Make friends by means of dishonest wealth, learn prudence from your corrupt neighbor…did Jesus really say that? I don’t know about you, but this is really confusing to me!
One of many focus of Jesus in Luke involves “seeing” the least, the lost, the lonely, the left-behind, the last. And many times these people were in these predicaments because of people just like the ones described in the parable.
A parable is a story that is not necessarily true but reveals truth about the kingdom of God, Jesus or about us. Because they are closely tied to the ancient setting it is helpful to listen to them with 1st century ears.
There are scholars among us who believe that through the centuries of transmission that there is missing text that helps to contextualize it. Others speculate that 1st century sarcasm might be at play as well. I can believe that Jesus has a dry sense of humor, especially when you consider his post-Resurrection conversations with the disciples on the shore and on the road to Emmaus.
That Jesus uses wealth as a frequent example should come as no surprise to us. It is the second most talked about subject in the Bible and the writer of Luke does most of that talking!
The powers sought to separate the illiterate peasants from their family lands by charging incredible amounts of interest (forbidden in Deuteronomy and Leviticus) and hidden fees. A 21st equivalent is the predatory pay-day loan companies that have sprung up all over the country. Simply put, the land-sharks of the day were getting rich at the expense of the poor. That is NOT what a disciple of Christ does.
Also at play is the patronage system of “I scratch your back, you scratch mine.” Everyone owed something to someone. As explained three weeks ago when Jesus challenged the Pharisees to invite those to dinner who cannot repay the favor, a disciple of Christ does not look to be repaid here on earth but rather celebrates the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God. There is no need to court favors with God and he owes us nothing.
So what are we to do with these statements by Jesus, especially as we begin our annual stewardship focus at Holy Trinity? Let the scriptures speak to us, especially about our wealth. The children of the light have a lot to learn. Could it be that this parable turns on this statement of Jesus: “If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?”
Could it be that Jesus was in fact commending the dishonest manager for the lesson that he has painfully learned? That wealth is a blessing and a responsibility. That it is more important to amass relationships rather than money. In the end, the manager learned that you love people and use money and not the other way around.
What about learning prudence from the corrupt neighbor? Jesus recognized that while we are not of this world that we are definitely in it. However, it is very hard not to get caught up in it, especially when it comes to the economy of the world vs. the economy of God. We need to know how the economy of God works, what living in the kingdom right now looks like and that it won’t look like what is going on in the rest of the world. God’s love and care are constant and eternal. When money is your god is fleeting, unpredictable and temporary.
And finally, the realization is that everything that we are is not our own but of God. And as such we are to be “faithful with what belongs to another” and that we are to love God, love people—God’s people – and make disciples.
Throughout Luke, God shows up exactly where we don’t expect him to – in the faces of the least, the last, the lonely, the left-behind, all children of God. These are the ones God loves. We are to be faithful and to care for our neighbor and love them rather than to use our status to separate ourselves from them. What is true for them is also true for us. We too are the least, the last, the lonely and the left-behind.
Following our baptismal covenant let us “…live among God’s faithful people; hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s Supper; proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed; serve all people following the example of Jesus; and strive for justice and peace in all the earth.”
We are freed in Christ to do just that.