July 30 & 31

July 30, 2010

Each month church women's organization around the globe take up an offering called "The Least Coin." I used to think that this offering was uniquely Presbyterian but now that I serve a UCC and PC(USA) federated congregation I learned that this is not the case. It appears to be a ministry of Church Women United, an interdenominational organization founded in 1941 and support by 70 plus denominations. The name of this special monthly offering, The Least Coin" comes from Luke 21, the story of when Jesus and the disciples were watching people put their gifts in the Temple treasury His eye caught a poor widow who emptied her purse by dropping in two small copper coins--the smallest monetary denomination of the time and region. He drew his disciples attention to the woman and said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on." (21: 1-4) (The implication of Jesus' words is that she gave all that she had to live on for that day.) In honor of her women take out the "least coin" in their monetary denomination and offer it (usually people put in more than the least, but that is a different story). The irony is that they only take the story at face value and do not take on the spirit of the teaching!

One of the things that I talk about with couples who are getting married is finances. I tell them that money is never the real issue in a marriage, it is only a symptom of the real issue. Money and possessions represent power in our world. Jesus was aware of this because he spent more time talking about the power of money and possessions than he did any other subject including prayer. To Jesus money and possessions were spiritual barometers of a person's health. The story of the least coin is not really about money. It is about trust. Who do we trust, really trust in life? Earlier in Luke's gospel Jesus told the story of a man often referred to as "The Rich Fool." It was about a man whose barns were full and who faced a bumper harvest. He asked himself what he should do and came up with the brilliant idea "I will build bigger barns!" The man was a rich fool because rather than seeing his surplus as a tool to do Kingdom work, he thought his surplus would provide with with more security! The unfortunate and unforeseen circumstance of Jesus' story lies in the fact that the man died before the "bigger barns" were constructed.

When the children of Israel were journeying to the Promised Land they experienced a time of Divine blessing--"manna from heaven." They didn't have to do anything to receive the manna but they could not "put back" extra manna for a rainy day. Unfortunately that is exactly what more than a few tried to do, to very bad results.

The story of the Widow's Offering is a story of trust or more specifically, trust in God. Do we really believe the words of the Doxology--Praise God from Whom all blessings flow or to we trust ourselves and our own wit? This passage is not about a vow of poverty but it does raise the question "how much is enough?" The woman cast her lot, so to speak, with God's providential care. There is no indication that she went without food because of her generosity, not that her children (if she had any) went hungry. But she knew that she was more than what she had. She was a Child of God and as a Child of God she lived as generously as her Father. The question before us is this, can we go and do likewise?

July 31--Luke 22

The plot thickens. Before this chapter is finished Jesus will be betrayed, arrested and denied. In the midst of all of this, though, we have the institution of the Lord's Supper. The thing that I find most interesting in the story of the "Last Supper" is that Jesus "offers" the elements to all 12 of the disciples--even to the one who was to betray him! This is truly a sign of unmerited grace--divine and holy grace. After Jesus passed the Cup and the Bread to the disciples he observes that the one who will betray him is at Table with him, indeed, the betrayer's hand is on the Table! Not only that, but all of the disciples begin to question one another as to who it is, indicating that each one of them is capable of betrayal! Out of this questioning a dispute arises among the disciples as to which one of the was "the greatest." Peter may have been the presumed favorite one to the title of "Greatest", after all he was "the rock upon which the Church would be built" but Jesus quickly puts him in his place that saying that before the cock crows Peter will deny knowing Jesus three times! Jesus also indicates that greatness in God's Kingdom is not found in position but in service. In John's gospel Jesus gives a "living testimony" by washes each of the disciples' feet and telling them that they too must put on a servant's towel and serve.

One of the hallmarks of the Presbyterian Church (USA) is the acknowledgment that we are "saved to serve." (Book of Order, G-2.0500a) A living congregation is a serving congregation; serving one another, their community, their nation and the world! If our servanthood stops at any one of these layers we cease to grow and we become stagnate. So, for me, the question in this reading is "Am I growing in my service to God's Kingdom or have I "settled" into a comfort zone?

