Amos 8:4-7; 1
Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13
This Gospel text is one of those
that have preachers scratching their heads and looking at the other bible
passages for the day, to see if there is a better choice. But, we’re sort of
stuck with this one, because the Amos and Timothy texts reinforce the message
of the Gospel.
There is a man who owns a big company.
Let’s say it’s Publix. He buys and sells a variety of foods, wholesale. He buys
in large quantities, and sells to local stores. The parable mentions olive oil and
wheat, though they could also deal in foods such as barley and figs and almonds.
His
manager has been mismanaging the accounts. We might say he has been cooking the
books, and now he has been caught, and he is worried. If he is simply fired, he
loses face, reputation, in the community. He wonders: How can he support
himself and his family? He is not strong enough to do manual labor, and he is
too proud to beg. 
But he is
a quick thinker and figures out a way to save himself. He partners with his vendors
and offers to reduce the amount of product they owe. It seems the vendors owe
more product than they can provide, so when he reduces the amount they owe,
they are happy. They are also obligated, in a way indebted, to the manager, and
will welcome him into their homes even if he is fired.
The rich man also learns what the
manager has done, more cooking of the books. But instead of sending him to dig ditches or cut
stone in the quarry, which is what we would expect, he praises him for this creative
solution.
Why does it seem that Jesus applauds
the manager when he has just defrauded his master? There are several parables
that Jesus tells where it doesn’t matter that the people spend or reduce the original
capital. In God’s economy, money is a tool, not a substance to be held, saved,
even hoarded. Money is there to be used for God’s purposes.
We have
this saying, that we will do whatever it takes to make something important to
us to happen. Jesus did whatever it took, and continues to do whatever it
takes, to let us know God loves us. Leaving behind the glory of heaven, walking
among us as a human, healing, preaching, and suffering and dying, Jesus did
whatever it took for us.
The manager does whatever it takes
to save himself. When someone we know is ill, we do whatever it takes to get
care for them. The people of the Bahamas and Mexico Beach are doing whatever it
takes to return their lives to a new normal.
Congregations, too, need to do
whatever it takes to be vibrant centers for mission in their communities. But
they usually can’t do everything. Most congregations are like St Matthew’s,
trying to figure out how to do everything they used to do. Or trying to figure
out what will work today, considering the people and funds they have available,
today.
I have heard people say they don’t
have any good ideas. I have heard people say that they are not important. It is
so very essential that everyone here does whatever it takes to shape an
accurate image of the interests, passions and gifts of the congregation.
I have a couple stories to share
about women who did whatever it took in the congregations they belonged to. The
first is Helen. She died a couple of years ago, at age 96. We were at a
congregational meeting, with not enough candidates for the Council. Helen
raised her hand and asked, “Can a 90-year-old woman contribute anything?” Of course
she could, and we elected her.
And what we discovered was that
although Helen didn’t speak often, when she did speak, we listened. Helen was
the voice of wisdom and calm in an anxious meeting. She offered perspective
when it was hard to see beyond the moment.
Sally was an older woman who reluctantly
offered her opinion. The organist and Sally and I were selecting music for worship
for the next month. While I don’t sing well, I enjoy all sorts of music. Because
I’ve been at lots of conferences, I know a lot of hymns and songs. The organist
knew a lot, too, naturally.
So, I would say, “How about this
one?” and name a hymn. The organist would say, we could do that. Sally would
say, “I don’t think I know that one.” I found the hymn on the computer and
played it for us. When I looked at Sally, I knew that it would be a big hit or
that it wasn’t going to go well. While Sally didn’t think her opinions were of
any value, she let the organist and me know how the congregation would probably
respond to our choices. It may seem like a small thing to Sally, but her contributions
helped the organist and I do what it took to plan worship that brought joy, not
frustration, to the Sunday morning.
For St Matthew’s Lutheran Church to
thrive, we need to hear all of your voices. We need to work together to
envision a future. We need to listen to each other and to God in order to know
where God is calling us now. We each need to be willing to do whatever it takes
to move with God into the next adventure at St Matthew’s. We may even need to
be as creative and determined as the manager was.
Please stay this noon for lunch and
the opportunity to have your voice heard. Be willing, today, to do whatever it
takes to be part of the process of calling the pastor God has in mind for you. And
continue to pray often for this congregation as we continue through the
process.
Amen
