Lessons: Psalm 37:1-18; Deuteronomy 4:32-40; 2 Corinthians 3:1-18; Luke 16:1-9
To be most honest, I struggle with this parable in Luke. Even a quick search of commentaries shows I am not on to anything new. Of all Jesus' teachings, the story of the Dishonest Steward who defrauds his master to curry favor with his debtors seems oddly confusing. The man, knowing he is about to be unemployed, reduces the debt of several of the Master's debtors so they will treat him well during his unemployment. Luke who alone tells this parable concludes:
"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. 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." Luke 16:8-9
As I read this parable there are two takes that are possible. One is that Jesus is instructing his followers to use their wealth (finances) in a way that will promote God's reign. Might this be the work of charity, caring for the less financially secure members of society who may proceed us into eternal life? They then may welcome us to heaven. Or might it be buying political influence so as to shape the dishonest world toward some righteous and generous end? I am not convinced this is Jesus' or the Luken author's meaning.
When Jesus here says, "the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light," I wonder if he is not onto a wealth we hold that the world does not see as wealth. The principle gift Christians hold is the work of gracious living. I do not mean that as defined by House Beautiful or Southern Living. I mean a life that can build itself on just living and a forgiving spirit.
I picture that after the Resurrection, those hidden disciples bursting with hope discovered that what was in their modest spiritual purse was a vision of God come to us to forgive our missed moments of extravagant kindness. God outstripped us with love, "OK you have sinned, you have done what you ought not to have done and you have left undone those things you ought to have done. Here is the deal, begin again forgiven." That is the deep gift, to begin again forgiven. It is our principle gift, to forgive, to graciously forgive. And where we cannot yet do so, to tend to what might make the world we occupy more just so we can move on to forgive. What else is charitable work but an attempt to rectify the selfish wrongs of life and begin in a forgiven place to make life kinder, more reflective of God's universal love.
I grew up in the South where we ran two parallel but unequal public education systems divided by race. As a result of the Civil Rights movement we began again, if with a divided heart. We were forced to be more just and some think to reflect the universal nature of God's love in education reform. We have not undone the past yet but we have begun. Some think that the socio-economic inequality throughout this nation is another expression of this inequality haunting us. Perhaps this is an example of seeking a more just place which will forgive the past so we will find a welcome in the eternal places.
I think to of my father, not an easy man, an often selfish man, a man of some harsh ways of thinking and speaking and acting. I early realized that I did not want to be him, to reflect his unkindness. Yet there were moments when I knew he loved. There were moments when even he was instructive, caring, a provider of the essentials of life and some extravagances. I just never knew which one was going to be in charge of the day or moment.
All this came to an abrupt end in the last week of his life. As cancer worked on him and I suppose some morphine, this gentle man emerged who welcomed us all home. Forth came this man who even welcomed my sister-in-law whom he had painted as an enemy. We had never met him before, though if I scratch hard enough he was perhaps always buried there. He was deeply kind at last and funny. Because finally I met him, I have forgiven him much even if memory does not erase history. I suppose he forgave me as well. Certainly he did in those last days, forgave or forgot.
This is all that we really have in our purse, the chance to forgive and be forgiven. We have always the chance to begin again wiser by love. Jesus asks us to use it shrewdly or wisely. Other wealth, dishonest wealth perhaps, will fade away by death, will become without meaning. Who then welcomes us into eternity.
Whenever we can forgive sooner, we grow in a wealth that heals the heart. I only regret my father and I did not have more of the forgiven time...but there is eternity ahead...right now.
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