What is Luke suggesting Jesus
believed about “dishonest wealth”? Imagine that, in fact, all that we “have” is
in some measure dishonestly acquired, and that we are the wicked manager no
matter our intention not to cheat anyone or fail in our tasks.
Note that the parable of
the prodigal son/father precedes this story. This is significant in that in
both stories, the one who has power (the father, the rich man) welcomes and
exonerates the one who has been profligate with the riches given to his care.
The son lost it in pleasure; the manager, in cooking the books for his own
gain.
Is this not the situation
we find ourselves in? Try as we might, some aspect of our care of creation,
ourselves, our neighbors, our families, and our friends will be always wanting.
Yet, God’s compassion rules our lives in the present and in the end.
Luke 16:1-13
The parable of the wicked manager raises many
questions but offers few incontestable answers. It is uncertain whether the
master discharged the manager for incompetence or dishonesty. Given the cunning
the manager displays later in the story, dishonesty seems more likely. When the
manager can no longer continue in the service of his master, being unwilling to
do manual labor or to beg, he makes a plan to insure he will be well received
elsewhere. The manager intends to show favor to his master's debtors so that
they will be socially obligated to reciprocate. However, the story does not
state exactly what the manager did when he instructed those who owed his master
money to reduce the amount of their debt. It is not clear whether the manager
sacrificed his own fee, voided the master's unjust interest charges, or
canceled a portion of the principal due to the master. The instruction to quickly
write a bill for a lower amount suggests some sort of deception. It would seem,
then, that the wicked manager has stolen from the master not once but twice.
. . . The master (κυριoς) who commends the manager for being prudent or shrewd could
be Jesus, although it seems more likely to be the master in the story. Luke's
use in verse 9 of the formula, “And I tell you,” seems to indicate the
beginning of Jesus' message for the listener. The instruction to make friends
with mammon, together with the declared impossibility of serving God and
wealth, suggests using one's wealth to serve the purposes of God's reign rather
than caring for one's own social and financial status. Luke appears to have
included the remaining sayings concerning faithfulness and dishonesty because
of thematic similarity. – Aaron J. Couch
Amos 8:4-7
Amos angrily denounces the greed and hypocrisy
of Israel's elites. They employ deceptive and predatory business practices to
defraud the poor. They have failed to realize that faith in God cannot be
compartmentalized apart from the rest of life. Their religious observances are
a sham. Amos declares a devastating word of judgment against them. God will not
forget what they have done. They have built an affluent life for themselves,
but have caused great suffering to those they exploit. For that reason, God will
sweep their comfortable life away. – Aaron J. Couch
1 Timothy 2:1-7
The post-Pauline author offers guidance for
the church's prayer practice. When the community addresses its concerns to God,
it should pray as broadly as possible for the needs of the world. In
particular, the people of God should make sure to remember all rulers. This is
both because the well-being of the faith community is connected to the
well-being of the society at large (v 2) and because God's concern is for all
people (v 4). God's commitment to this world is revealed in the gift of Jesus
Christ who, in becoming human, has become the one mediator between God and
humanity. – Aaron J. Couch
Aaron J. Couch is a co-pastor of First Immanuel Lutheran Church in Portland, Oregon.
Homily
Service 40, no. 10 (2007): 41-49.
No comments:
Post a Comment