Debt Relief

Today’s parable of the dishonest manager in Luke 16 is deeply troubling. Many of us read it with serious ethically motivated consternation as we hear Jesus apparently praising the household manager for cheating in order to protect his own interests. “Is this,” we may ask, “..what Christians are called to act like? Surely not!”

Yet Luke tells the story with boldness, and two thousand years of Christian scribes and theologians have let the story stand. Worse yet, we get another story in a few weeks with similarly confusing ethical themes – about the “unjust judge” – so whatever Luke is trying to say, he brings it up (as if it’s important) again! God’s will may apparently engage unrighteous wealth and unjust judges who really dwell among you and me. Hmmmmmmmmm.

This is just radical and maddening enough to be the real voice of Christ! After all we are reading the gospel of Luke, and this particular gospel begins by calling attention to God’s propensity for turning upside down and inside out all human social ordering and political posturing - to describe and to create the Kingdom of God among us. So why not invert and frustrate economic justice along with the rest of the kingdom?

Can a household manager cheat and be blessed by Christ? If so, how about you? Are you supposed to relieve the burden of debtors? Are you supposed to reduce their debt so they can live – and in so doing, incrimentally impoverish the master you serve from collecting what is rightfully due?

Is this a story about God and you, and your call to forgive and restore hope and life to the indebted and oppressed on behalf of the rich master whom we cannot see at the moment?

Could this be a second chapter to the story immediately preceding it (the lost son) about extending mercy and welcome to the undeserving little brother – and in so doing, upsetting the entire household economy and sense of justice?

Yes. Luke tells these stories side by side, as if they belong together, singing variations on reconciliation, forgiveness, justice, injustice and welcome in a sonata of scripture.

So how about you, faithful one? Do you dare to offer forgiveness in Jesus’ name, knowing that your debting brother or sister is making out like a bandit in the deal? Do you dare give away the kingdom of God at half price to undeserving debtors?

Will you offer welcome and reconciliation to the visitor whose lifestyle the church has never before accepted? Will you place sacraments in hands you are quite certain haven’t received them before? Will you subvert your sense of divine justice for the sake of the Kingdom of God?

Jesus does, for your sake.

How about you; do you dare?

-PC