July 29

salm 85

The 85th Psalm is a prayer recalling God's past forgiveness. It marvels at many of God's attributes. "Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people..." The "peace" referred to is not necessarily an absence of war but freedom from internal turmoil. I recall the story of a king who awarded a prize for the greatest piece of artwork symbolizing "peace." Artists from throughout his realm presented marvelous works of art. The king narrowed his selection down to two pieces. One was a pastoral scene with a field of grain, blue skies, beautiful clouds. You could almost feel the gentle summer breeze as you studied the painting. The other work of art was also a painting but unlike the first one it was of a rocky coastline with angry crashing stormy waves, and dark lightening streaked skies.In the corner of the picture about midway down a steep cliff was a small outcropping containing a scraggy little tree. If you looked at the tree closely you saw that nestled in its branches as a tiny bird's nest. Sitting on the nest was a mother bird, hunkered down on her eggs. She was unaffected by storm swirling around her. It was the second painting that the king declared the winter because he understood that true peace is not the absence of storms but contentment in the midst of swirling turmoil.

Verses 10 and 11 celebrate the coming together of holy love and faithfulness, righteousness and peace, faithfulness and righteousness. They are God's promises that are fulfilled when peace reigns in our hearts. How do we recognize this peace? One way may be by keeping a "thanks" journal. At either the beginning or the end of a day, reflect upon and give thanks for at least 5 things for which you are thankful, for instances of God's grace in your life. It will open your eyes to God's work in your life and in this world.

July 26 - 28

The Psalms are the prayers of the soul-spirit. I've always found them difficult because, I believe, they are too honest. Every human emotion--EVERY human emotion--is reflected in at least one of the Psalms.

A few months ago I attended a continuing education event led by John Bell of the Iona Community in Scotland. He focused on the Psalms and said something that made me rethink my approach to them. He noted that they are a good discipline to "pray through" and that if a particular Psalm does not "speak" to us at the moment, try to reflect upon a time in our lives when we felt what the Psalm is expressing. If we cannot do that, then use the Psalm as a vehicle to pray for those to whom the Psalm does speak to at this time.

The 83rd and 84th Psalms are as different as night and day. The 83rd is a "national" psalm. It was written at a time of perceived national threat. It asks God to intervene on behalf of the nation. Its passion is evident in the strong language and naming of names. You may or may not be able to identify with this psalm.

The 84th Psalm reflects the joy of worship. It marvels at both the majesty of God and the Almighty's Providential care of creation. The reference to "the valley of Baca" is an unknown place but it seems to be a dry and arid region on the way to Jerusalem. This, I believe, can also be an arid place in our soul. In verses 8 and 9 we are reminded to pray for our national leaders. If it is not in your present prayer habit, I encourage you to pray for the President of the United States, your Governor, Mayor and all elected-appointed officials. I believe that the apostle Paul's advice to pray for rulers is born, at least partly, from his familiarity of this Psalm as a worship tool. It is something that we do every time we worship in the congregation that I currently serve.

July 27--Luke 19

As we saw in chapter 18, chapter 19 is full of places to stop and ponder. It begins with one of Luke's best known stories. It is so well known that there is even a children's song about it, the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus. As I read this story within the context of the gospel I am struck that it is an example of the Good Shepherd looking for one of the Kingdom's lost sheep (see chapter 15: 1-7). Was it an accident that Jesus called to Zacchaeus? I don't think so. I do not believe that Luke constructed his gospel with anything left to chance or accident. It is tightly written. In Jesus call to Zacchaeus, by name no less, we are reminded that God comes to us, calling each one of us by name. You may have never thought of this before, but the gospels it is not God or Jesus that is lost, it is us! Jesus' call to Zacchaeus is a sign of shear unmerited grace. For Presbyterians familiar with TULIP it is "unconditional election." In other words, God chose-saves us not because of who we are but because of Whose we are! Zacchaeus responded to the call by scrambling down the tree and submitting himself to discipleship. A part of his discipleship was to make a generous offering to the work of the Kingdom as well as restitution to anyone he wronged. Jesus declares his response as evidence of the presence of the Kingdom of God. A question for us to consider, has our response to the Kingdom's calling, to Jesus calling us by name affected our generosity? Do we give out a spirit of abundance or scarcity?

