Is the Lord telling us
to make friends
with those who have
earthly possessions?
Is He asking us
to defraud our bosses
just so that we can have
a bed for the night?
Is He actually condoning sin?
[PAUSE]
The parable of the unjust steward
confuses us
because it does sound
as if Our Lord
is happy with
embezzling from the boss
in order to win friends
for somewhere to stay
that's safe.
But this cannot be just:
this is stealing
and the Lord hates stealing.
So what, then?
What does the Lord mean
by making friends of the Mammon
of unrighteousness?
[PAUSE]
There are lots of questions here.
What we need to see
is the fact that it will be
these children of
the Mammon of Unrighteousness
who will actually welcome us into
everlasting habitations.
It will be these children
who recognise us
and welcome us in heaven.
Remember who will go first
into everlasting habitations.
It will be the poor,
the needy, the prostitutes
the sinners.
It will be those who,
in their degradation
repent,
and return to the Lord.
In fact,
immediately before St Luke
records the parable
of the Unjust Steward,
he records the parable
of the Prodigal Son.
It is those who
recognise their spiritual poverty
and repent
and return to God
who find open arms
of love and utter joy.
These go into Heaven first.
Now look at what
the Unjust Steward is doing.
He is trying to ease
the debts of those
who owe lots.
He can't cancel the debts
completely,
but he can make life easier
for those who are in debt.
In his actions,
the Steward is making
friends with sinners
by making their debts easier to bear.
He is showing kindness,
knowing that his time is short,
and knowing that he can make
a difference in the lives
of those who could do
with a kind word,
a bit of a hand,
the benefit of the doubt.
And we can do the same.
[PAUSE]
Our time is short
and death is coming
and we, too, must render
before God
an account of
our every act,
our every word,
our every thought.
And we own nothing.
We have only what God
has given us.
But what we can do
is love.
What we can do
is forgive.
What we can do,
rather than hate
the fallen,
the misguided,
the deviant,
is love them
and show them
kindness, warmth, generosity
and the benefit of the doubt
in full knowledge that,
in our own ways,
we are the fallen,
we are the misguided,
we are the deviant.
Rather than claw back
the exact amount
of the sins of others
thinking that
we do so
on behalf of God,
let us behave
how we would want
Him to behave with us
and become humble
and repentant
and loving.
[PAUSE]
The people we show kindness to
will enter Heaven before us.
Won't it be wonderful
to feel their hands together
with those of the saints
pulling us in before
the Divine Smile of God?
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