The sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light

He also said to His disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.' Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."

- Luke 16:1-9

In yesterday's reading, Jesus gives us the parable of the Prodigal Son. This parable, so paramount in expressing the love of God - and the joy in heaven - for those who return to Him, is found only in Luke's Gospel. We remember that Jesus is speaking as He has sat at table with sinners and tax collectors, for which the Pharisees and scribes have criticized Him.

He also said to His disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'" My study bible notes, "Steward: a manager of a wealthy man's household and property. He is called to give an account (v. 2) because he is being dismissed, as his master no longer trusts him." Jesus begins a new parable. This time it's not addressed to the Pharisees and scribes, but to His disciples, those who would follow Him.

"Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. " My study bible notes here: "The steward is unjust in his actions, which are not condoned, but his shrewdness is praised. This is meant as a lesson for the sons of light, the Christian believers, who ought to be as shrewd about their pursuit of godliness as unbelievers are about their businesses." I confess that this parable often has me stumped. But on the other hand, we do see the steward doing something smart (shrewd) - he is coming to terms with the people who owe his master, and settling, which is far better than unpaid debt on the books. Elsewhere in Luke's Gospel, Jesus says, "When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison." By coming to terms with what is owed, the steward settles accounts and he does so mercifully. My study bible suggests that this is a parable for the disciples to understand how to pursue righteousness, with what effort, spirit, creativity and seriousness or single-mindedness. So, if debts are like sins (as in "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors"), then how does this analogy of the unjust steward teach us something about our own conduct in pursuit of righteousness? What does the law of balance teach us then?

"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home." My study bible notes here: "The reference to unrighteous mammon is a warning about the dangers of money, which can corrupt. The right use of wealth is to make friends among the poor and needy by sharing it with them. At death, these poor friends will be the first to welcome their benefactor into the eternal Kingdom." I think it's important that we understand the personal nature of the steward's actions. Yes, he's shrewd - but on the other hand, it is he who deals, in the end, creatively and wisely with others in order to settle accounts, cut his master's losses, and creatively find a way to remove the debt from the books as his master would like.

How do we think of money? Jesus refers to it as "unrighteous mammon." How do we use money? If you think about it, the whole of the notion of forgiveness is a change upon the ways in which our common notions of money would lead us to think. But any banker may understand the wisdom - the shrewdness - of this steward. The Greek word for "shrewd" may also be translated as "prudent" or "wise" -- that is, the steward uses a worldly wisdom here. As we understand that He has sat at table with tax collectors and sinners who have gathered to Him, perhaps there is a moral teaching here for both those among these sinners who would follow Him and for those who are already His disciples (among whom there are tax collectors, such as Matthew, Evangelist and one of the Twelve Apostles). How do we deal wisely and prudently in seeking salvation and merciful behavior, making peace and settling accounts? Neither for the worldly in this example, nor for the spiritual "sons of light" is it "wise and prudent" to stick to the bottom line, a rigid text, an inflexible demand. I read on another commentary that "the children of this world" - that is, those whose concern is for worldly things alone - is a phrase by which Jews would designate Gentiles. So perhaps we may understand this parable as an opening door to the Gentiles and outsiders, and the sinners and tax collectors, who come to Christ. Their pursuit of worldly understanding can be claimed and used by the kingdom, as those who turn their allegiance to God and to the pursuit of godly things and the kingdom of heaven. I picture it as a kind of double-door, that swings to and fro, giving in to the world of the kingdom a place for the Gentiles and sinners, and for their vehemence and shrewdness in pursuit of that which is truly valuable. And they have something to teach the sons of light: that we may settle accounts along the way, and thus claim converts for the kingdom, alliances, and merciful behavior toward those who cannot pay more. Just as in yesterday's reading, in the parable of the Prodigal Son, we learn of the father's over-the-top, boundless love, so in this parable we are taught to go over those boundaries into mercy in pursuit of this kingdom. This is more shrewd than sticking to the bottom line, because it forms bonds and alliances and settles accounts mercifully. How do you settle accounts? What do you give up for the kingdom? What does prudence, shrewdness, mean to you?