The second story is a parable. In it we are reminded that everything that we have--everything--ultimately belongs to God. We are only stewards of this world. God asks--requires us--to use a portion of our resources to do the work of the Kingdom. It even means that we take risks--for the sake of the Kingdom. Playing it safe, holding on to what we have, only brings judgement upon us.

The third story is remembered every "Palm Sunday." A part of the story that we seldom reflect upon on that day (verses 41 following) is when Jesus weeps over the city of Jerusalem because they do not recognize when the Kingdom of God is in their midst. I believe that God weeps whenever we act as if our main purpose is life is to do everything but the work of the Kingdom. God weeps whenever we fail to recognize the Divine's call in our lives. God weeps when we get angry at being challenged to do Kingdom work.

The fourth story--the cleansing of the Temple--reminds us that religion can become corrupt, especially when it ceases to do Kingdom work.

Please note that these last three stories build upon the unfaithful servant. We will profit to spend several days asking God to speak to us through this chapter.

July 28--Luke 20

This chapter begins with the authority of Jesus being questioned. So many times we are tempted to ignore of dismiss the challenge that Jesus presents by engaging in "theological" discussions. Jesus decided not to engage in the debate. Instead he responded with a parable of servants who killed the master's son saying to themselves that if the son is dead, the vineyard will be theirs! Sheer foolishness. Yet, don't we often respond to the Son's words in terms of how it is too costly to us?

I have a personal footnote to add. The congregation that I serve is currently partnering with an organization called "Cornerstone" based in Kampala, Uganda. Together we are establishing a home for street boys in Mombasa, Kenya. Their name, Cornerstone" is found not only in this text but in Psalm 11:22, Acts 4:11 and I Peter 2:7 (Actually, they claim that I Peter 2:7 is the source of their name.) The world's rejected are the cornerstone's of God's Kingdom. If we stop and think about this, we realize our view of reality is skewed when seen from a heavenly standpoint.

Chapter 20 also deals with paying taxes. I am sure that you have heard many sermons on this little exchange between Jesus and his questioners. I will not rehash an old sermon but I am struck by how taxes have become an anathema in our time. I find it interesting that Jesus did not say that taxes were bad or that people should find any and all means of avoiding them. He acknowledged that they were a reality. Ultimately, everything will pass except one thing, God's Kingdom.

The chapter ends with Jesus warning his listeners-readers of "religious-pious" people who talk a good talk but do not walk the walk. In other words, we need to be careful so that we do not become so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good!

July 25

July 25--Luke 18

If we try to read the Bible as if it is an assignment we risk rushing the Holy Spirit as it tries to speak to us. The 18th chapter of Luke's gospel could be studied for a full week and its depths still would not be fully plumbed. Having said that, I encourage you to read the chapter with a prayerful spirit, asking God to speak to you that which you need to hear.

Luke 18 begins with lessons on prayer. So often this passage is misunderstood and God is misrepresented. It is easy to read the first eight verses and come away with the belief that we need to be persistent in order to get God's attention. That is not, though, what the text is about. It is not a allegory but a parable. In telling the parable Jesus is using something called a "study in contrasts." He reveals this in verses 7 and 8. Unlike the widow who does not have a relationship with the unjust judge, we have arelationship with God through Christ. Unlike the unjust judge who cares for no one, God is a God of perfect love, and as I John reminds us, perfect love casts out fear. God loves us. God wants to be in a relationship with us. The study in contrast is this--if an unjust judge who cares for no one can be persuaded to do the right thing, how much more willing is God who loves you? In other words, we never need to doubt that God hears our prayers and is responsive to us. (Of course, just because God hears and is responsive does NOT mean that God can be our cosmic "Santa Claus"--but that is a different lesson.)

