September 19, 2010
Problematic Parable
- Luke 16:1-13
- Dr. Teri Thomas
A few weeks ago Ruth preached a passage from Luke and she mentioned how difficult and perplexing she found it. I should have offered to trade her for this one. Every commentary I turned to said this is the most confusing, confounding, and bewildering parable in the Gospels.
They are all fairly certain that the section at the end- the last few verses – were probably added by an early editor to try to give some sense of meaning to this parable. Didn’t help much, if you ask me.
So there is a rich man who hears stories about his manager squandering property. What does this mean? Is he cheating the boss? Is he over charging the debtors? Were the debtors tenants? Merchants? Customers? We don’t know.
It would not have been unheard of for the manager to add his own little “fee” to whatever debt he was collecting for the boss. It would also not have been unusual for the boss to increase the debt a little since he was not technically allowed to charge interest. Either way, the boss gets complaints and the parable doesn’t tell us if they are legitimate or if they are simply rumors from some disgruntled customer. The manager doesn’t admit to the wrong doing but neither does he deny it.
What the parable does tell us is that the manager talks to himself. Self, he says- I am in a pickle.
If I lose my job I am too old and weak for manual labor and I would be ashamed to have to beg.
I need to get my ducks in a row before I get canned. In order to be where I want to be in the future…I need to take some action now.
He decides he needs to befriend all those in debt to the boss so that if he gets fired he can go live off of them. He knows that friends will do him more good than money in the end. One by one he meets with them and lowers their debt. You owe 100 jugs of olive oil? Give me 50. You owe 100 containers of wheat? Give me 80.
Now is he cutting them a deal? Is he cutting out his own profit or the boss’ profit? Again, we have more questions than answers. But the shocker is the response of the boss to this scheme.
The boss commends the manager for his job. Commends him? For costing him a huge percentage of his profit? For cheating him out of his income?
He calls him shrewd, prudent, wise, sensible, practical its like a pat on the back, a well done good and faithful servant, for being a dishonest cheat?.
Before we go too far we need to remind ourselves that this is a parable. It is not intended to be taken literally. It is also NOT an allegory. It is a parable- a funny, extreme story told to make a point. It is an exaggeration, intended to shock the hearers so they will pat attention to the underlying message.
So the master says, OK- you cheated me but I like your style. You are cleaver and resourceful.
Those are good things for a manager to be.
And Jesus says- if this manager can use his brain for wrong doing why can’t you believers use your brains for good? If this man can be so creative out of pure self-interest why can’t my followers be that creative for God’s interest? Why can’t the faithful work as hard for what they want as the worldly folks do? If only children of the light would act with as much concern for their future as this shyster did for his.
Jesus is reminding the disciples the kingdom of heaven is at hand pay attention determine your priorities and make a decision and once you have made it commit to it. How you will live in the future depends on what you do now. So what are you going to do?
During the summer the Session of this congregation had a planning meeting. We made a list of things we would like to congregation to accomplish in the next 12 months. At the top of the list was this goal- For every member of the congregation to do one thing in the church they have never done before.
The Session is asking each and every one of you to try this. I am going to ask you to let us know what you decide to do and how we can help you accomplish that.
Need some ideas?
I have a few-
Our congregation's Stephen Ministry equips lay people to provide confidential, one-to-one Christian care to individuals who are experiencing difficulties in their lives. Stephen Ministers are lay people who are trained in providing emotional and spiritual care to folks going through a rough time. Stephen Ministers walk beside a person who is hurting and they act as a caring friend who listens, prays, supports and encourages. Stephen Ministers are ready to train you to be that kind of friend.
Or maybe you would like to help in the church school. We provide you with an easy to use curriculum and lesson plan. You work on a team of several folks so you are not alone and you only have to teach once a month. This is a wonderful way to learn and grow in your own faith.
If your fear is that someone will ask a question you cannot answer, no problem. We send them to Pastor Ruth. Don’t want to teach? Join an adult class and learn.
Perhaps you have time during the week. Can you answer a phone? Update a data base? Catalogue books in the library? Make coffee for a funeral calling?
Think of something you have never done before and try it.
Consider taking part in a mission project- there are always opportunities working with refugees, School 55, Habitat, Clothe-A-Child and more. ONE WEEK FROM TODAY Interfaith Hospitality Network houses the homeless here at the church. You can volunteer to spend the night- fix a meal- drive a van- come play with the children one evening after dinner. This requires no special skills or abilities other than being nice.
Do something you have never done before even if you cannot leave home. Have you ever prayed for the church? Or knit a prayer shawl? Or cross-stitch a baptism banner?
Do you like to sing? Join a choir. John says anyone can sing and since he has heard me and still says it, it must be true.
Do you enjoy old stuff? We need a church historian to go through photos and files and organize the collection of boxes that contain the history of Northminster.
Serve communion. Be a HOST. Do one new thing.
If you go home today and honestly cannot think of anything you want to do that you have never done before, come see me or Ruth and we will help you. You’ve never done that before, have you?
Jesus says-
if a dishonest steward can use his gifts and abilities
to secure his earthly future-
how great will it be when we use our gifts and abilities
to secure our heavenly future.
Do something you have never done before.
Just one thing.
Do it with passion.
Do it with commitment.
Do it with the zeal of a shrewd manager protecting your future.
For whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.
Amen