I wonder if you have ever
thought “Christianity is pretty confusing sometimes?”
If you have I wonder
whether it might have been after you read the Gospel story we had today, or
something similar.
Sometimes there even seems
to be conflicting guidelines about it all.
A few weeks ago we skipped
over a section of Luke 12 in which we are encouraged not to worry about what we
will wear and where our food will come from.
These words are very similar to the words Matthew records in the Sermon
on the Mount – and they are good words for us, aren’t they?
It is indeed clear to us
all that we spend far too much time worry about things in the future over which
we have no control, and it is a good idea to simply trust that God will sort it
out.
This is an idea that St
Francis took very much to heart, perhaps even to an extreme. Franciscans live very much for the
moment. They practice the art of being
focussed very much in the present without worry about what has passed or about
what will come tomorrow. A story is told
of an example of the extreme to which Francis took this “rule”.
When you are living on
peasant rations, as Francis did, an important part of your diet will inevitably
be dried beans or lentils. Those of you
who cook will know that all such things need to be soaked overnight at least
before you try and cook them – otherwise they will be neither palatable nor
digestible. However, Francis took the
view that putting the beans into water to soak for cooking tomorrow was
contravening this rule of not worrying about what you will eat tomorrow.
I suppose we could do the
same to any sort of rule, really, but I think most of us get it, that we in our
time are surrounded by inordinate causes of anxiety and worry about things over
which we have not control, and the idea of shedding those worries and focussing
right in on exactly what is happening now is a good idea.
So, we are encouraged to
stop and smell the roses. We are
encouraged to put aside the things from our past that cause us to be bitter or
revengeful towards others. We are
encouraged live in this moment.
The Gospel story we have
before us today seems to be telling us something of the opposite – at least it
does if that is the right way to interpret it.
I am sure all of you
hearing it this morning would have been puzzled by the possibility that Jesus
was commending someone for being dishonest and encouraging us to do likewise if
we really want to get ahead. I know that
I did, when I first looked at it earlier this week in preparation for today.
One of the things we have
to remember when we read parables is that the content of the story is far less
important than the point of the story. Indeed,
if we think the content is the story we will be misusing it.
The story of the Good
Samaritan is not about Samaritans and Jews or priests and Levites – it is about
how to behave in a neighbourly fashion.
So, in a similar way this
story is not about behaving sneakily or even dishonestly with the things we might
be entrusted with.
I think the key thrust of
this story is Jesus telling his listeners that they would do well to make
preparation for their own wellbeing in the future – ie with God.
The shrewd manager is
commended for taking steps to ensure he had some “friends” who would look after
him when he was finally disgraced by losing his job. He knew what was coming and he took steps to
protect himself from it.
His wisdom in taking steps
to protect his future, I think, is the thing that Jesus is calling us, the
“children of light”, to make sure we pay attention to. Of course he doesn’t want us to be a sneak or
cheat with other people’s money; but he is throwing down a challenge – “And if you have
not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your
own? “
This, I think is the nub of it.
If we can be wise and astute about all the responsibilities we have in
this world, then it is a shoe-in that we will handle our sacred trusts well,
too. This is the idea that is embedded
in the COLLECT for today and which I will echo in my blessing for you at the
end of the service.
The focus of our lives should rightly be the things of God and
in this area of life we all have a responsibility to nurture our life in God,
to always be growing and developing; and
a good way to ensure we make good choices there is to practice making good
choices in the other areas of our lives.
So, a question worth asking ourselves is:
“What are you doing
today that is laying good foundations for your tomorrow?”
The kinds of things that might weigh in on this could be:
- Cultivating those gifts of the Spirit in your life – faith, hope and love etc.
- Nurturing your spiritual life by simple daily practices that keep you focussed on God
- Practising trustworthiness and wisdom in all areas of your life
- Ensuring you remain connected to that community of believers in which you are accepted and loved
- Find some small way in which you can give to others that improves their welfare – maybe as a donor but maybe as a volunteer
I don’t know what will be
right for you, but I do know that the work of the Spirit of God involves
prompting us about one thing or another like this, and if you are feeling such
a prompting, listen carefully to it and see how you can take it up in ways that
will show that you have understood what Jesus is commending in this seriously
strange but very helpful parable.
