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“A Huge Amount for All”
Jeremiah 8:18-9:1; Psalm 79:1-9; Psalm 113;
1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13;
Rev. Sandy Nuernberg
Oakland-Cambridge Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, WI
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time -
Native American Day
September 23, 2007
Please pray with me, O
God, as we ponder Your Word for us this day, give us your grace and wisdom,
and move your Holy Spirit among us, that we might focus our attention on
your wishes for our lives. Give us time to do all the things you wish of us
well, and to find time to spend what you give us on things that matter. We
pray in your Son’s Name, AMEN.
Just over five years ago,
commuting to seminary on the south-side of Chicago, I remember thinking about my
surroundings: getting to know my neighbors, parking, where the Post (mailbox)
was located, parking, groceries or delis close-by for meals, and parking. The
University of Chicago in Hyde Park does not have parking meters near campus;
signs are posted for cleaning the streets–summer and winter. Students used what
seemed a huge amount for all of street parking, given the rules and cautions.
One of my mentors, my pastor, had
warned me repeatedly about safety in this area; locking my car, leaving nothing
in it visible to passers-by, generally being aware of the area I lived in–it was
not Madison. She told me there were robberies, muggings, stealing and dishonesty
that, even as seminarians, needed our awareness. I grimaced when told not to
walk back to my apartment alone after class at night–we had evening classes
regularly for Chicago commuters that worked in the day; I was attentive to
professors not walking to their places alone. Today, I believe knowing these
physical and social ways of life helped me survive this rigorous travel to and
from seminary; my spiritual senses and ways of life were being instructed in
classes, but I felt reasonably secure, even though I was in unfamiliar
surroundings.
In order to survive in this
atmosphere, these surroundings which were new and different for me for two
years, I knew if I wanted to become a successful pastor, I had to think
seriously about these warnings. I thought at the time these outside ‘forces’ had
nothing to do with passing my Hebrew and Greek classes. Thankfully, in the time
period there, we had record low snowfalls, I found parking close by to watch my
car day/night, and I read the cautions on my lap-top of altercations and
burglaries close by; I received two parking tickets in all my time there. But
I’ll never forget; it seemed to be a ‘survival’ environment as there were always
local police on the streets, pole stations in every block to call 911, and
always, always hearing an abundance of sirens. This as life in the windy city.
In this post Pentecostal season of
ordinary time we are selecting lessons from the scriptures in developing our own
Christian discipleship; we are learning how the Spirit within us is leading us
to new growth in our faith and consequently giving of ourselves in relationship
to God and to others. Just think, we have learned of a huge amount for all as
we’ve tackled the Holy Spirit in our lives with sermon topics; freedom of
choices, speaking the truth in love, inheriting everlasting life, hospitality,
humility, and honor to all, our consciousness in praying, receiving and giving
for our wholeness, and today finding wisdom from dishonesty, all of these in the
nature of our faithfulness as Christian disciples.
Jesus’ parables have fascinating
examples of life for his disciples, as well as for our times, I believe. They
make us squirm, but these lectionary texts have their purpose, physically,
socially, and spiritually! This one in Luke is a real tough one–it’s difficult
for us. The dishonest steward in Luke takes me right where I don’t like to go;
out of my comfort zone. In pondering this text, on the surface it sounds
deceptive, demoralizing and I asked myself, in all honesty, “How can Luke, that
great physician and author, and how can Jesus, the Son of God, propose
dishonesty?” For we are told, “....his master commended the dishonest manager
because he acted shrewdly,” (v.8). We know
this is contrary to our own mind of thinking in honest terms; yet Jesus, in all
spirituality, denies money and accentuates faith, one is tangible, we know the
other is not. In today’s world, haven’t we read, heard, wanted to experience
those who are of wealth? Surely money and wealth go hand-in-hand?
I suggest reading Luke if you want
to get a different twist, if you want to squirm, on possessions and their
connection to faith. Jesus has numerous examples of caring for our possessions
wisely; the rich fool (12:13-21), your
opponent (12: 57-59), the lost coin
(15:8-10), the prodigal son
(15: 11-32), the rich man and Lazarus
(16:19-31), cleansing the temple
(19:45-47), taxes
(20:20-26), and tax collectors (21:1-4).
Weren’t all the entanglements with Jesus and the Pharisees, their greediness? In
today’s world, I also have heard, as have you, “They might be wealthy but are
they happy?”
In complete surprise Jesus offers
advice to both the manager and the steward in the use of their possessions; they
are shrewd, astute in their actions. In their quickness, their fastness, the
shrewd steward can’t work (dig) or won’t beg and uses his master’s wealth to
salvage his own worth from loss of a job and cuts deals with those in debt,
probably going deeper in debt himself, but we aren’t told. The master (manager),
another clever and sly fox, ‘commends’ the shrewd steward’s dishonesty and
attempt at survival with his debtors; after all isn’t survival in scrambling for
what is closest and what we think is best, even at the cost of others, even what
makes us happiest? Not so, says the wise Jesus Christ to his disciples and
listeners! Jesus teaches us of physical means to help us live ‘in the Spirit.’
In all of this, if these
unfaithful scoundrels were wise to their own physical and social skills, where
is their shrewdness in being lead by the Spirit in their use of their
possessions? The wiseness of Jesus prevails in his advice in the next five
verses (9-13), “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
(v. 9, my emphasis). What Jesus is telling
us is to faithfully, physically give our alms; our money, food, and clothing to
the poor and we’ll be glad we did, because when we die, what is our own is
important. It’s our spiritual Oneness with God in eternity, that’s what we have,
not our physical, material wealth we can’t use. Whoever is ‘faithful’ in much,
Jesus tells us, very ‘much’ is better, ‘true riches’ come, and you get ‘what is
your own.’ It is for our own greater good; our own spiritual wholeness is in
attaining God’s Kingdom!
The completion of this story is
rather astounding in that they had to then, we have to today; choose wisely what
is most important and then, stick by it. “No slave can serve two masters”; we
can’t be devoted to one and despise another; possessions aren’t instead of or in
place of our God, we ‘can’t have our cake and eat it too.’ Yes, possessions do
find security, safety, and even sometimes notoriety, but do they last?
The good news of the Gospel for us
is that we can be lead to use our possessions faithfully, physically, correctly,
and wisely, it seems, through spiritual guidance and discernment. In making
friends with our wealth, we do have contact with those dishonest in this secular
world; our time, talents, and treasures are shared, but we are also
communicating, listening for God’s guidance, and securing our spiritual
existence.
We are forming and firming a
hard-core foundation of our life in Christ, our spirituality within our
relationships and in our community; in our world and local mission, in our
stewardship, in our theology and worship together. Our grounding is in God’s
Spirit within us. God’s use of our wealth in leading us in the Spirit is our
survival; physically, socially, and spiritually. “Whoever is faithful in a very
little is faithful also in much.” Christ offers us a huge amount for all in
Christ’ faithfulness to us; we need only abide and be faithful, One in the
Spirit.
Thanks be to
God. AMEN.
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