The second lesson on prayer reminds us that, in the words of those great theologians the Berenstain Bears, we aren't "such a much." In other words, we ought to leave the judging to God. Prayer is an act of humility. God does not "grade on the curve." The error of the Pharisee (the one that Jesus' listeners would called "religious" and "truly pious") was that he couldn't see his own "sin"--the log in his own eye--because he was so focused on the speck in the eye of "the tax collector." In prayer we invite God to help us in self-examination, to acknowledge that we are spiritually broken and in need to healing. As we are reminded in II Corinthians, God's strength is made perfect in our weakness. The more that we can empty ourselves of pride, the more room there is for God in our lives.

 

July 24

Job 11 and 12/Luke 17

Zophar, the third and last of Job's friends to speak, stridently and brashly attacks Job's most recent speech, insisting that Job's position cannot be defended nor excused.  He responds to Job's assertion that he cannot be vindicated by God on an unlevel playing field, arguing that anyone who is merely "full of talk" cannot and should not receive vindication.  Indeed, he goes on more directly to label Job a liar, questioning Job's righteousness, and asserting that God should intervene directly to condemn Job's sinfulness so that everyone would know the true Job.  After all, God knows vain, wicked, foolish men when God sees them.

 

A closer look at the text reveals that the two men are talking past each other in a significant way here.  Job's position throughout his argument has been that he is righteous in the sense that he has been and continues to be pure in conduct.  In short, he has not done anything wrong.  Zophar, on the other hand, does not focus on Job's experience nor his behavior in this sense, but rather on the incorrectness of Job's doctrine.  Job is an unrighteous liar who should not be vindicated, in Zophar's estimation, because of what he says (remember he doesn't buy the formulaic explanation for his situation that his friends have been offering) and thus apparently believes, because the doctrinal basis of his speeches is faulty.  

 

Thus, Job should confess his sinful error, restrain his speech and amend his belief, so that God, portrayed here as a kind of itinerant judge traveling the countryside to correct error and dispense judgment, might forgive him.  He should "direct his heart rightly" (verse 13)—a phrase used in ancient Jewish tradition to describe a formal meditative preparation for prayer—in his approach to God, knowing that if he does so there is hope and safety.

 

After the last of his friends has spoken, Job can restrain his sarcasm no longer.  In Chapter 12, he addresses his friends and will conclude his response in Chapter 13 with a direct response to God.  In Job's view, all of his friends' advisory speeches amount to nothing more than superficial, simplistic, irrelevant rhetoric, foolish speech that he asserts kills wisdom.  Wisdom for him comes from experience, not from sayings and formulas.  He reminds them that he, too, possesses deep understanding and is not a simpleton that they need to lecture.  He returns to his original assertion, that his righteousness avails him nothing since God seems to favor the wicked.  In other words, his experience shows that the formulaic categories are not dependable.  The good do not always prosper, and the bad do not always suffer.  Job believes that somewhere there is a more ultimate, complex kind of justice that will explain his situation and exonerate him.  He just doesn't know what it looks like or where to find it.

 

Zophar has asked that God's wisdom be directly revealed to Job, but Job responds that one need only look to nature for a clear revelation that God is the one responsible for what is happening, and in verse 9, Job makes this statement explicit by referring to the deity by name as Lord, a prelude to his direct request in Chapter 13.

