Good Morning!
The Gospel reading for today is one of
the most difficult passages in the whole New Testament to understand. That difficulty is compounded when we try to
isolate it as a “teaching moment” and fail to see it within the context of the
larger on-going conversation that surrounds it.
I consulted 4 different respected commentaries this morning on this
passage, and I came away with the sense that no one is exactly sure what Jesus
was saying in the story of the “dishonest” steward.
The main character in this story is a
manager or a steward who works for a “rich man.” The charge is that the manager squandered the
rich man’s property. We have a main
character whose only source of wealth and power came from his master’s grace
and trust. That’s an important
point. Everything that this man had was
given to him by his master in trust, believing that he would make the best use
of his master’s resources.
We’re not really told what the man had
done that was interpreted as squandering his master’s resources. Whatever the procedure was, the master
believes that it was done in poor faith, a breakdown of the covenant between
the manager and the master. His
“dishonesty” or breach of faith with his master was somehow tied into how he
set up these loans not the fact that he had made the loans. His master expected him to use the master’s
resources to generate a return for the master.
Somewhere in the details of those transactions was the real problem. Somehow
there was something about the transactions that didn’t please the master.
What the manager did next was
fascinating. He reduced the amounts
outstanding on the loans. He told the
debtors that they could reduce their indebtedness by pretty significant amounts. Maybe he cut out his own commissions. Maybe he removed whatever the interest was
that was due to his master. We just
don’t know. Whatever he did, his master
thought it was pretty clever. Whether
that saved the man’s job, we do not know.
Some commentators think that the
“parable” actually ends at the eighth verse: “And his master commended the
dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age
are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of
light.” If it ended here then Jesus is
telling his disciples that they are more innocent than others in their dealings
with the business of this world. Others
think that verse 9 is an integral part of the story: “And I tell you, make
friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone,
they may welcome you into the eternal homes.”
My reading of that verse is that if you want to make yourself a part of
the people who deal in dishonest wealth – if those are the friends or business
associates that you want to have – then I’m sure you’ll be comfortable in their
version of eternity!
The story is about the grace of a
“master” who gave his steward responsibility for the wealth of the master. When we receive the grace of God into our
lives, God entrusts us with the right use of the talents and resources that He
gives us. We can squander those
resources – in a pattern familiar to the world – in things that bring us
attention and glory, or we can wisely use those resources for the glory of God. If we choose the former, well, that’s your
choice and you should be prepared to live with the consequences. If we simply want to be shrewd and clever
people who feather our own nests, then that’s the choice we make and the world
can teach us better ways to do that than the fellowship of Christ’s followers
can.
This story is followed by the story of
Lazarus and the rich man. The “rich man”
made his choice in pursuit of the things that the world tells us are
important. When he died he was welcomed
into an “eternal home” that apparently surprised him. The key to understanding this little bit of
scripture is found in reading all of the 16th chapter. For me this story affirms the notion of free
will and makes it very clear that we are given a free choice to make. And with every choice comes consequences.
Let us pray: Merciful Lord, source of all the resources
that we have, forgive us when we squander them in pursuit of our glory and
wealth. You have graciously given us all
that we need to live today as messengers of Your eternal Kingdom. Accept our thanks and praise, and grant us
the wisdom to choose wisely the life that You have made for us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Today’s readings are Joel 2:28-3:8;
James 1:16-27; Luke 16:1-9; Psalm 88, 91 & 92.
May the Lord bless you with wise
choices.
Pastor Jim
Comments
Post a Comment