By comparison, last Wednesday, with the parable of the lost sheep and the prodigal son were, was easy. This week, the parable of the dishonest steward raised all kinds of questions. Here is a man who is caught cheating and before he is dismissed by his master, he alters the book so that people will owe his master less and think well of him. The master finds out and commends the dishonest steward for his shrewdness. What do we do with such a parable? Even Luke seems to have difficulty by following the parable with verses 10-13. He doesn't want us to get the wrong idea. For Luke, the point of the parable is not that we are to be dishonest. Luke makes it clear that if you are dishonest with even a little, you will be dishonest when the stakes are higher. And if you are dishonest, who will entrust you with the true riches?
Of course, this leads us back to the original parable and all the difficulties the story holds. It certainly is not an allegory. God is not the rich man commending the dishonesty of his steward. The story is not an example of how we are to live our lives. We are not to be dishonest with money in order to make friends. So what is the point? The discussion focused on seeing the big picture. Jesus is saying that even the people of this world know how to use the gifts they have. The steward knows how to play the game. He cheats by altering the books. He uses his gift. He knows he is not strong enough to do labor. He is too proud to beg. But he knows how to cook the books. As people of faith, we have been given many gifts. How often do we use those gifts? How often do they sit on the shelf? How often do we wait? If even a dishonest man knows how do use his gifts, shouldn't we use the gifts that God has given us? Earlier in Luke, Jesus talks about salt losing its saltiness. The only way salt loses its saltiness is if it is not used. We need to use the gifts God has given.
One final note, the beauty of scripture is that scripture opens so many unexpected doors. One person in the group saw in the parable letting go of some things in order to open the future. A hundred measures of oil owed becomes 50 measures of oil. Sometimes we hold on to set beliefs or grudges that keep us from reconciling with others, that keep doors locked that should be opened. Sometimes we need to let go. The group enjoyed this surprising insight from this parable. Who knows where the Spirit will lead you as you spend time with God's word?
Peace,
Pastor Summer
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