This morning, in our sequence of gospel readings from St Luke, we come to the parable of the dishonest manager. But 21 September is also the feast of St Matthew, the tax collector whom Jesus recruited as one of his disciples. Under the Roman government of Palestine tax collection was a privatised monopoly, farmed out as a business opportunity. That arrangement put a premium on dishonesty, sharp practice and even brutality on the part of the tax collector, who would have bought the right to collect taxes in a given area. Like a tax collector, the household steward had a great deal of freedom in the running of his employer’s affairs, freedom which he could exploit to line his own pockets as well as those of his master. I wonder what Matthew would have made of Jesus’ commendation of the dishonest manager.
Meanwhile our Old Testament reading was a reminder of just how angry the prophets could be, on God’s behalf, with those who took advantage of their position of trust to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor. They can’t wait for the Sabbath to be over so that they can get back to their nefarious trading practices. They make the ephah small (giving short measure), they make the shekel great (overcharging), and they sell the sweepings of the wheat (poor quality sold at the full price). The prophet’s robust condemnation of such behaviour is in stark contrast to Luke’s picture of a generous, loving God, as seen through the eyes of Jesus, who commends the shrewd behaviour of the dishonest manager.
In this case, the manager had over-reached himself. His rapacity had been blatant, rumblings of discontent had reached the ears of the master, and as a result he had been given notice. How to respond in a crisis is a key theme of Luke’s gospel. The kingdom of heaven has broken into our world, and men and women must decide, urgently, whose side they are on. Anticipating an early and final conclusion to history, the reader is continually urged to respond without delay to the challenge which flows from Luke’s account of the life and death of Jesus. This little story fits into that pattern. The manager has been given notice. His world has fallen apart. What is he to do? While he still has the authority, he exercises it in ways which will presumably satisfy both his master, who will get a fair return, and the debtors who will not be left destitute. Having reduced their debts, the manager will be welcome in their homes and at their tables. And the master commends him for his swift and shrewd response. Luke for his part uses the story to urge his readers to respond promptly and appropriately to the crisis of decision which faces us all as we are challenged to respond to the love which God has shown for us in the life and death of Jesus Christ.
The second half of the reading is a collection of sayings, loosely related to the parable, suggesting more explicitly how we should navigate our way through the challenges of life in a complex social economy. Our wealth may or may not have been honestly accumulated. We may have much or little. But whatever our situation we are called to behave faithfully, that is to say we are to exercise our stewardship responsibly. We cannot serve both God and wealth, or Mammon as the old translations had it.
The reference to Mammon is interesting. Mammon is not ‘money’ as such. It is the Greek transliteration of a Semitic word whose probable meaning is: “that in which one fully trusts.” So what Jesus is really saying is not just about money. It is about whatever it is that we really prize above all else. It could be wealth, but it could equally be our position in society, the respect of our peers; it could be scholarship; it could even be our family or business relationships, our membership of a respected club or guild on which we might rely for our sense of who we are and what we are worth. No, he is saying. Whether they be good, bad or indifferent, these cherished ambitions are all false gods. In the end there is only one proper focus for our devotion, and that is God, as revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Everything else is a distraction. And that place in our hearts, that place of trust and honour cannot be shared with anything or anyone else. Our love of God must be the one true light by which we live.
That is so easily said and so much harder to put into practice, but I do firmly believe that if we open our hearts to the love of God when we are faced with difficult choices, difficult decisions, we shall not go far wrong. One of the really good things about it is that it puts wealth in its place. If we have barely enough to live on, we shall find that there is just enough, and there will be opportunities to show God’s love to one another in ways that don’t depend on having a lot of money to spend. If on the other hand we do have more resources, we shall be shown how to use them responsibly to the glory of God, and for the good of his world, his children. And the same goes for our use of time and energy. God knows whether we need more rest and relaxation at the end of a long and busy day. Or whether we need to undertake some new responsibility that we have perhaps been putting off. Or we may need to give ourselves more time and space for gratitude, for praise, for worship.
Helping us to find the right balance in our lives is the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and our task is to listen to her promptings. But I think St Luke would say, don’t leave it till to-morrow or the next day. It’s urgent. In Jesus and his love the kingdom of God has broken into our world, and we need to respond now, while we still have time. Faced with the stark choice between God and Mammon, we have chosen to put God first. Now by God’s grace we have to discern how to put that choice into practice in our lives.