Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle C

LUKE 16:1-13
THIS GOSPEL SEEMS TO GIVE SOME PEOPLE A HEADACHE. IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT PEOPLE HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT IT, THEY ARE ALL OVER THE MAP. IS JESUS COMPLIMENTING SOMEONE WHO HAS STOLEN FROM HIS BOSS? IS JESUS TELLING US THE BOSS ADMIRES THE STEWARD WHO STOLE FROM HIM? ONE WRITER MADE UP A WHOLE STORY IN WHICH THE MASTER WAS SO IMPRESSED BY THE STEWARD'S CLEVERNESS THAT HE RE-HIRED HIM. ANOTHER SPENT MOST OF HIS COMMENTARY ON THE IDEA THAT THE STEWARD TOLD ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT THE MASTER HAD DECIDED TO FORGIVE THEM PART OF THEIR DEBT, AND SO WHEN THE STEWARD WENT TO THE MASTER TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF HIS STEWARDSHIP BEFORE BEING FIRED, HE TOOK ALL THESE GRATEFUL DEBTORS WITH HIM, AND THE DEBTORS THANKED THE MASTER WITH TEARS IN THEIR EYES, AND WITH ALL THOSE PEOPLE PRAISING HIS GENEROSITY, HE COULDN'T TAKE BACK THE MONEY, AND HE COULDN'T FIRE THE STEWARD. BUT I THINK WE LOSE SIGHT OF THE MAIN POINT HERE.
IN JESUS' TIME, THE STORY WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE TRANSPARENT. THERE WERE MANY RICH PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN CITIES, BUT OWNED LARGE FARMS OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. THESE FARMS WERE RUN BY STEWARDS. IN ADDITION TO OVERSEEING THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON THE FARM, THE STEWARD WOULD ADVANCE LOANS TO PEOPLE WHO WERE SCRATCHING OUT A LIVING ON LITTLE PLOTS OF LAND. THE LOANS WOULD BE REPAID IN PRODUCE. STEWARDS WERE NOT GIVEN A SALARY, AND IT WAS CUSTOMARY FOR THE STEWARD TO TACK ON A COMMISSION TO WHAT THE MASTER WOULD BE OWED. IN FACT WE HAVE RECORDS THAT SHOW EXACTLY THIS – THE COMMISSION ON OLIVE OIL AND WINE WAS 50%, ON GRAIN, 20%. SO AS LONG AS THE STEWARD IS THE STEWARD, HE IS ENTITLED TO A SHARE OF WHAT THESE DEBTORS WOULD EVENTUALLY PAY TO THE MASTER. BUT THAT WOULD COME AT THE END OF THE GROWING SEASON, AND THIS STEWARD WOULD NO LONGER BE IN A POSITION TO COLLECT HIS COMMISSION. SO HE WORKED OUT THIS VERY CLEVER WAY OF USING SOMETHING THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE AND COULDN'T HAVE IN ORDER TO MAKE A FEW FRIENDS WHO WOULD HELP HIM OUT WHEN HE NO LONGER WORKED FOR THE MASTER. HE IS CALLED “DISHONEST” BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT KNOWN TO THE DEBTORS, WHO ASSUMED THE STEWARD HAD A RIGHT TO DO WHAT HE WAS DOING; BY OMISSION, THE STEWARD WAS LYING. THE MASTER COMMENDS HIM, RATHER THAN THROWING HIM IN JAIL, BECAUSE HE IS IMPRESSED BY THE CLEVERNESS AS WELL – DID THE STEWARD STEAL? MAYBE YES, MAYBE NO; EVEN THE MASTER COULDN'T FIGURE THAT OUT. YOU HAD TO ADMIRE THE STEWARD.
I THINK JESUS IS TELLING A STORY SORT OF LIKE THAT FAMOUS STORY OF TOM SAWYER, WHO HAD TO PAINT A PICKET FENCE, BUT GOT ALL HIS FRIENDS TO DO IT BY PRETENDING HE WAS HAVING A GREAT TIME AND REALLY DIDN'T WANT THEM TO HELP.
JESUS' AUDIENCE ARE REALLY ENJOYING THIS STORY OF THE CLEVER STEWARD. THEY IDENTIFY WITH THIS PERSON WHO WAS LIKE THEM – POWERLESS IN A SOCIETY WHERE ONLY A FEW HAD POWER, WHO USED HIS HEAD TO GET OUT OF A TERRIBLE SITUATION.
