As we read through the Lectionary Readings for Sept. 19, it seems best to focus mostly on the parable that Jesus gave us in Luke 16:1-13. Jesus is explaining to the 12 disciples how all property is owned by God and that we could choose to be grateful and content for what God has given us and to use God’s property wisely or with wisdom from the Holy Spirit.
The parable starts out with God being a rich person who has a manager looking over the use of a portion of God’s property. At this point it is important for us to understand that we are the manager of God’s property. God has given every person on the planet a certain amount of property, talent, intellect, motivation, physical prowess and so on. Many times because of the fallen world we live in the amount of property allotted to us is incorrect. Somehow what is ours has been taken by another person.
God “hears” that one of his managers, i.e. one of us, has been squandering God’s resources. This brings up the critical questions for us to examine to understand what God is teaching us. One, who cried out to God so he could “hear” about this injustice and two, what exactly does squandering mean? First, how did God hear of this misuse of his property. Someone is in pain or has been hurt and cannot find a way to safety and has prayed to God for help. This person thought that I or someone else might could help them but we did not. Instead we used God’s resources on ourselves and the person in need was not helped.
God hears the prayers and says to His manager, “What is this I hear about you? You cannot be my manager any more.” The manager immediately goes about forgiving others of the debts they may have with God. In this way, these other individuals will accept this person into their homes after God takes away all this person’s resources. God sees the irony in the way the manager behaves. It seems the manager knows how to make friends for himself with individuals who are not yet Christians. But, we who call ourselves Christians are not nearly as shrewd in dealing with ourselves.
Now it is time for us to answer the question, “What does squandering God’s resources mean?” God desires us through the Holy Spirit given to us by Jesus Christ to live a peaceful quiet life that is content with what God has given us. When we believe that God has made a mistake and we should have more allocated to us, then we have started a process of squandering God’s property given to us. Ungratefulness is the first sign of misuse of God resources. In our effort to get more, we may start to use what we do have on ourselves, not on our needs but on unfruitful material pleasures. It should be noted that God does provide us with things that are pleasurable and we should be grateful. But, it is when we excessively try to obtain resources for ourselves that causes the hurt of other people.
God cares about us and how we use the resources He has given us. He cares about the resources He has given this church. We are fortunate to be in a church that is blessed with generous, loving people.
The best thing God could hear is a prayer where someone is saying, “Thank you Lord for sending Cahaba Valley Church to be in my path. They have helped in ways that I never could have done by myself.” On the other hand, what if God hears a prayer, “God I went to Cahaba Valley Church as you asked but the pastor was not there and I could not reach the pastor on the cell phone.” Would that be cause for God to say. “What is this I hear about you? You can no longer be my manager.” Forgive me Lord for the times I have squandered your property. Amen
