St Peter's House
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These pages are kindly hosted by the University of Manchester
Responsibility for the contents remains with
St Peter's House.
St Peter's House
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These pages are kindly hosted by the University of Manchester
Responsibility for the contents remains with
St Peter's House.
Trinity 16. Unjust Stewards
Preached at Holy Innocents', Fallowfield
Luke 16.1–13
He had just a couple of hours…
And, though his wife ran about the house in a panic hastily packing up their belongings
and their children stood - confused and crying in a corner - unsure of what was happening,
he knew exactly what he must do. He kept his head.
He had just a couple of hours to act,
a couple of hours to save his family and salvage as much as he could of his reputation, his money and his future.
For the boss was demanding to see the accounts and once he’d handed over the books he was out of a job again.
Some whistle-blower had blown time on his double dealing and the game – this particular game, at least - was over.
Though, if he were shrewd and cool enough now, there’d be another opportunity soon.
So he ran with the accounts to the boss’s two biggest clients and did a deal.
‘Instant discount on all you owe him and we’ll split the difference. That way we all win.
And can you put us up for a week or two until all the fuss dies down?’
Back at the office, he handed over the books; but the ‘golden handshake’ in his back pocket tempered his boss’ stern reproof. Together with the satisfaction he felt at having pulled the wool over his eyes…
He had just a couple of hours to act,
a couple of hours to save his family and salvage as much as he could of his reputation, his money and his future.
For the Inland Revenue was demanding to see the accounts and once he’d handed over the books he’d be facing a jail term.
Some whistle-blower had blown time on his double dealing and the game – this particular game, at least – was over.
Though, if he were shrewd and cool enough now, there’d be another opportunity soon.
So he asked his manager for the accounts and they sat down together and constructed the scam.
They did a deal with the two biggest clients.
‘Reducing our income will lower our tax liability and mean there’s no case to answer with the Revenue.
We’ll give a pay-back to the clients and then split the profit between us. That way we all win.
We’ll have to lie low for a while, but we’ll live to fight another day.
Back at the office, he handed over the books to the Revenue Inspectors;
but the ‘golden handshake’ in his back pocket tempered their stern reproof.
Together with the satisfaction he felt at having pulled the wool over their eyes……
Either way we read the story the message is the same.
Pulling a fast one! We all have a story to tell.
A harmless scam! It’s win-win for everyone! Surely. Who minds if it’s only the system that gets screwed? And we all have a story to tell.
Jesus was a great story teller – taking his inspiration from the warp and weft of everyday life.
Perhaps he’d overheard the story in a corner of the market place,
or watched as the manager – or his boss – was paraded through the streets towards accountability.
Perhaps the story was told him during some sabbath meal at the tax collector’s house….
Did he smile and nod with complicity……. or was he the whistle-blower?
Jesus was a great story teller.
But this is a hard and demanding story that he tells us.
It’s not that it offers us a blue-print for our practical financial concerns.
It doesn’t offer us advice, or seek to reprimand us, scare us or scold us.
There’s nothing about public or private sector, insider-dealing or racketeering.
No clue as to whether we should reinterpret the oil and wheat of the story
as stocks and shares, off shore investments or weapons sales.
Or see the unjust steward and his boss as involved with any particular bank or building society in the news today.
Yet the story haunts us, leaves us feeling uncomfortable.
Because, while managing to pull a fast one may leave us with a sweet taste in our mouth,
the thought that it’s we who might have been duped – the victim of a scam – leaves us very bitter.
We had just a couple of hours to act;
a couple of hours to give away all we had – ‘Goody Bags’ provided by the Mothers’ Union.
‘Welcome to Manchester. A free gift – just to show we care. No strings attached.’
And yet – while some accepted the gift gladly, with broad smiles and deep thanks,
others imagined we were pulling a fast one;
promoting a scam that would require them to sign away their souls and livelihoods,
hoodwinked, enslaved and exploited by some group with an impossible doctrine and lifestyle.
The police came by – had some whistle-blower called time on our genuine generosity?
What wool could we be seeking to pull over exactly who’s eyes?
Or were we just harmless eccentrics. Class Two?
We have just a couple of hours to act,
a couple of hours to save our reputation as the kind of church any right-minded person,
– any young aspiring Christian – might want to go to.
For the boss is demanding to see the accounts and once we’ve handed over the books the game might be over.
Has some whistle-blower had blown time on our double dealing?
Is this really the kind of church that is true to the aspirations of its belief – liberal, inclusive, dynamic and outreaching?
Or are we pulling a fast one and promoting a scam?
Being the sort of church that prefers to ignore anything and anyone who might threaten our precious liturgical routines?
Jesus was a great story teller. But this is a hard and demanding story that he tells us.
It’s not that he offers us a blue-print for our practical missionary concerns.
He doesn’t offer us advice, or seek to reprimand us, scare us or scold us.
There’s nothing about who we should be passionate about.
No clue as to whether we should reinterpret the oil and wheat of the story in any particular way.
But the possibility surely haunts us - leaving us feeling uncomfortable –
that we might be guilty of pulling a fast one;
guilty of short-changing those who most need to find a welcome
guilty of ignoring those who would profit from being part of this community.
The awful possibility that we might be the unjust stewards of our Lord’s estate……
Those who had hoped to be amongst a select few have a bitter taste in their mouths.
God has pulled a fast one – on all of us.
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