In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

In numerous Gospel texts, the disciples as well as others often demonstrate that they have absolutely no idea what Jesus is talking about. For example, Peter suggests prolonging the mountaintop experience of the Transfiguration by setting up three booths for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. I always think of concession stands like at the Western Fair

When Jesus promises the gift of living water to the woman at the well, she is excited because she thinks he is going to save her from the tiring routine of lugging water to her home. Sometimes, as Jesus addresses his followers’ confusion and tries to correct their misunderstandings, he seems understandably exasperated with their inability to get it.

Now even though there is no dialogue following the parable of the dishonest steward I am sure that each one of us can imagine one. Baffled questions filling the air. What on earth is Jesus on about now? Why does a guy presented as a crook and shyster get praised for further shady dealings? Just what exactly are we to emulate from this steward’s behaviour?

And if you are confused after hearing the parable take heart, the biblical scholars are as puzzled as we are. Each commentary I consulted in relation to this text found it necessary to wind through deep background material on such topics as ancient Israel usury laws and norms for large scale commodity trading in the ancient Near East. But not one provided a single clear understanding of the text.

However, as I sat and pondered over this parable with every thought of giving up on it something came to my mind as a possible way in to this story. And that hook was the genre of reality television especially “Survivor”. Survival is big on television right now whether one is placed on an island to outwit and outlast other people for a million dollars or in high publicity trials like Conrad Black’s this summer.

As Conrad’s buddy David Radler demonstrated, people will say anything, do anything, tell any lie necessary, cut deals with the Justice department, to get out of trouble or avoid going to jail. Now no matter what we might think of the contestants on Survivor or Mr. Radler or Conrad Black for that matter what we have witnessed is an example of people struggling for survival with every fibre of their being.

And I think we see that same human instinct at play in the parable of the dishonest steward. Here is a guy who strikes us a career scammer, a shady character but he is not stupid. He knows that he is too weak for manual labor and begging is totally out the question. So he uses his greatest gift, his business sense, cutting deals with those people who owe his boss money. Currying favour of course. But also doing anything he can in order to survive to fight another day.

And the real surprise comes when his boss commends him for his ingenuity and shrewd action. Now we perhaps have a little better understanding of the parable itself but still the question remains, why would Jesus hold up the behaviour of this flim-flam artist as something to emulate? It is a great question.

I think the answer lies in v.8, “For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” In other words, we, the people of light – Christ’s followers, have a great deal to learn about ingenuity and commitment to a cause. As I said earlier dishonest persons will do anything, say anything in order to save their bacon and survive for another day. They will lie, cut deals, screw their friends in order to make a buck, feather their nest or avoid jail time.

We have problems with this parable because we, honest folks, are restrained in our behaviour by the law. We are held back by such old fashioned ideals as honesty, honour and integrity.
And as Presbyterians, well we all know that we do everything decently and in good order. We play it safe, act prudently and always colour within the lines. We like to stay within the church budget and hang on to that trust fund for a rainy day.

Now don’t get me wrong these are all admirable qualities and it was only a couple of weeks ago that we heard another parable about counting the cost of discipleship. Yet, if being prudent and doing everything decently and in good order is all there is to our way of thinking and acting as followers of Jesus the Christ, then there is one important aspect of discipleship that we are lacking.

 And that is a sense of total commitment. To do anything God asks, to step out on that fragile branch of faith, to rush forward to do something that needs to be done for the poor and hungry in our midst.

Jesus put it this way, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and you shall love your neighbour as yourself. Now the dishonest steward may have been living himself rather than God but he definitely showed total commitment and ingenuity in order to live to fight another day. But the point is following God can make us feel totally vulnerable.

I have mentioned to you before that we gather on Sunday mornings in part to learn how to follow the “way”. It is like attending the school of faith. And the central aspect of the way is giving ourselves away for the sake of the Kingdom of God. To give ourselves away, to pour ourselves out in God’s service is really to live abundantly.

It is here that we learn how to be ingenuous and learn to scramble with total commitment not for our own existence, but for the well being of all people and even creation itself. That is loving God with all our hearts, strength, soul and mind and loving our neighbours as ourselves.  
THANKS BE TO GOD, AMEN.