“Living With Our Choices” – Luke 16:1-13 – September 23, 2007

When I hear this story it reminds me of my career in business. Before I entered the ministry I worked for a company that distributed medical supplies and equipment. At one point I was a regional comptroller. My job was to travel to different branches and straighten out their books. This was early in the computer age and some of the branches were using a “balance forward” system instead of a monthly statement. This was confusing to our customers because they all paid by invoice.

A few of our managers were more interested in making sales than keeping the books. Over a period of several years there were a number of accounts where the unpaid balances ended up in the thousands of dollars. I would travel to the different sites, reconcile the books and settle accounts. Some of the larger accounts would take months to reconcile therefore the corporate office instructed me to do whatever I could to make our customers happy. So, for the larger accounts I negotiated a settlement which was usually about 50% of the balance.

I was able to recoup thousands of dollars for the company and at the same time get the branch accounting systems back in line. My boss was grateful for my hard work and eventually I was given a promotion. A few years later, after I had left the company, I learned that they had sold all their assets to a competitor.

I can fully understand why the master in this story was eager to have his manager settle up the debts that were outstanding. It meant that he would receive at least a partial return on uncollectible accounts. That would improve his cash flow and keep him in business. It also meant that accounts which were outstanding would be resolved. When you consider the markup and interest, it was very likely that his losses were minimal, if any at all.

Scholars disagree on the translation and meaning of the story. Some say that “shrewdness” is a justifiable character of what it means to be a disciple. Others would say that when it comes to the kingdom of heaven, drastic measures are sometimes necessary. Eugene Peterson in, “The Message,” says this: “The master praised the crooked manager. And why? Because he knew how to look out after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way, but for what is right.”

I think Peterson is stretching the story just a bit. The manager was not a street person. He was very much middle class, totally aware of his power and fully capable of making a good living. As a comptroller I was basically in mid-management. I was working with managers, bookkeepers and hospital accountants. Unfortunately, slopping bookkeeping was affecting the company.

There was sloppy accounting procedures in this story too, But the main problem was the fact that the manager in the story was in a jam. He had to make a choice. On the one hand he could do nothing and lose his job and personal reputation. On the other hand, he could take a risk by making a sacrifice with no guarantee that his job would still be available.

The story of the shrewd manager is a controversial one. There are a number of ways to interpret it and verse 9 is confusing. Why would Jesus tell us to “make friends with dishonest wealth?” Is he saying that it’s okay to use practices like money laundering and extortion as long as the end justifies the means? Is he saying it’s okay to be like Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor? No, I don’t believe that is what Jesus meant.

Jesus could have been referring to the Torah. In Deuteronomy 23:19-20, it reads, “You shall not charge interest on loans to another Israelite, interest on money, interest on provisions, interest on anything that is lent.” Perhaps this is why the manager told his clients to change their bills. This did two things: (1) It made the debt of each debtor smaller, thereby enabling them to make their payments and (2) It enabled his master to receive partial payment which would have been better than nothing at all. It apparently worked and the manager was commended for his shrewdness.

When I settled the accounts in my company I had to make some difficult choices. Salesmen complained because it affected their commission checks. I also had to confront managers who were in denial about their branch finances. It wasn’t easy. One manager and several bookkeepers lost their jobs. However, it wasn’t because of dishonesty, it was just plain carelessness and incompetence. I didn’t make a lot of friends at first, but in the long run I helped keep the company in business which helped many people retain their jobs.

In our society thousands of people are losing their homes because of foreclosures. They can’t pay their mortgage rates which are higher now then when they first obtained a loan. Some banks show no mercy while others are going out of their way to help people keep their homes. The last thing a bank wants to have is to have thousands of empty houses with no buyers. They rely on those monthly mortgage payments to underwrite their investments.

I believe this story is about making choices. The manager had to decide whether or not to make it easier for debtors to pay their bills and risk losing his job, or resign and do nothing. Remember that this story follows the story of the elder brother of the prodigal son who didn’t want to go to his “forgiveness party.” He was choosing to stay away because, “right was right.” He didn’t want to have any part in a celebration where incompetent behavior was rewarded with mercy.

Here, the master showed mercy for his manager. The manager was incompetent but at least he acted. He made a decision and he was merciful to the debtors. Whether or not he got to keep his job we don’t know. Neither do we know if the debtors actually paid their bills. What we do know is that Jesus used this story to confront the stingy behavior of the Pharisees. Notice that in the following verses it says that “The Pharisees were lovers of money…and God knows what is in their hearts.”

When it comes to making choices Jesus is saying that we are to choose to be merciful. The manager’s decision to write off debt would result in fewer profits for his master. But, more importantly his actions enabled reconciliation and resolve. The accounts were settled.

It has been my experience in counseling people that most of their problems are due to unresolved issues in their lives. Perhaps they have never let go of something. Perhaps they have not been able to bring closure to something that afflicted pain on their lives. Or, maybe they haven’t been able to accept something they couldn’t control. They may be harboring feeling of guilt or shame or even judgment. What they need to get on with their lives is resolve.

Choosing to be faithful is risky business. We don’t have anyway of knowing how things are going to turn out. We act in faith, trusting that God will be with us. From the story we learn that faithfulness can have a lasting effect, therefore preparing us for life in the kingdom.

The story doesn’t tell us the outcome. Instead, Jesus concludes the parable with these words; “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much…no slave can serve two masters…You cannot serve God and wealth.” He said these words because he doesn’t want us to have to be in the same predicament that the manager was in. The smart, day-to-day choices we make when it comes to handling our financial affairs can have positive long-term results.

We all live with the tension of making decisions. There will be times when we find ourselves in a double bind, a situation in which both outcomes seem negative. When in doubt, Jesus is saying to error on the side of mercy. For when we are merciful we are faithful.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul's UCC, Sidney, Ohio