God and Wealth

In this weekend's Gospel reading Jesus tells the curious tale of a dishonest manager who once fired cuts the debts people owe his master so that they will think well of him once he is unemployed. Jesus ends the story by saying,

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.

Then Jesus clases saying, "You cannot serve God and wealth."

The Rev. Lee Griess writes of this passage,

Jesus and the Rascal! That's what this morning's gospel reading is about. The difficult to interpret story of the seemingly unethical servant who is praised by Jesus. But hidden in the story is the person who knew that it was important to act, to risk and respond to the moment. How often our life of faith is cold and calculated, almost without life because we have it so well planned out.

In the parable this morning Jesus is urging us to respond to the moment, to jump at the chance to follow, to trust that God's goodness is sufficient. At the very heart of stewardship is this understanding - a trust in the abundance and goodness of God - how else do we dare to offer anything to our God if we only have a God of scarcity.

In this fascinating parable this morning Jesus want us to respond as whole-heartedly to our God and to invest as much of ourselves into the kingdom of God as the unethical servant does to save himself. Remember Jesus' closing words: No slave can serve two masters. The slave will either hate one and love the other or be devoted to one and despise the other. You can only serve one God. May our hearts trust in our abundant and gracious God alone.

You may also find meaningful, the Rev. James Kavanaugh's short refelction on this passage, The Long Run, in which he compares this passage to a recent break in and robbery at his house.