all other things shall be given to you.” – Matthew 6:33
Bible Timeline (skip down to Malachi)
7,000-50,000 BC 3500 BC 2000 BC 1400 BC 1000 BC 30 AD
How many books in the Bible and how are they usually arranged?
76 books in the Bible (46 in the OT + 27 in the NT).
They are typically listed in “Canonical Order,” as opposed to chronologically. Canonical order means the Church has grouped them by genre/type.
Below is a list as you will usually find them, and below that I have provided another list that highlights the genres more clearly.
Old Testament – 46 books New Testament – 27 books Total Bible– 73 books
The Prophets
These biblical prophets are classified into “major” and “minor” prophets, which is not based on their significance but on the length of their writings.
Major Prophets: There are four major prophets in the Old Testament:
Isaiah 2. Jeremiah 3. Ezekiel 4. Daniel
Minor Prophets: There were 12 minor prophets, whose writings are shorter. They are:
Next up: Malachi, 1 & 2 Maccabees, Conclusion of the Old Testament, Intro to the New Testament
The Book of Malachi
Malachi is the last of the OT prophets, unless you count John the Baptist, who although he shows up in the New Testament is technically the last OT prophet because he paved the way before Jesus and lived prior to his death, resurrection, and Christianity. Naturally, the Jews still see Malachi as their last prophet.
Malachi is a very short book – four chapters for a total of four pages – taking place in the years 440 to 420 BC, roughly a hundred years after returning from the Babylonian Exile.
Let’s look at an updated timeline to give you a larger perspective of where we are.
Timeline
Empires
Assyrian Empire Babylonian Empire Persian Empire Greek/Seleucid Empire Roman Empire
900-610 BC 626-539 BC 539-330 BC 330BC-146BC 46BC🡪 476AD
Israel
721 BC 610 BC 538 BC 515 BC 440-420 BC 175-140 BC 46 BC
Northern Jerusalem falls First wave of Jews “Second Temple” Malachi 1&2 Maccabees Roman
Israel falls to Babylonian Exile return to Jerusalem is rebuilt Maccabean Revolt control
Assyrians begins
The Setting
The Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar, conquered Jerusalem around 610BC and took all the Jewish officials and skilled tradesmen into exile for approximately 70 years. This is famously called the “Babylonian Exile.”
About 70 years later (539 BC), the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great, rose up and conquered the Babylonians. A year later, Cyrus had a dream from God which resulted in him issuing the “Edict of Restoration,” allowing the Jews to return to Judah and rebuild the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. The new Temple was completed about 515 BC.
Several months ago, we reviewed some notable Jews involved in the Jerusalem restoration effort: Zerubbabel helped rebuild the Temple, Joshua the High Priest and Ezra the priest-scribe helped re-introduce and teach the Torah (Bible) to the people, and Nehemiah helped rebuild the walls around Jerusalem.
So far we have learned that after every great thing God does for the Jews, it doesn’t take long for what to happen?
For them to fall away again. Yes, and sadly, this is what happened again within one generation.
What might the lesson be that God is teaching the Jews (all of us) by showing this happen over and over again?
On the one hand, He is showing how important respecting human free will is without forcing “His will” on them. Love of God must be a choice WE make. However, just as importantly, the people must come to see clearly that that they cannot save themselves. They can’t do it without God. Wanting to go it alone without God is the entire cause of the Fall of Man. That only God can save them will culminate in Jesus coming here for this purpose.
Now, after 2000 years of falling away from God – from Noah’s flood to the Tower of Babel to their slavery in Egypt and 40 years in the desert, to the fall of the empire after David, and now the Babylonian Exile, don’t you think the Jews would finally “get it”?
Yes, you would think so. But that’s easy for us to say since we know the story. Then again, look around today. God is being kicked out of the public square yet again and it’s hardly safe to preach Jesus name outside of Church and home. Once again, many still want to go it alone. We’ve become too smart to need God, which is exactly what they said when the built the Tower of Babel 3,500 years ago. Our brilliance becomes our arrogance; it is the great human Achilles’ Heel.
More now on Malachi…
Nothing is known of a prophet named “Malachi.” What seems to have happened is that in first verse, the word mal’ākî is found – “the Word of the Lord to Israel through Mal’achi” – so it sounds like that’s the writer’s name. But most believe that this is a pseudonym meaning “messenger,” as we also see in 3:1, “Now I am sending my messenger…” It also uses the word mal’ākî.
St. Jerome and other Jewish scholars believed Ezra to be the author, but we don’t know for certain. All that is known is this book came from a prophet who lived in the 400s (BC), and from a religious standpoint, things in Jerusalem are already going poorly!
God loves Israel, but the people return that love poorly. Taking advantage of the negligent attitude of the priests, they withhold tithes and sacrificial contributions (chapter 3:6-11) and cheat God by providing defective goods (animals/harvests) for sacrifice (1:6-14).
People divorce their spouses and marry worshipers of other gods (2:10-16).
Sorcerers, adulterers, perjurers, and people who take advantage of workers and the needy abound (3:5).
Priests, who could strengthen the people by the discipline of their instruction, instead choose to connive with the people and tell them what they want to hear (2:1-9).
All of this leads to the development of a weary attitude, a cynical notion that nothing is to be gained by doing what God wants, and that it’s the wrongdoers who seem to prosper (2:17, 3:14-15). Sound familiar?
God condemns the wrongdoing and their underlying attitude and issues a challenge to immediate reform (3:10-12), but He also announces a general reckoning at a future moment (3:16-21).
I will draw near to you for judgment, and I will be swift to bear witness against sorcerers, adulterers, and perjurers, those who deprive a laborer of wages, oppress a widow or an orphan, or turn aside a stranger, without fearing me, says the LORD of hosts. Since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, that I may return to you, says the LORD of hosts. 3:5,7
Now I am sending my messenger – he will prepare the way before me (who is this refer to? – hint: two*)
And the lord whom you seek will come suddenly to his temple.
The messenger of the covenant whom you desire – see, he is coming! says the LORD of hosts.
But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand firm when he appears?
For he will be like a refiner’s fire, like fullers’ lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the Levites, refining them like gold or silver. 3V1-3
*messenger refers John the Baptist and “me” is God (in Jesus Christ!)
Next up: 1 & 2 Maccabees, the Maccabean Revolt against the Greeks/Seleucids
Closing Prayer
Laziness kills perseverance
Anger kills patience
Greed kills generosity.
Jealousy kills kindness.
Pride kills humility.
Now read them right to left.
"All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle." - Saint Francis of Assisi.
Hail Mary
Full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
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