 

The last half of this chapter contains a parody of a psalm or hymn to God's power, most closely to Psalm 107.  In the original psalm, the chosen people give thanks for God's power to save, provide for, heal, and deliver them from exile.  They mark God's power even to reverse the natural order to accomplish this end—which is God's clear intention.  In Job's parody, there is no natural order; God's wisdom, strength, counsel and understanding are used without rhyme or reason  without a preserving intention to tear down, withhold, imprison, deprive, and strip away from both the just and unjust with both positive and negative results. 

In Chapter 17, Luke focuses on God's kingdom.  As in the last part of the passage from Job, this chapter addresses the ordering of God's kingdom and God's power.  Jesus is passing between Samaria and Galilee, moving westward toward Jerusalem and his ultimate destiny.  Jesus opens the chapter by highlighting the peril of causing temptation, followed by sayings concerning forgiveness and faith, and the obligation to obedience as a duty to be fulfilled and not an occasion for reward.  These elements form a kind of primer on the essential elements of God's kingdom.

The miracle through which Jesus cleanses the ten lepers foregrounds Jesus' divine power, reminding the reader/listener to honor God's power.  In Luke, it is the responses to the miracles that Jesus works rather than the miracle itself that becomes important.  Here only the Samaritan leper, a foreigner, offers thanks.  This concrete example precedes a long discourse in which Jesus declares the kingdom's availability. While the questioners in this section assume a kingdom that will bring material and political benefits, Jesus shifts the emphasis from this kind of future expectation to the concrete, observable presence of God's kingdom in his own ministry.

Starting with verse 22, Jesus marks the events associated with the day of the Son of Man, the Kingdom's future manifestation.  As we might imagine, the questioners want more specifics.  They want to know where the Messiah and his people will be located.  Instead of answering the where question, Jesus answers the when and how questions, which he deems to be more essential.  The coming will be sudden and discernable, so the questioners should always be prepared.

·         How do we understand God's justice in our world today?  Does the working of this kind of justice matter anymore?

·         How do we see God's intention revealed in God's creation?

·         Presbyterians do not often focus specifically on the Second Coming in the ways that other more fundamental denominations or fellowships do.  How does the prospect of the Second Coming influence our understanding of and approach to mission and ministry in our daily lives?

---------------------------------------------

Since this is my last blog entry, I want to express appreciation to all the folks at the Williamsburg church for the invitation to be a part of this incredible experience.  It has been an honor and a joy.  I look forward to reading the coming blogs in the days and months ahead.

 

Grace and peace, 

Rebecca Blair, Stated Clerk                                                                                                                       

 

July 23

Job 9 and 10/Luke 16

It is curious and perhaps fitting that Job's suffering is occasioned by the deal between the Accuser and God, for accusation forms the center of poetic dialogue here.  Accusing Job of not properly seeking out God or expressing remorse for his misdeeds, Job's friends doggedly believe that Job's suffering is somehow deserved as an expression of God's justice.   And the more his friends stridently declare this position, the more Job vocally accuses God.  His response to Bildad in Chapter 9 begins with his assertion that even if he were to approach God seeking vindication, the playing field on which he would contend with God is not level since God possesses ultimate power and advantage. 

 

Returning to the earlier observation from Eliphaz that no human can be righteous, Job asserts here that no human can be just—in other words, that no human can be declared innocent before God.  Indeed, Job 's response contains several verses of poetic idioms (including a second reference to God's power over Rahab, the mythological sea monster who represents cosmic chaos), figures of speech to describe the might and splendor of God's power within God's creation.  In verse 15, Job laments that "though [he] is innocent, [he] cannot answer" God because God would not listen, and justice becomes perverted when the innocent victim must plead for mercy with a wrongful accuser.  In fact, much more is at stake here than we may imagine since, as we have seen in the formulaic understandings of justice held by Job's friends, the universe for ancient Israelites is clear delineated to mark the righteous and the wicked, those who deserve suffering and those who deserve prosperity.  Job's claim that God destroys both wicked AND righteous human beings blurs these categories and denies that such a clear, grand moral order even exists.

