Orson the deviant
This gospel reading has always made me grumpy. I could never understand how Jesus could praise someone who was dishonest, and shrewd. Today’s gospel tells us the story of “The Dishonest Steward.” Here’s how it goes. A steward I’ll call him Orson. Orson was fired because he had squandered his boss’s property. Nothing new there. Lawyer and Lawyer and co have clients like this all the time. Orson was left without a job and it looked like he would join the queue at Centrelink. He doesn’t want to fix the roads or be a tradie. Nor does he want to beg, but does he need a way to put lasagne and garlic bread on the table? Preferably with a little mouthwash to help it down. Finally, he decided to go to each of his master’s debtors, fess up and forgive a portion of their debt. And you would have thought how deceitful, what a trickster and a cad. Boy, Jesus is really going to throw the book at Orson. But not so. The master commended Orson for acting prudently. And that’s the bit I have never figured out.
Why is he being praised for being dishonest? It might help if we remember that at this time in history, agents acted on behalf of their master. The steward was praised because he collected the full amount of the debt owed to his master. The debt that was reduced or eliminated was actually Orson’s commission. So even though Orson was guilty of squandering his boss's property, he was honest in collecting the full amount that was owed to his boss.
He was also praised for being prudent. By eliminating his commission, Orson charged the debtors less and made friends with them. So they became obligated to him and became best buddies. Instead of being a victim of circumstance, he turns a bad situation around to benefit himself by making friends with the debtors. The parable does not praise dishonesty, rather it praises the ability to use our material resources wisely in a time of crisis. The steward knew he needed friends more than he needed the commission money.
This same parable also mentions two kinds of wealth—there is dishonest wealth and there is true wealth. “If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth?”
Money, worldly riches, or wealth are not bad in and of themselves. These things are simply tools for us to use in our secular society in order to buy things we need (and maybe some items we want.) What becomes bad is when money becomes the driving force in our lives. When it rules us rather than we use it cash takes on a level of importance it does not deserve. Money can be used to build churches and hospitals or to care for the poor and needy. It can also be used for illicit purposes which destroy people’s lives.
The true riches in this gospel passage have nothing to do with money and everything to do with spiritual blessings, such as love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and most importantly a relationship with God. These true riches cannot be bought with any amount of money, no matter how wealthy you are.
The other bit that begins to make sense of it all is this. “You cannot serve both God and mammon.”
If we are worshiping the almighty dollar, and money is the primary focus of our lives, then there is no room for God.
There is nothing wrong with making money or being wealthy, as long as it is a result of being a faithful steward. Using money to serve God and help others indicates you love God and you are serving him with the material blessings he entrusted to you.
It is not about the amount of money we have. It is about how faithful we are with what we have been given.
Jesus calls us to have complete dependence on the Father, not on our own economic security. All the money and possessions we have here on earth ultimately belong to God and are to be used for his purposes.
This world is temporary, yet millions of people live their lives as if this world is all there will ever be. They devote their entire lives to getting ahead in this world and accumulating all the “stuff” that seems so important, but which is, in reality, useless.
If the reason you are living is to make money for the sake of the things money can buy, then money becomes your god, and you cannot serve the living and true God.
Everything we have can be used as either a material idol to worship or a tool to spread God’s Kingdom here on earth.
Ironically the only riches we take from this world are those we have given away. Love, faithfulness and joy.