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A
Question of Generosity
September
18-19, 2004
Fr.
George Smiga
Luke
16:1-13
This
is a peculiar parable. Why is it that we find Jesus at the
end praising a dishonest person? What is there about the actions
of the crooked steward that Jesus finds good and invites us
to imitate?
To
answer this question we have to be sure that we understand
the parable correctly. The manager was certainly dishonest.
He clearly squandered his master's property and was being
fired because of it. But it is important that we understand
correctly what his actions were, once his dishonesty had been
found out. Normally we presume that when he brought in his
master's debtors and reduced their bills that he was further
cheating his master. But this is not the case. In the ancient
world managers were given their income through commission.
When the manager in the parable reduced the debtors' bills,
he was not removing his master's profit but his own. His hope
was that by giving back to the debtors what was his own, they
would recognize his shrewdness and generosity. Then, once
he was fired, they might welcome him into their own financial
operations. It was a risk to be sure. There was no guarantee
that the debtors would respond in this way.
But
what is noteworthy about this dishonest manager is that he
had the insight to size up his situation and realize that
the only possibility for future employment and security was
to give away what he presently possessed. It is this insight
and this action that Jesus commends and invites us to imitate.
Because Jesus knows that if we correctly size up our present
situation, we will realize that the only way to our future
security is to give away some of what we possess today.
What
is our present situation? Let me state this as clearly as
I can. Everything we have is a gift: our life, our time, our
relationships, our health, our money. Everything we have is
a gift. This realization should certainly lead us to thankfulness.
But thankfulness is not enough. Thankfulness must give way
to generosity. For generosity is the sign of the kingdom of
God . The person who understands God's kingdom understands
that everything that we have been given has been given to
us to share. Faithful stewardship requires giving back part
of what we have been given.
Why
is giving back so important? Two reasons: others need it and
generosity is good for us. There is no doubt that others need
the things that we possess. You cannot go more than two feet
without running into one of the many needs that exist in our
world. People need our time, our presence, our money. God
loves all people. So whenever anyone is hungry or sick or
depressed God is counting on us and on our resources to help
that person. Christians know this better than anyone else
because the gospel tells us that whatever we fail to do for
the least of our brothers or sisters we fail to do for Jesus.
Therefore, refusing to give of what we have been given is
a bad idea, a poor decision. Our relationship to God is connected
to our generosity to others. We give because others are in
need.
We
also give because generosity is good for us. The deepest joy
in life is giving out of love. Parents know this. Lovers know
this. Sometimes we think that what is going to make us happy
is to hold onto our time, to conserve our talents, to hoard
our money. But this is not true. Joy comes from giving, giving
freely and with love. The deepest moments of joy occur in
the context of generosity.
Everything
you have is a gift, a gift for which to be thankful and a
gift to share. Holding onto the things we have been given
will not make us happy. Giving what we have away will help
others and give us the deepest joy.
So
that is our present situation. That is how things stand. When
the dishonest manager in the gospel saw how things stood,
he did not hesitate. He swung into action. He started giving
what he had away. We are called to follow his example. This
week you will be given time, the opportunity to use your talents,
and money. You could choose to hold onto all of these things
and use them only for yourself, but that would be a bad idea,
a poor investment. The gospel today poses a wiser and more
helpful question. It asks us, “This week, how much of your
time and your talent and your money are you willing to give
away?”
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