MOST OF US ENJOY STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE WHO SOLVE PUZZLES THROUGH CLEVERNESS. WHY ARE DETECTIVE STORIES SO POPULAR? ONE OF THE THINGS DOCTORS DO SOMETIMES IS ENTERTAIN EACH OTHER BY DESCRIBING A DIFFICULT DIAGNOSTIC PROBLEM AND THEN EVERYONE HAS A SHOT AT SOLVING IT.
AND JESUS POINT IS THAT WE ALL HAVE ENORMOUS POTENTIAL TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND TO GET OURSELVES OUT OF DIFFICULTIES. WE CAN DO ANYTHING IF WE PUT OUR MINDS TO IT. AND THE GREATER THE CHALLENGE, THE GREATER THE THREAT, THE MORE SOME OF US TURN ON OUR CREATIVE POWER.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, WHAT IS LIFE AND DEATH ITSELF, WE CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT DON'T SEEM CLEVER AT ALL. MOST OF US ARE JUST CONTENT TO RUN IN PLACE; WE KEEP OUT OF TROUBLE, WE GET TO MASS ON WEEKENDS, WE GET TO THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION DURING LENT. AND YEARS GO BY AND NOTHING CHANGES.
SAINT THERESE OF LISEAUX DECIDED WHEN SHE WAS A CHILD THAT SHE WAS GOING TO BE A SAINT. THIS BECAME HER SINGLE-MINDED OBSESSION. HER CLEVERNESS WAS DEVOTED ENTIRELY TO GROWING CLOSER TO JESUS. THERE ARE MANY STORIES ABOUT HER LIFE, BUT MY FAVORITE IS THIS: ONE DAY SHE AND ANOTHER SISTER WHERE SITTING NEAR THE FRONT DOOR OF THE CONVENT MENDING CLOTHING. THE MOTHER SUPERIOR CAME ALONG AND SAID THAT SHE WAS GOING TO TOWN FOR SUPPLIES AND WOULD ONE OF THEM LIKE TO GO? THERESA REPORTED IN HER AUTOBIOGRAPHY WHAT WENT THROUGH HER MIND: FIRST, SHE FELT A DESIRE TO GO TO TOWN; THOSE CLOISTERED SISTERS DIDN'T GET OUT MUCH. BUT THEN SHE DECIDED TO LET THE OTHER SISTER VOLUNTEER; THAT WOULD BE THE CHARITABLE THING TO DO,THE ACT MORE IN KEEPING WITH THE SACRIFICIAL LOVE OF JESUS. BUT THEN SHE JUMPED UP AND SAID “TAKE ME! PLEASE, TAKE ME!” AND THE MOTHER SUPERIOR LOOKED AT HER WITH DISGUST AND TOOK THE OTHER SISTER. THERESA HAD DECIDED THAT IF SHE HELD BACK AND LET THE OTHER SISTER VOLUNTEER, SOMEONE MIGHT ADMIRE HER FOR HER SELFLESSNESS. BUT IT WOULD BE BETTER IF SHE WAS NOT ADMIRED, IF IN FACT NO ONE KNEW THAT SHE HAD ENGINEERED THINGS SO THAT THE OTHER SISTER COULD GO TO TOWN. SAINT THERESE IN A FEW SECONDS TOOK AN ORDINARY MOMENT AND MADE IT HOLY.
AND THAT SHOULD BE OUR GOAL; HOW CAN WE USE OUR CLEVERNESS, OUR ABILITY TO PLAN, OR ABILITY TO DEVELOP NEW HABITS AND SUPPRESS OLD ONES, IN THE SERVICE OF OUR FATHER'S KINGDOM? DO WE HAVE A PLAN OF LIFE? DO WE OCCASIONALLY CONSULT A SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR? DO WE DELIBERATELY MAKE TIME FOR PRAYER AND SPIRITUAL READING EVERY DAY? TO WE LIVE REFLECTIVE LIVES, WHERE AT THE END OF THE DAY WE EXAMINE WHAT HAS GONE ON AND ASK WHERE WE COULD HAVE DONE BETTER? DO WE MAKE RESOLUTIONS, AND PERIODICALLY EXAMINE WHETHER WE ARE GETTING THERE OR NOT? HOW ARE WE USING OUR CLEVERNESS TO ATTAIN OUR REAL HEARTS DESIRE, UNION WITH GOD HIMSELF.
LET US RESOLVE THAT THIS WEEK TO USE OUR CLEVERNESS TO ACHIEVE OUR HEART'S DESIRE, UNION WITH JESUS, HEAVEN ITSELF.