The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

Luke 16:8:10

I’m not going to pretend to understand the parable of the shrewd manager. I mean, up until a certain point, the story reads pretty easily. The rich man fires his dishonest manager, but before letting him go asks for an accounting of his books. In an effort to secure favor among some of the rich man’s debtors, the manager cooks the books a final time by cutting their bills in half.

But then things get confusing, at least for me. What are we to make of the rich man praising the manager for his shrewd dealings, even when it means the rich man has been cheated out of what he’s due? And further, what does it mean when Jesus says, “…people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.”? And then the real whopper, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” That doesn’t sound like the Jesus of the lost sheep and coin, or the Jesus of the prodigal son or the Good Samaritan. So there must be more to this parable than I understand.

As your Children’s Ministries director, I don’t have the breadth of Bible knowledge or the depth of experience in interpreting the Bible that our pastors do. I haven’t pored over multiple Bible translations or versions, nor do I have a deep understanding of the historical background that is so helpful in understanding this ancient text. So although I can’t exegete this parable (or any other scripture for that matter), I can share what came to my mind as I read and reread it, and how I’ve tried to make sense of it.

From my first reading, I’ve been mulling over what it means to live in a world of abundance where some experience abundance overflowing while others will never experience enough, let alone abundance. How do we, as followers of Christ, take a stand against the disparities we see? What is our responsibility in acknowledging the scarcity with which so many people live? And beyond acknowledging, what actions are we called to take to ensure all God’s children have enough?

As I’ve contemplated this parable, and all that I do and don’t understand about it. I haven’t been able to ignore the lyrics of Bruce Hornsby and the Range’s 1987 hit, The Way It Isthat keeps playing in my head. I was an idealistic and impressionable high school sophomore when this song came out. I wanted to live in a world where everyone has what they need, where integrity and fairness are the norm, where we love our neighbors as ourselves. Fast forward 34 years and that idealistic and impressionable person still yearns for Hornsby’s words to come true:

“That’s just the way it is
Some things will never change
That’s just the way it is
Ah, but don’t you believe them”