Monday, January 24, 2011

Proper 20, 2010

So what can I say about today’s Gospel reading other than I have no idea what to do with it. A couple of weeks ago I had to write the reflection for the St. Paul’s newsletter which we write a couple weeks ahead, and it’s preferred that we write with the week’s Lectionary readings in mind.
And whether you can believe it or not, I actually do research the passages and read commentary before I write my sermons and reflections.
Unfortunately none of my sources really had anything clear to say this time… Last Tuesday I began again the monthly Fresh Start group for newly ordained and clergy new to the diocese. As is the norm, we discussed this Gospel passage during our morning worship…none of us really had anything clear to say…
Obviously there is a temptation to look at this passage and immediately decide to preach on the Collect for the Day. Some of us might even begin our explanation with the words “What Jesus meant to say…” But the easiest solution by far is just to ignore it…except that the Lectionary of the Church doesn’t allow us.
The truth is, I do believe this to be a teaching of Jesus, whether we are talking about how a teaching like this is missing from other Gospels, or if we want to make a case for the specific arrangements preferred by the respective Gospel Writers—the point is, for all of its difficulty, I personally believe this teaching belongs.
Now when we consider the whole of Jesus’ teachings, it’s hard to place just where it fits…I mean, who wants to hear “make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth…” especially if we’re talking about the Gospel being hope for the poor.
What emerged from my own research and discussion with other clergy is that there are a couple of ways in which we can begin to approach this reading. First, we may begin by considering that this particular lesson may have such deeply cultural connections that it is hard for us to relate fully. What we may be seeing is a kind of worldly wisdom lesson that better fits with wisdom tradition—and wisdom tradition, as we know from the Book of Proverbs has no trouble borrowing from secular wisdom.
Another piece to this reading is that it is broken into a few distinct parts. We begin hearing about the dishonest steward, who proves his worth through cheating, and the whole thing ends by talking about how believers need to be more wise to the ways of dishonest wealth—but, with the caveat that we cannot serve both God and wealth. In some scholarly circles this is identified as interpolation, and would indicate that the writer, or later revisionists added a sort of internal commentary to try to make the lesson clearer. However, it seems no clearer for all of that effort. But I suppose there is consolation in knowing that even they didn’t know what to do with this teaching.
There is also the issue of trying to work through the meaning of the parable. If we’re tempted to plug-in the usual characters into the usual slots, where do we put God? Does God become the Master, while Jesus is the dishonest steward? Certainly Jesus does more than forgive a part of what we owe to God because of our sin—but this falls apart when we think about how the steward was doing what he did because he was afraid to be thrown out of his cushy position. Suddenly this sounds nothing like God the Father and God the Son.
We could try to work in the world’s economic system… Perhaps the steward is like J.P. Morgan Chase, and is forgiving debts for the betterment of the whole economy. The only problem here is that that Master and steward become the same person in a way.
A more traditional way of interpreting is to note that the steward forgives debts based on the interest that would have been charged (obviously this master was not an orthodox Jewish business man, otherwise he would be forbidden to charge interest). However, the steward, by forgiving these debts shows a kind of partiality which would need to be repaid. So, in effect, the steward will not need to dig ditches or beg. He also puts the master in a position which makes him look generous, but also keeps him from offering any retribution against the steward because then the master would lose face in society.
This works, but I can’t imagine how this is at all good spiritual advice. It explains the actions, but we’re still no closer to understanding the whole lesson.
Anyway, you can see that I’ve had a lot of time to really stew about all of this. But through all of that stewing, I’ve had opportunity to see another side to this reading.
This past week I had the opportunity to go to a follow-up meeting for IAF, the Industrial Areas Foundation. This is the oldest community organizing group in America, and they specialize in helping post-industrialized cities recover (There are some information packets on the back table, and it’s something that I think St. Alban’s should be involved in). Anyway, I went to this meeting with St. Paul’s and I was amazed at the turn-out for this meeting. It was held at Fairmount Temple (Anshe Chesed), and there were different brands of evangelicals; there was us; there were Universalist Unitarians, different brands of Judaism, and even a Muslim congregation. Honestly this was just to name a few…
We were each one given a number which corresponded to a table which we were invited to discuss with others certain issues that we felt were important to our families and our community. Of course, all of them were very similar, and each table reported 4 things which they believed to be important. These would later be compiled and a simplified list will be made and the group then will begin the process of addressing these things.
The way that this is done is by inviting public officials to a meeting in which representatives show up from these various religious groups. And basically we ask them questions and hold them accountable… Anyway, what I’m getting at is that like in the Gospel reading, we recognize that there is a system in the world that does not function as the Kingdom of God does, and while we’re told not be taken by this system, we’re no less told to learn it and learn how to live in it. This is something different from what we might expect to hear—often we’re reminded to let go of everything and turn away from the corrupt world. Well, this teaching doesn’t necessarily stand in opposition, because as St. Paul reminds Timothy, we are to pray for those in civil authority as much as we pray for ourselves. But because we hold dual citizenship in the Kingdom of God and the world, we are tasked with the responsibility to hold those in this world’s authority accountable that they may lead justly and honorably for the good of all people. Effectively we use Kingdom principles to work through a dishonest system to bring forth more equality in the world, and that is most certainly the Church’s business.
I suppose if we’re to consider the lesson in this way, suddenly there is quite a lot of responsibility placed on us as believers. We’re no longer allowed to take pot-shots at an unjust governmental system, or even consider ourselves so sacrosanct that we cannot be bothered to enter into the troubles and tribulations of national life. But then, where would we be if Jesus believed that? Perhaps in seeing how mixed-up the whole world was, he had every right to not join us in human life…
The point is, he did join us, and because we’re called to be his Body we are also supposed to learn and live in the system. And today before we leave, we’ll receive God’s blessing, but then we’ll go out with our rallying cry to “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.”
Making friends of dishonest wealth and still living as one who is dead to the world…it’s as easy as walking a razor’s edge. But in a world system that must be changed from within, it becomes the responsibility of God’s people to be the soul of that system; to pray for our leaders and hold them accountable. And if we can be faithful in that, perhaps we’ll yet see the change in the world that we all hope for…if nothing else, we can do a lot of good in our little part of the world if we’re willing to try.

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