 

In Chapter 10, Job continues his forthright argument, which his friends regard as blasphemous, by declaring that he "will say to God,   Do not condemn me; let me know why you contend against me" (verse 2).  He is deeply distressed that God would oppress him, one of God's human creations, when God knows that Job is not guilty and that there is no one more powerful to contend with God in order to save Job.  Job again lays out his case using legal form and poetic language.  God has created him and cared for his spirit, yet now God perversely watches him and "bold as a lion" hunts Job.  And so Job stops asking, "Why?" or even "Why me?" at the end of this chapter, asking God instead to simply let him alone that he may die in a little peace.  Stephen Mitchell comments on Job's response, observing that while probably blasphemous, his words are honest and true, expressing a deeper innocence and uprightness that God notes and approves at the end of the narrative in the epilogue.

 

·         Is Job acting faithfully here in the midst of his torment?

 

Luke, Chapter 16 also addresses human fortune, both in the literal and figurative senses.  The first half of the chapter discusses actual monetary wealth as Jesus offers the parable of the dishonest manager, followed by a series of sayings concerning wealth and faithfulness, to offer a lesson on stewardship.  We may wonder why Jesus chooses an obviously dishonest person to feature in a story about stewardship, especially one who takes it upon himself to slash the bills of his master's creditors and is commended for his shrewdness.  What point can Jesus be trying to make here? 

 

On the surface, it looks as if Jesus is applauding the self-serving fraud that the manager has committed.  He knows he will be put out of his job, so he ingratiates himself with his master's debtors by slashing their bills so that they will welcome him in their homes.  Yet, it is not fraud itself, but the manager's foresight and perseverance that Jesus wants us to note.  Those in the world, like this manager, choose unworthy goals to pursue, but they pursue them with care, shrewdness, and commitment.  In contrast, "children of light," those who are spiritually enlightened may understand that they are merely stewards of all that God has provided, but, Jesus cautions, they need to take a lesson from those of the world as to HOW they steward God's provisions.  Jesus advises the children of light to learn this wisdom from the children of darkness, those concerned only with worldly pursuits, so that those who have received true riches in the form of spiritual blessings may more carefully and earnestly steward this more worthy treasure of which they have been given charge.

 

Jesus also adds an important footnote, lest we try to have it both ways.  We must choose.  Either our focus is on earthly mammon (Semitic for "that in which one fully trusts) or upon our trust in God.  In the last half of this chapter, Jesus emphasizes this choice through a parable contrasting earthly and spiritual fortunes.  Both an unnamed rich man and a poor man named Lazarus, who begs at the rich man's gate, die.  The rich man is buried while the poor man is carried away by angels.  The rich man ends up in Hades, experiencing torment, not because he is especially evil and not because he has deliberately treated anyone cruelly or abusively, but rather because he is indifferent to the needs of the world around him, represented by Lazarus at his gate.  Without fully realizing it, he has made a choice—a choice that cannot be altered after the fact, but one which can be crucially and beneficially informed by reading and understanding God's word.

 

·         How might we be more shrewd stewards of what God has provided?

·         What in our worlds absorbs most of our time and attention?  How can we be wise stewards who make good choices within the context of today's world?

 

July 22

Job 9 and 10/Luke 16

It is curious and perhaps fitting that Job's suffering is occasioned by the deal between the Accuser and God, for accusation forms the center of poetic dialogue here.  Accusing Job of not properly seeking out God or expressing remorse for his misdeeds, Job's friends doggedly believe that Job's suffering is somehow deserved as an expression of God's justice.   And the more his friends stridently declare this position, the more Job vocally accuses God.  His response to Bildad in Chapter 9 begins with his assertion that even if he were to approach God seeking vindication, the playing field on which he would contend with God is not level since God possesses ultimate power and advantage. 

