SERMON, PROPER 20C, LUKE 16:1-13

Money. What do you think of when I say that word? I am willing to bet that, if you are honest, you're feeling a little uncomfortable or having a least a few negative thoughts right about now. What is it about money that gets us all goofy? People who don't have it need. People who have it want more of it. We have fights over minimum wages that actually let people live, but nobody ever talks about a maximum wage. And is it just me, or do people get really uncomfortable when a priest starts talking about money? Hold onto that thought.

Today's gospel is one of the few parables that really seem to upset people. The first area of concern for some is that Jesus commended a dishonest man for his actions. Now you might try to rationalize his behavior, or maybe even gloss it over, but the fact remains that the guy was a thief. This is typical white collar crime and is no different than the Enron scandal or any number of church treasurers or priests who have skimmed money off the top. It's like saying, "Good job, Mr. Skilling."

Another reason is because Jesus is praising the dishonest man for his shrewdness and saying we should be more like that. Clever, shrewd, cunning, crafty, all words that we want to use to describe politicians, business people, or used car salesmen; we don't necessarily attribute those words to saints in the kingdom. But there it is, "make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth." Wow.

Let's consider these two objections. First there is the issue of dishonesty. Please note that it's not dishonesty that Jesus is praising, it's the recent actions of a dishonest man. Jesus has eaten with sinners and tax collectors and has had his feet anointed by a woman who was probably a prostitute. And in all cases, we can easily say that Jesus welcomes the sinner into his life. But those seem to be generalities. Today, though, maybe it hits a little more close to home. Maybe we see a little of ourselves in this man. Maybe it's because the sins of those unnamed sinners, tax collectors and prostitutes are so far removed from us. But let's face it; we've all been dishonest at some point in our lives. Either with our taxes, or greater than normal profits, or pens and paper from the office, you name it.

But nobody is perfect. So when Jesus looks into the eyes of someone and says, "Your sins are forgiven," or allows a prostitute to pour herself out to him, why is that any different than finding a dishonest manager and saying, "Look, even this guy did something right"? What that means is that Jesus can look at me and say, "Look, even you did something right."

The second issue is the man's shrewdness or cunning or craftiness. This bothers some people because it seems as if Jesus is advocating for Clyde's Christian Center -- "Step right up! Have I got a deal for you!"

One of my commentaries addresses this in the most wonderful way: the problem lies in the anti-cerebral bias in the church and the unwillingness, if not inability, of many to conceive of thinking as a kingdom activity.

"Thinking" is kingdom behavior. If we are going to contend in this world, if we are going to convince people this is the way to go, if we are going to store up eternal treasures, if we are going to put God first, then we must know how to deal with this world. We must be shrewd on a grander scale than just to our retirement plans, because how we handle property and money has eternal consequences.

So let's go back to your thoughts about money. How do you handle your finances? Are you holding onto every last penny out of fear; or are you, like the dishonest manager, willing to part with riches you don't really need? I've said this before, but maybe you could part with that Cadillac Escalade or Hummer or whatever that only you drive in favor of a smaller car with better gas mileage. And then donate the difference to the church or other charity. Or maybe your house is too big for you now that the kids have moved on. What are you doing with all that extra space? Maybe downsizing is in order. And those are just two extreme examples.

But as we come to the end of the year and we start looking forward to the RVEC budget, and as we start to grow, we all must consider how much we really need and how much we can pledge to these places. Our two parishes are important places, both spiritually and historically. I, for one, want to see them thrive and light up this valley.

We need to manage our resources well. We need to use our possessions to gain the future. We need to not be afraid and hold tightly to what we've got, but we need to be courageous and share the wealth. For the dishonest manager, the most important thing in his life was himself. For us, for the children of light, I would ask you to consider how important this place is and then manage your resources accordingly and shrewdly.