Fr. Henry O’Shea:
There sits a man
computer in hand
Counting the stars that shine.
Do not disturb,
he’s quite absurd,
His heart-strings on the bottom line.
He sits and he counts
then totals amounts;
He’s rich ‘cause he owns all those stars.
Oh, look! Now all the sky is blank
for the lights he did yank.
He put all his stars in the bank.
Wheeler-dealers have been with us since the human race began to exist. We can posh-up the reality by calling such people transactionalists, astute business-persons, even clever politicians, but that reality remains the same.
Many commentators suggest that every generation re-writes history in accordance with its own needs, its biases, and indeed, its prejudices. The temptation to subject Sacred Scripture to the same kind of creative spin, is almost irresistible – and more irresistible when unconscious and even more insidious when deliberate.
Today’s gospel about the parable of the unjust steward and his cynical boss is a prime target for such creativity. Can Our Lord really be not only praising, but encouraging, canny business acumen? Can Our Lord be hijacked as an early enthusiast, even an apologist, for ruthless, calculating, head-of the-pack capitalism? Clearly not.
Most biblical scholars agree that every parable has one main point or thrust. The main point in today’s parable is contained in the final verse: ‘You cannot be the slave both of God or of money’. Jesus does indeed praise the unjust steward for his foresight and for his ability to provide for possible dismissal from his job. But, as so often in his reported speech, Jesus uses irony in this discourse. Remember, we are told that Jesus’ audience here includes Pharisees and other currently beautiful people from the power-elite. Most parables have a sting in the tail.
In fact, Jesus is saying that while foresight and self-securing planning may be fine- or at least morally neutral – in themselves, of greater importance are the areas, or is the area, in which we, in which I, exercise this foresight and planning. In other words, Jesus asks to make up our minds and hearts, asks us to answer the question, ‘Is God your God, or is money, or some other idol, your actual God?’ To where or to what does my answer to this question lead and leave me? Where is my treasure and so, where is my heart?
The prophet, Amos, whom we heard in today’s first reading, is one of the great ranters of the Old Testament. The favourite targets of his rants were – and still are – the powerful, rich, exploitative, take-all, greed-is-good, minority in any society. And we are daily aware of the mind-blowing and ever-increasing gap between this power-minority, or these power-minorities, and the rest of humanity. It was ever so, locally, nationally and internationally, but is now increasingly the case: the bully-boys and bully-girls rule OK. The winners and winneresses still take all.
In today’s second reading, Paul writing to Timothy, seems to be saying that the Christian should pray up and shut up, ‘…so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet.’ And it is true that at different times in its history, the Church has chosen what might be termed a cosy inner emigration – what might be called an I’m-allright-Jack-and-Jill syndrome. Let’s not rock the boat. That might jeopardise what we have. Above all, our power.
But, if there is a sting in the tail of today’s parable, there is also a sting in Paul’s letter.
Our acknowledgement and proclamation that there is only one God, one mediator and saviour, his Son Jesus Christ, exposes us to the same sacrifices that this mediator suffered and offered. The consequences of adherence to the truth and its proclamation, however loudly, however discreetly, can and does range from societal ridicule, rejection, discrimination and even to death itself. Look at our own social-media- messed-up society. Most of us, I, most of the time, settle, consciously or unconsciously, for the fudge of a comfortable mediocrity. Many of us, I, do not even have the generosity or courage to be really good or the temerity and courage to be really bad.
They are after the gold…
in their face it shows…
move where the wind blows…
some play for the stealer…
WHEELER AND DEALER