One of my favorite TV shows growing up was Get Smart starring Don Adams. He was the bumbling, James Bond wannabe secret agent working for 
Control and battling Kaos. Of course, watching the show had nothing to do with Maxwell Smart’s easy on the eyes partner Agent 99. One of the attractions of the show was the many catch phrases that Max had for the various situations he found himself in. When praised for making it through a sticky situation, he would throw out his famous “And Loving It” line. Or when he tried to bluff his way out of a circumstance of overwhelming odds he would present his opponent with a series of gradually diminishing forces that were backing him up. Each Proposal was preceded by the phrase, “Would you believe…..”. Or the famous, “Missed it by that much” when Max was just a bit off in his aim.
But the line I often use in my veterinary behavior practice when discussing an aggressive dog, and as a means of lightening up a tense situation is, “If he only used his powers for good and not evil”. I believe a version of this line was also used in the Austin Powers movies. While the line is a funny one (at least I think so), it does point to a trait that we observe at times in human nature. The tendency to expend a lot of energy to get around the system for profit and gain rather than acting in a more ethical fashion. Bernie Madoff comes to mind. Here was someone with obvious intelligence and abilities. And how did he use these talents? He developed an elaborate Ponzi scheme that defrauded numerous people out of millions of dollars. What if he actually used these talents for legitimate investing to aid people in managing their funds. Or maybe in an unrelated field like medicine or research. What accomplishments could he have achieved to benefit the world?
And then the question is, why do people like Madoff do what they do. Financial gain of course but I also think there is more to it. I think there are people within this dark, undercover world who appreciate and praise the efforts of people such as Madoff and this adulation has to create some degree of satisfaction for people like this.
And that brings us to today’s Gospel reading from Luke. The famous parable of the steward who, when his master finds out of his mismanagement of his estate and fires him from his position, he goes out and develops an elaborate plan to cover himself once he is no longer in his cushy job. He certainly does not want to beg or dig ditches. So, he goes out and reduces the debt of those who owe his master money or goods. All initially without the master’s knowledge. Of course all that is done in the dark will eventually see the light and the master finds out about the evil steward’s plan. A plan that had to take much more planning and scheming than what he would have had to do if he just followed his master’s directions in the first place!!
But here is the twist that appears in most of Jesus’ parables. The master praised the steward for his sly and, the master’s word’s here, SHREWD ways. He was actually admired by his boss for defrauding him!! How does THAT happen?! This is probably one of the most reflected upon and misunderstood of Jesus’ stories and lessons. And I of course have the task of trying to give it some meaning (why could I have been asked to substitute for an earlier reading this week).
But I think one way to look at this parable is to go back to the Bernie Madoff example. Here was a guy admired by some of his peers for the SHREWD way he chose to do evil. And I think this is what is happening with the master. He is by no means a great guy. He was a landowner who locked his tenants into lives of servitude in charging high rents for the property they worked. Some scholars also believe he allowed the steward to collect money in addition to the base rent as long as he provided the master with his due. Similar to what the tax collectors did in collecting taxes for the Romans. So this mutual admiration society between the master and the steward was sort of “it takes one to know one” relationship. He admired the steward’s cunning. Of course, it does not indicate in the reading that the master decided to rescind his order to fire the steward…just admired him.
And the key line from Jesus that sums up his message is this. “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than the children of light.” The children of this world are the non-believers and, in addition, the Pharisees. Their time and efforts are spent on acquiring the goods and material things of this world, regardless of how they are obtained. And Jesus is admonishing the “Children of the Light”, the believers, that they should be putting similar effort into matters of spirituality. He is not saying to be shrewd and cunning and underhanded. He is saying that your values are reflective in where you spend your time and effort. The steward did so in ways that are sinful. If he only used those powers for good and not evil. The disciples, if they wish to be good stewards of the gifts God has given each of them, should put their time and effort into matters of the soul.
You cannot serve God and mammon. You cannot be stewards of things of the flesh while granting God the fringes of the field of your talents. How can someone identify what you truly value in your life? They simply look at where you spend your time. Is it God’s time or the world’s time? When Jesus looks over your life and where you put your time…His time…while on earth, will he say to you…“Missed it by THAT much” or will he say..“Well done good and faithful servant”?
Readings:
