|
Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church |
|
|
|
|
|
Eve of the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (September 22, 2007) |
Canon Richard T. Nolan |
|
[caution: I was not well when I composed and delivered this meditation/homily. It could be read as two brief sermons loosely blended. Frankly, I found the text and commentaries I consulted to be more suitable for a Bible study class than for use during a 45 minute Saturday evening liturgy (Evening Prayer/Eucharist). I was tempted to not list it online with my Reflections. However, here it is – however flawed. In any case, please first read the Contemporary English Version of the passage – after the text.] WHAT DO WE DO WHEN JESUS CONTRADICTS HIMSELF ON ETHICAL ISSUES? Another Parable Another parable - There was a rich bookie who had an accountant who was accused of mismanaging his business affairs. And the bookie called in the accountant and said, "Hey, what's this I hear about you? Turn in the books, you're fired!" The accountant thought, "What shall I do? I won't qualify for unemployment and I am too proud to go on welfare. I know what I'll do, I'll make sure that enough people owe me that I won't have to worry when I start looking for another job." He called in all of the bookie's clients, one by one. "How did you do on your last bet?" he asked the first. "I lost $3,000," the man told him. "Let me check that on the computer," the accountant said. "That's what I thought, there was a mistake in the point spread on that game. You only owe $1,500." The next man was in arrears on several losing bets. "How much do you owe all together?" the accountant asked him. "Ten thousand dollars," came the reply. The accountant smiled at him and said, "Pay me 80 cents on the dollar and the slate is clean." And so it went, until the accountant had enough people in his debt that he could be certain of landing another job. When the rich bookie found out what his former employee had done, he bought him a drink and congratulated him on his shrewdness. – adapted from John E. Sumwalt Toward Clarifications Perhaps this secular story, parallel in many ways to tonight's Reading, helps to clarify the New Testament passage. When we first encounter the parable from Luke, with its concluding comment, it seems to make little sense. It does not appear to be consistent with the values of Jesus. Our Lord looks as if he commends the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. Yet, what the manager does is clearly dishonest. He is guilty of taking the rich man's property and wasting it. It was the reason he was fired in the first place; then after he’s fired, in the rich landowner’s name he alters the bills. To understand this parable, we need to note carefully that Jesus does not hold up this dishonest steward as someone to admire. What is more, the rich man could well be among those unsavory characters who exploited others in order to accumulate his wealth! Neither is admirable. An adaptation of a helpful, brief clarification (published in 1985) comes from a now deceased Lutheran pastor and scholar: This parable is about a scoundrel who teaches us a lesson on the right use of wealth. Through the parable Jesus teaches us that we should be as wise, resourceful, shrewd, and clever as the unjust manager in our handling of money. After the parable, the reading closes with a warning that if we are faithless in handling small sums of money, we will do the same with large accounts. Jesus declares frankly that ultimately we cannot have two masters: God and money. The Christian is faithful when finances are put to use in the service of God. The surprise in this story is that instead of the dishonest manager hearing the riot act of condemnation, he is commended, praised, and congratulated. Many wonder why Jesus would use a dishonest character to teach a moral truth. Why was he commended? He was resourceful and shrewd. He did his best in a bad situation. He made the best use of the funds for his welfare and security. Jesus urges us to imitate the unjust manager (or "steward") to the extent that we wisely and shrewdly use our financial resources for purposes consistent with godly purposes. An Episcopal interpreter suggests that the disciples are to show as much intelligence in the use of wealth as the unjust manager did in his own interests. [John R. Brokhoff, Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Series C, 1985, p. 244, and the late Reginald H. Fuller, Preaching the Lectionary, rev. ed. 1984), p. 507.] Of course, there is much more to this Reading than we can touch upon within 15 minutes tonight! In most of his teachings Jesus contrasted flawed living with ideal behavior - the way people should behave with heart and mind in the fully established Kingdom of God. This parable is an instance where he suggests that we can even learn something positive from people living badly. It is consistent with Jesus' style of encouraging people to wake up, being aware of the times, taking advantage of the opportunity, and to take risks for the sake of godly living. A Larger Question A larger question that goes beyond this reading is raised by the title of tonight's sermon: "What Do We Do When Jesus Contradicts Himself on Ethical Issues?" Clearly, the Bible contradicts itself in many places. The sequence of events in the four Gospels are conflicting. Tonight we are addressing only whether Jesus contradicts himself. For example, Matthew quotes Jesus as saying (10:34-37) "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me .." Yet, according to John (14:27) he also said "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you." However, the seeming contradiction is resolved when we understand that for Jesus, the peace – Shalom - he brings is not just tranquility of mind nor the absence of struggle or conflict, but rather the presence of God’s truth spoken in love and justice, and made effective as far as possible. I suspect that Jesus' apparent contradictions are not actual inconsistencies. He either reaches into day-to-day realities for illustrations to include in his parables (as with the wisdom, resourcefulness, shrewdness, and cleverness of a dishonest manager), or he applies an issue (such as Peace) differently in dissimilar contexts.
Jesus Did Not
Design An Elaborate Ethical System of Rules; In any case, you and I need to be aware that Jesus is not an academic designing an intricate ethical system with a multitude of rules applicable to everyone, everywhere, and under all prevailing societal conditions. In tonight's Reading, he is not offering a seminar on applied ethics. In fact, neither he nor the Bible directly addresses most of the unique problems arising from societal and scientific developments of the current age. Nevertheless, in Matthew (22:37-40) he provides us with a context for discerning all moral options by means of his "Summary of the Law" – which, of necessity, I refer to frequently: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (New Revised Standard Version) This Summary is the only absolute commandment upon which all else depends during our journey toward the fullness and perfection of the Kingdom. Christ's biddings flow from the Summary to particular circumstances. From him we learn that each of us is under an obligation to promote the interests of the others with whom we come in contact, whether at home or at work. Mutual love, unselfishness, humility, equal regard, and generosity of spirit, all accompanied by God's Grace, are accentuated in all human associations. One might say that the Christian life is the loving concern for the well-being of persons under the inspiration of and devotion to Jesus and the ideal of love that he personifies. I am convinced that it is within this context (the Summary) that all of his teachings should be understood. The ethical dimension of life is not an exact science. Furthermore, we cannot directly access God's Mind. Rather, morality is an art. In his "Summary of the Law" Christ has provided us with the colors, the brush, and the canvas. In doing the right thing - painting the right picture - we may have more options than we imagine. However, as we engage in moral explorations and propose workable solutions, we should not become overconfident that we have ever reached the last word. I suspect that in all matters Jesus would offer teachings that would jolt us, humble us, guide us, and grace us to keep the pilgrimage advancing, during this, our journey toward the Kingdom of God. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE COLLECT
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
THE READING – Luke 16: 1-13 (Contemporary English Version)
Jesus said to his disciples: A rich man once had a manager to take care of his business. But he was told that his manager was wasting money. So the rich man called him in and said, "What is this I hear about you? Tell me what you have done! You are no longer going to work for me." The manager said to himself, "What shall I do now that my master is going to fire me? I can't dig ditches, and I'm ashamed to beg. I know what I'll do, so that people will welcome me into their homes after I've lost my job." Then one by one he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, "How much do you owe my master?" "A hundred barrels of olive oil," the man answered. So the manager said, "Take your bill and sit down and quickly write ‘fifty’." The manager asked someone else who was in debt to his master, "How much do you owe?" "A thousand bushels of wheat," the man replied. The manager said, "Take your bill and write ‘eight hundred’." The master praised his dishonest manager for looking out for himself so well. That's how it is! The people of this world look out for themselves better than the people who belong to the light. My disciples, I tell you to use wicked wealth to make friends for yourselves. Then when it is gone, you will be welcomed into an eternal home. Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters. If you cannot be trusted with this wicked wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own? You cannot be the slave of two masters. You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other. You cannot serve God and money. |
|