 

Returning to the earlier observation from Eliphaz that no human can be righteous, Job asserts here that no human can be just—in other words, that no human can be declared innocent before God.  Indeed, Job 's response contains several verses of poetic idioms (including a second reference to God's power over Rahab, the mythological sea monster who represents cosmic chaos), figures of speech to describe the might and splendor of God's power within God's creation.  In verse 15, Job laments that "though [he] is innocent, [he] cannot answer" God because God would not listen, and justice becomes perverted when the innocent victim must plead for mercy with a wrongful accuser.  In fact, much more is at stake here than we may imagine since, as we have seen in the formulaic understandings of justice held by Job's friends, the universe for ancient Israelites is clear delineated to mark the righteous and the wicked, those who deserve suffering and those who deserve prosperity.  Job's claim that God destroys both wicked AND righteous human beings blurs these categories and denies that such a clear, grand moral order even exists.

 

In Chapter 10, Job continues his forthright argument, which his friends regard as blasphemous, by declaring that he "will say to God,   Do not condemn me; let me know why you contend against me" (verse 2).  He is deeply distressed that God would oppress him, one of God's human creations, when God knows that Job is not guilty and that there is no one more powerful to contend with God in order to save Job.  Job again lays out his case using legal form and poetic language.  God has created him and cared for his spirit, yet now God perversely watches him and "bold as a lion" hunts Job.  And so Job stops asking, "Why?" or even "Why me?" at the end of this chapter, asking God instead to simply let him alone that he may die in a little peace.  Stephen Mitchell comments on Job's response, observing that while probably blasphemous, his words are honest and true, expressing a deeper innocence and uprightness that God notes and approves at the end of the narrative in the epilogue.

 

·         Is Job acting faithfully here in the midst of his torment?

 

Luke, Chapter 16 also addresses human fortune, both in the literal and figurative senses.  The first half of the chapter discusses actual monetary wealth as Jesus offers the parable of the dishonest manager, followed by a series of sayings concerning wealth and faithfulness, to offer a lesson on stewardship.  We may wonder why Jesus chooses an obviously dishonest person to feature in a story about stewardship, especially one who takes it upon himself to slash the bills of his master's creditors and is commended for his shrewdness.  What point can Jesus be trying to make here? 

 

On the surface, it looks as if Jesus is applauding the self-serving fraud that the manager has committed.  He knows he will be put out of his job, so he ingratiates himself with his master's debtors by slashing their bills so that they will welcome him in their homes.  Yet, it is not fraud itself, but the manager's foresight and perseverance that Jesus wants us to note.  Those in the world, like this manager, choose unworthy goals to pursue, but they pursue them with care, shrewdness, and commitment.  In contrast, "children of light," those who are spiritually enlightened may understand that they are merely stewards of all that God has provided, but, Jesus cautions, they need to take a lesson from those of the world as to HOW they steward God's provisions.  Jesus advises the children of light to learn this wisdom from the children of darkness, those concerned only with worldly pursuits, so that those who have received true riches in the form of spiritual blessings may more carefully and earnestly steward this more worthy treasure of which they have been given charge.

 

Jesus also adds an important footnote, lest we try to have it both ways.  We must choose.  Either our focus is on earthly mammon (Semitic for "that in which one fully trusts) or upon our trust in God.  In the last half of this chapter, Jesus emphasizes this choice through a parable contrasting earthly and spiritual fortunes.  Both an unnamed rich man and a poor man named Lazarus, who begs at the rich man's gate, die.  The rich man is buried while the poor man is carried away by angels.  The rich man ends up in Hades, experiencing torment, not because he is especially evil and not because he has deliberately treated anyone cruelly or abusively, but rather because he is indifferent to the needs of the world around him, represented by Lazarus at his gate.  Without fully realizing it, he has made a choice—a choice that cannot be altered after the fact, but one which can be crucially and beneficially informed by reading and understanding God's word.

 

·         How might we be more shrewd stewards of what God has provided?

·         What in our worlds absorbs most of our time and attention?  How can we be wise stewards who make good choices within the context of today's world?