Word to the Wise
Sunday, September 23, 2007 - Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
[Amos 8:4-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-8; Luke 16:1-13]For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
One of the powerful things about the parables of Jesus is that they can send thoughts running in a variety of directions. If your local preacher goes for the "short form" you will miss out on a wonderful occasion to see how your own thoughts might differ from those in verses 10-13 (the short form). The longer form contains the parable of the "Unjust Steward." The "commentary" in verses 10-13 reflects on being trustworthy (which the steward was not) and on the problem of being "mastered" by wealth - whether it be money or any other kind. The parable offers another perspective which is reflected in Jesus' comment quoted above. The "unjust steward" is a clever rogue. Yes, he is an embezzler of his master's property. We can be clear about that. But when he is informed that he is fired, he knows that there will be a "window of opportunity" before the local folks discover he no longer works for the landowner! So, he calls in the tenant farmers and changes their contracts in a way that makes them very happy. They don't know at that point that the agent is no longer employed by the Master. They think the Master is doing them a kindness! What happens? The one thing more valuable than material wealth in the Middle East is HONOR. (Something our own government has trouble understanding in its foreign policy!) The rogue steward makes his former employer LOOK GOOD. Now the employer can't rescind the contracts without losing honor! The rogue makes friends. And the tenants are happy. It's a kind of "win-win-win" situation. Yes, the landowner will suffer a material loss, but that is secondary in the culture. Everyone is talking about what a great guy he is! (A cynical American comment might be: "I'm laughing on the outside but dying on the inside!") The moral of the story is that there are some things far more important than material wealth ("dishonest wealth"). Real wealth consists in having honor with God and not in being materially wealthy. Nevertheless, some will inevitably feel that the parable is praising embezzlement, and the author of the gospel makes sure that doesn't happen! The Gospel of Luke is constantly at pains to warn about the dangers of material wealth, but in this case, not reading the parable could deprive us of the opportunity to wonder if there is any kind of wealth at all worth having. The honor that admits to eternal dwellings is the response! AMEN
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