How To Save The Church
Talk about a confusing parable! I’m sure that Jesus doesn’t really want us to be swindlers, cheats, thieves, and crooks. So why does he praise this crooked manager who’s clearly out to save his own neck by any means possible? The manager gave thought to the future and it shaped his actions in the present. He knew that for now monetary resources are one way to secure the kind of future vision you have drawn for yourself. So even though in his case it meant being devious, his desperate desire to see his future materialize helped him conclude that it would be worth it to take the risks he did. The church also has a strong vision of the future called the kingdom of God. What’s more, that future vision should include the potential joy that will rock the cosmos in celebration when more, and not fewer, people end up attending God’s big party. That vision of the future should influence us in how we live in the present moment. If that bright vision of our future really did inform our present, maybe lots of things would change, starting with the risks we are willing to take to secure that future. So are we willing to take risks with Jesus or will we stand beside the Pharisees sneering in our responsible, respectability?