Scripture/Sermon of the Day.  September 18, 2022

Luke 16:1-9

The Story of the Crooked Manager
16 1-2 Jesus said to his disciples, “There was once a rich man who had a manager. He got reports that the manager had been taking advantage of his position by running up huge personal expenses. So he called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? You’re fired. And I want a complete audit of your books.’
3-4 “The manager said to himself, ‘What am I going to do? I’ve lost my job as manager. I’m not strong enough for a laboring job, and I’m too proud to beg. . . . Ah, I’ve got a plan. Here’s what I’ll do . . . then when I’m turned out into the street, people will take me into their houses.’
5 “Then he went at it. One after another, he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 “He replied, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’
“The manager said, ‘Here, take your bill, sit down here—quick now—write fifty.’
7 “To the next he said, ‘And you, what do you owe?’
“He answered, ‘A hundred sacks of wheat.’
“He said, ‘Take your bill, write in eighty.’
8-9 “Now here’s a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look 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—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you’ll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior.”
Reflection/Sermon:

I.       There’s been a story in the news recently that seems like such an act of genius, it’s something that Jesus could have used in one of his stories — like the one we just read.  Listen to this:

II.     Last week, Florida governor Ron DeSantis chartered two flights carrying migrant families from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard.  Most of these families were escaping political oppression in Venezuela and they were happy to get on the planes.  They were told they were going to Boston where they would be welcomed with housing and jobs and a good life.  Instead, the planes took them to Martha’s Vineyard, one of the most desired of vacation destination of Americans, many of whom are wealthy.  This sounds like a Disney movie which maybe isn’t an accident because DeSantis is from the state where these Disney World Dreams are made.  But I’m sure even the Disney people heard this story and said, “Darn — why didn’t we think of that?!!!  That sounds like a blockbuster movie!”

III.    Yes it does — but more than that — it was a genius political strategy and I know that democrats are kicking themselves and feeling jealous because they don’t have someone in their party that brilliant.  DeSantis is exactly the kind of person Jesus was referring to in that amazing, kind of shocking story we heard this morning.

IV.     It was about a man who was crooked — some translations say dishonest, others call him shrewd, unrighteous, unjust, rascal — but whatever the translation, the man was hurting his employer’s business.  So the employer, the rich man, fired him.  But here’s where we see the genius of the crooked employee. He realized if he cancelled some of the debt that customers owed, then they would want to help him after he was on the street looking for a job.  So, without his boss’ permission, he cancelled a bunch of debts.

V.      His boss, the rich man, found out what he did.  And what do you think he did?  Call the police?  Call the FBI to raid his home?  Take a gun and go after him?  No!! — he praised him, begged him to stay, and doubled his salary!!!!  The corrupt, dishonest, crooked employee was the hero of Jesus’ story!!!  And he was praised and rewarded at the end.  Like the prodigal son!  Remember the father who had two sons, one responsible, hard-working, and the other a loser.  But the loser was the hero of the story, rewarded with a huge party while the “good” son was left angry and bitter and seething mad!!!!

VI.     Isn’t it amazing how Jesus does this?  So what was Jesus saying in this story we heard today?  That we should also be crooked, dishonest and sleazy?  No.  But he said look how brilliant people in the world can be!  Look what Governor DeSantis did with those migrant families, putting them on a plane, sending them to another state — a blue state vacation spot filled with rich people.  Look at the media coverage that got him.  Look at the praise he will receive from voters in his party — with immigration being the second leading issue, after inflation, in that party.  He made himself first in the media cycle for days, he endeared himself to his party and to millions of voters — it was brilliant — it was a genius political move.

VII.    Then Jesus turns to us, his followers, and said we need to be that brilliant, that thoughtful and shrewd when it comes to doing good for others.  If we could be half as committed and smart in our spiritual life as Governor DeSantis is in politics, or as the unjust employee was in Jesus’ story — then imagine the great works of compassion we will do with Jesus in the ministry of our daily lives.