Amos 8:4–7
Psalm 113
1 Timothy 2:1–7
Luke 16:1–13

We moved yesterday, well actually, we are still in the process of moving. And in the process of moving you become very tired, very very tired. After engaging in quite a bit of manual labor the past few days, and for the foreseeable future – I can truly relate to the Steward in this mornings parable from the Gospel of St. Luke.

The Steward in our scripture reading has been ratted out for his use of money in the community, whether it is justified or not, and his Master has called him to account, firing him in the process.

It is here that we encounter the crisis that drives the parable. The steward like, myself, has found himself staring the reality of hard manual labor straight in the face. His other option is begging, and since he has been living the high life as Steward over his master’s property – which appears to have been quite vast based on the debtor’s original accounts – doesn’t even see it as an option.

He must act, and he must act swiftly. So he comes up with a plan that involves calling his Master’s debtors to pay up. When they come to pay what they owe, they are met with a surprising scene. Each of the three debtors are granted a discount. Now, who knows what kind of Master the steward has, or what type of person the steward’s mother swears him to be, but my guess is that this is not something that has occurred too often in their business dealings.

Now, having just been fired from his lush employment, and with the threat of physical labor, or begging for alms, looming over his shoulder – the Steward acts in his own best interests, he uses the power he still, sort of, holds an discounts the debts owed to his master, thus gaining favor with those who he has showed forgiveness of debt.

Now, I don’t know about you but if the Steward is trying to butter me up to hire him in the same position he now holds by cutting the profits I could be making, I don’t think I’d be so keen on hiring him. BUT I will remember the favor and I might have him over for a meal or give him a 5 spot from time to time.

More importantly here for the Steward he has accomplished not only possible-at-best employment, but in the systems of the old testament he has set himself up for the repayment of his hospitality shown to the debtors therein securing some sort of “third way” apart from begging or physical labor. Now you don’t have to look to far back in scripture to remember that Jesus warned us about who it is we should invite to our table for meals, you don’t have to read too far in to the Magnificat to see who God lifts up, you don’t have to be a biblical scholar to realize that something else must be happening here in this parable – or at least should be happening in this parable – that has yet to be lifted up.

That important piece for us and for the Steward revolves around the Jewish law of agency. Now the Jewish lay of Agency revolves around the premise that an agent represents its master. In regards to this understanding what the steward is accomplishing by discounting those who owe his master is in actuality heaping gratitude on the graciousness of the master– since according to the law of Agency this action must have been endorsed by the master himself. The Master is then stuck. If he retracts the discounted payment he loses the gratitude he gained by the shrewd actions of his steward, and the restoration of his honor, that he lost by having someone accused of such wrongdoings as his steward. So he does some maneuvering of his own and praises the actions of the steward and basically takes credit for what the steward has done!

So with all this said, Is Jesus calling us to use money to save ourselves when faced with a crisis? Is he instructing us to use money to our own advantage? Or is he highlighting that there is money in the world and that inevitably it will fade away – but that we can and should use it to make a few friends in the meantime?

Or is it simply the case that it is ok to do things that benefit ourselves AND others. If you drift towards the cynical end of the swimming pool then the actions of the steward & the Master may be easier to swallow.  There has been a line of thinking in the history of Christianity seeking good deeds done purely for the good of the deed, or the benefit of the other. There has been the pursuit of Altruistic deeds – but our parable story today is certainly not an example of this, BUT might it be for us a sign that not all “good deeds” come from the best or purest of motives.  Might it show us that even though money may be the root of all evil, that when it is used to the benefit of our neighbor that it may actually bring glory to God? That perhaps Jesus here is telling us that if we have money and for those of us who do, who the money should be spent to lift up, that indeed God may be praised, and that when the time comes, we will be welcomed by these same people when we enter the eternal tents, the Church Triumphant.

Amen.