A Powerful Reflection on Luke 16:9 -15: Make Friends with Unrighteous Wealth( 8-11-25)

There was a young man who worked as a taxi driver in a city. He did his job honestly, never overcharged, and treated every passenger with kindness. One night, he picked up an old woman from a hospital. She was weak and asked him to drive slowly through the city before going home. During the drive, she spoke about her life — her children were abroad, she was lonely, and she wanted to see the places where she had once lived.

When they reached her small house, she took out her purse with trembling hands. The fare was  three hundred and fifty rupees, but the young man said softly, “It’s all right, granny, you keep it.” Tears filled her eyes. She said, “Son, I will not forget this kindness. May God bless you.”

Months later, that same driver fell ill and was admitted to the hospital. One morning, a nurse came to him and said, “Someone has paid all your hospital bills.” When he asked who it was, the nurse said, “An old woman who wanted to thank you.”

That small act of mercy came back to him when he least expected it. This story gives life to what Jesus says in today’s Gospel: “Make friends for yourselves with unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Many people wonder, “Why does Jesus call wealth unrighteous? I earn my salary honestly. Why should my money be called unrighteous?”

To understand this, we must listen carefully to what Jesus really means. He is not saying that the money we earn by honest work is evil. He calls it unrighteous (or dishonest) because all earthly wealth belongs to a world that is not perfect — a world touched by injustice, greed, and selfishness. No matter how rightly we earn our money, it still moves through systems where not everyone is treated fairly. Somewhere in the process, someone’s sweat, pain, or loss is part of what gives money its value.

The Church Fathers explained this beautifully. Saint Ambrose said, “The earth was made in common for all, yet the rich claim it for themselves.” He meant that wealth itself is not evil, but the way the world divides it is often unjust. So Jesus calls it “unrighteous wealth.” It is not to condemn our earnings, but to remind us that money belongs to a world that will pass away. It cannot be pure or lasting. It can easily become a false god.

Jesus, then, gives a loving warning: “Use this worldly, passing thing in a way that leads to eternal life.” That is why He says, “Make friends with unrighteous wealth.” He means: Turn what belongs to this temporary world into something that has eternal value. Use it to build relationships of mercy, compassion, and love.

When we share our wealth; when we feed the poor, help a student, care for an old parent, or support the Church’s mission,  we are using worldly things to create heavenly bonds. These are the “friends” Jesus speaks about. They may be people we help on earth, or even angels and saints who rejoice when we use our money for good. In the end, these “friends” will welcome us into God’s eternal home.

Saint Augustine explained it simply: “The poor are your door to heaven.” When we share with the poor, we are not losing money  but we are transforming it. What is “unrighteous” becomes holy when used in love.

Think of it like this: fire can burn or it can give warmth. Water can drown or it can quench thirst. It depends on how we use it. The same is true for money. It can destroy a soul when it becomes our master, or it can save a soul when it becomes our servant.

So Jesus is not attacking our honest earnings. He is teaching us how to use what we have in a way that serves love and builds heaven. He knows that money can blind us, but He also knows that when used with a clean heart, it can bless us.

In simple words, Jesus is saying: “Money belongs to this earth, but you belong to heaven. Use what is temporary to gain what is eternal.”

 Lord Jesus, help us to use the things of this world with a pure heart.

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God Bless…