This parable of the dishonest steward disturbs us, shocks us, and it is meant to do so.
Let’s be clear---Jesus is not praising the dishonest practices of this steward
or saying that cheating one’s boss is okay.
No way.
Rather, Jesus holds up the crafty steward for this reason---for his shrewdness,
for his creativity in finding a way to take care of his physical & social well-being.
When the steward’s physical and social well-being is threatened,
he responds with energy and a shrewd plan to provide for himself in the near future,
so people will receive him into their homes and feed him.
The steward fashions a future for himself with cunning and creativity,
so that he will not be homeless, so that he will not have to beg or do hard labor.
When our physical & social well-being is threatened, we find a way to provide for ourselves, energetically pursuing option after option, creatively finding a way forward.
Like the steward, we find a way to provide for ourselves
temporary dwelling places on this earth.
But Jesus wants us to expend the same kind of energy and creativity
when our spiritual well-being is a risk,
so that we might be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
Sadly, most of the time we are not even alert to the threats to our spiritual well-being.
In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus over and over again warns his followers
about a major threat that goes unnoticed and unaddressed in their lives—
the power of Mammon to suck the life-giving Spirit of God right out of their souls.
Mammon is not just money, but money and all the material stuff of life
that we spend so much of our energy acquiring, then protecting, and, yes, worrying about.
The inherent danger in our pursuit and protection and concern about Mammon
is that we end up serving Mammon, that it displaces the central role of God in our lives.
Instead of putting Mammon at the service of the Kingdom of God,
instead of using Mammon to serve us in our growing relationship with God,
we become its slaves—our lives revolve around it
and our spiritual life slowly withers up and dies.
Jesus wants us to be ever-more creative and energetic
in our wise use of dishonest wealth (Mammon),
so that we can be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
We need to use the same creativity as the shrewd steward
through the wise use of our dishonest wealth.
Jesus calls Mammon “dishonest” wealth because of the inherent temptations
toward dishonesty that wealth can bring about.
We do not need to look any farther than Mississippi where tens of millions
of federal dollars set aside for their welfare program were siphoned off by the governor for his pet projects, even involving a famous NFL quarterback in the scandal.
It’s not only during the prophet Amos’ time that those enslaved to Mammon
cheat the poor out of what is rightfully theirs.
It is part of the human condition and part of human history that human beings
are easily tempted toward dishonesty when handling the Mammon of this world.
In this parable it’s almost as if Jesus is saying, “Pay attention to yourself
and your use of Mammon, for you are in grave danger if you do not do so.”
The quality of discipleship he places before us today in Luke’s Gospel is wisdom,
a practical wisdom that makes creative use of our material stuff for the glory of God.
Disciples who are following Jesus up to Jerusalem do not want to be weighed down
with anxiety about stuff that they cannot take with them to the Heavenly Jerusalem.
Wise disciples know what is of lasting value and what is fleeting, and thus know
they can only serve one master and everything they have must be used in that service.
Wise disciples have a far-reaching vision;
they never forget what lies ahead at the end of the road.
With the stock market falling and inflation rising, it can be a challenge
not to be consumed by our worry about Mammon.
Plus, our consumer culture constantly tempts us to place our trust in the next new thing, and not in God.
In their pursuit of a bigger home or a newer car or the next new thing,
some parents spend much of their time working in service of Mammon
and not enough time with their children.
Material things are not bad in and of themselves---but when we end up serving them instead of God, our spirits shrivel up and die.
Wise disciples stay alive and thrive by their generous sharing of their material blessings with others.
The evangelist Luke warns the well-off Christianity community
to which he writes his Gospel of the inherent danger of Mammon.
Repeatedly the Lucan Jesus challenges the community of Luke
to be alert to the danger of placing their trust in their stuff.
In the parable of the “Sower and the Seed” what chokes the growth of the plant
is anxiety and riches and pleasure.
Then there is the parable of the man whose land produces such a incredible harvest
that his barns cannot hold the grain.
Instead of sharing his blessings with others, he tears down his old barns
and builds larger barns only to find God coming to judge his life at his sudden death.
In the parable we will hear next Sunday about the rich man and Lazarus,
a man is blinded by his service of Mammon
to the presence of the suffering beggar lying at his very gate.
These Lucan parables are gifts to our community of faith,
warning us that we cannot serve both God and Mammon,
and that we are called to wisely use the material gifts we receive in this world.
The richest person to ever live was a poor carpenter from Nazareth.
Joseph of Nazareth did not have much stuff, but he was the richest man
to walk the face of this earth—ever.
He was chosen by God to be the steward, the caretaker, of the Mother of God (Mary)
and the Son of God (Jesus).
In caring for Jesus and Mary, in protecting them from harm and providing for them
the basic necessities of life, Joseph enjoyed the superabundant riches of God’s blessings.
We have been given Mary as our mother and Jesus as our brother.
Jesus longs to free us from our slavery to things
or to whatever drains the joy of life out of us.
As we follow the example of the wise steward, St. Joseph,
by receiving the love of Jesus and Mary and loving them in return,
we are gifted with wisdom to know what is of lasting value.