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20 September 1998
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You can imagine the scene. The wild looking man with fire in his
eyes striding down the street with determination and power. Amos
was on fire with the Word of the Lord, and it was not a happy
word he had to speak. With each step, mothers scooped up their
children and got them out of the way; men cleared a way for Amos,
averting their eyes. The weaker ones disappeared into open doorways
or ducked into alley ways. No one wanted to be around when he
would open his mouth and speak. No one wanted to hear what he
had to say.
As we heard just moments ago, he spoke clearly, without flinching: "On that day [the Day of Judgement], says the Lord God, I will make the sun go down at noon, and darken the earth in broad daylight." It will be a day of mourning, a day of bitterness, there will be a hunger and thirst to hear God's word, but God will be silent. Amos could not speak more clearly.
Our second reading, from Paul's first letter to Timothy, is equally plain and understandable. "I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity." He could not have been any clearer. And as events unfold in Washington D.C., could his exhortation be any more timely?
It is Jesus who baffles us today. You have heard me, and others standing at this pulpit, tell you that the parables spoken to those first (and ancient) audiences often turned the known world upside down. They presented unusual feats and unusual outcomes to routine matters and worldly wisdom. The parables revealed God's wisdom, God's order, God's values. The parables, because they were so accessible as stories, drew the audience in, unsuspecting, and then with godly timing, Jesus would deliver the unexpected punch line.
Today he gives us a whopper. We are introduced to a rich man. So far, no problem. We are introduced to a manager who "was squandering [the rich man's] property" and was being charged with this. His foul deed was about to be revealed, he was about to be disgraced. The accounting would show the extent of his greed and treachery. Happens all the time. I wonder what Jesus will do with this?
The manager who has been squandering his owner's property seemingly has few options: he could dig in the mines, or he could beg. Neither appeals to him. Amazingly in this parable, instead of folding his tent and simply disappearing, instead of facing his punishment, this man, before he is relieved of duties actually calls in some of the debtors and wipes out a significant portion of their debt. He virtually assures that their homes will become his haven, his place of refuge.
Drawn this far into the story we are ready for Jesus to become Amos, and speak a word of judgement. We are ready to hear what the rich man (maybe a metaphor for God?) will do with this crook who has added more wickedness to the crimes he has already committed. Let him have it Jesus!
"And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly, for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light." What? His master commended him? Have you lost your mind Jesus? The unexpected punch line delivers a body blow. We are stunned.
From everything else we have heard Jesus say, we know he is not giving us an ethics lesson here. He is not giving us permission to cheat and steal and be devious. He is not telling us to tolerate (or commend) this type of behavior to our friends and our children. So what is the point?
I am with those who believe that the point here is to be active in the face of adversity. To be creative when the kingdom is at stake, and your options seem to be limited. Jesus is holding up this story of active creativity to his followers and saying: following me is not about pie in the sky by and by. It is not about passively accepting what life hands you, not passively accepting the trashing of the kingdom, of God's dominion over heaven and earth.
Is your faith in God, in God's love, in God's power, challenged by illness? Is it challenged by setbacks in employment, a relationship that turned to ashes, children who aren't doing what you would like, parents who aren't doing what you would like, events in local politics, or in the affairs of state? Is addiction destroying you or someone you love and so presents a challenge to your faith in God and in God's power and love? Challenges to faith are many and varied.
Jesus is saying: wake up. Look around you. Scoundrels and cheats of all kinds show you what they can do and are willing to do in order to hold on to or gain a treasure that will disappear in dust and ashes. Against hopeless odds these folks know how to move into action. They are not paralyzed into submission. Learn this lesson, you have a priceless treasure in your possession. When your faith is challenged by adversity, show as much ingenuity and activity to hold on to that treasure. Don't let me hear that you gave up because it seemed you had no other options.
Paul, the Apostle, "got it." He reworded the parable when he was writing to the church in Rome. Perhaps his version of this parable is more familiar to us:
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God. . .
If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God's right side, speaking to him for us. Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death?
In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord.! (Romans 8.28ff)
And where did Paul draw his inspiration? From his Lord, Jesus Christ. Neither you nor I are asked to go where our Lord has not already led the way. Learn how to move into action with God's power? Jesus has shown the way:
He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life. Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water. Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest. Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King. Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons. Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears. Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world. Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd. Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death. — Gregory of Nazianzus, A.D. 381.
We are equal to any challenge knowing that nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord! Nothing.
Amen.
Amos 8.4-12 1 Timothy 2.1-7 Luke 16.1-13
The Rev. Daniel Rondeau
drondeau@stmargarets.org
20 September 1998
[The Sermons of the Rev. Lois Hart]