Be Trustworthy and Prudent, Virtuous and Shrewd
/As I look at our readings for this Sunday, I’m honestly a little perplexed. They seem to be saying two different things about how to treat people. The Prophet Amos offers a harsh critique of those who cheat others, but in the parable from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus seems to affirm dishonest dealings. What’s that about?
Amos is speaking directly to those who harm other people. They are dishonest in their business dealings and “trample upon the needy.” We are assured that God will never forget any of these wrongdoings, which implies some kind of recourse for this bad behavior. Clearly the prophet is trying to confront them with their behavior to get them to change their ways. I wish some of the people in our day would heed this too! It’s not okay with God to treat people this way.
And then we have this reading from the Gospel of Luke about the dishonest steward. This guy is getting fired for squandering his boss’s property, and so he hustles to try and get some of it back and to secure some work for himself later. After he does this, his boss “commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.”
Do you see what I mean about a contraction? In the first reading, the prophet rails against dishonesty and cheating, but in the Gospel, this behavior is commended. Nowhere in the Scriptures are people encouraged to do wrong against their neighbors, so if we get the idea that Jesus is giving us the green light to do that, think again. (I’m sure none of us thought that!) However, given what we know about God’s commandments and all that Jesus preached, what are we supposed to think about this?
I wonder if Jesus, even though he seems to condone the dishonest steward’s hustling, is not really intending to uplift dishonest behavior. The steward in the story is commended by his boss for his prudence, but this guy is dishonest, and so he’s not welcome back. That’s fair. Also, after telling the story, Jesus says, “the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” He draws a distinction between the children of light, those who follow God and seek goodness, and the people of secular society. It seems like he’s telling his followers to be shrewd with the dealings of this world, knowledgeable and crafty in their own way. Maybe he’s helping them to negotiate the crazy time they’re living in. He doesn’t tell them to be like the cheaters of their world, but he doesn’t want them to be so naïve that they’re hurt or taken advantage of either. He does want them to be different, though.
It seems like what Jesus is really encouraging is prudence, not dishonesty. “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth?” So, followers of Jesus are called to be trustworthy in all our dealings, both in spiritual and secular matters. Jesus is calling us to be consistently honest, even if we’re surrounded by dishonesty and cheating and immorality. I’ve heard it said that we become who we are by the actions we take. One small act becomes another small act, and eventually each action combines to reveal (and maybe event create) who we are. If I say I’m honest but constantly do dishonest things, well . . . Jesus says we cannot serve two masters – God and money. If we serve God wholeheartedly, we will be honest in our dealings with money and also not become attached to it.
We, like Jesus’s audience, live in times of cheating, scamming, dishonest dealings, and ill-treatment of people, especially vulnerable people. Maybe we too need to be shrewd and crafty disciples. We don’t want to turn into shady, dishonest people, but we don’t want to be run over by shady, dishonest people either. We live in a society whose values sometimes contradict those of the gospel, and we must negotiate that. We have to make a living, we have to provide for our loved ones, and so we have to know how this world works. We must heed the warning about scammers and cheaters, and as good neighbors, we also look out for the poor and needy around us to protect them from harm. And who knows? Maybe as we live with integrity, we encourage other people to do the same.
These readings may seem contradictory, but if we boil it all down, our call is the same as it is in most Scripture readings – to love well. We love God through our integrity, and we demonstrate our integrity when we treat others in honest, compassionate ways. I personally never encounter the temptation to put my thumb on a scale and cheat people. However, as I move through my days, I can choose to be rude or generous. I have the choice to be kind or petty as I talk about people. I have opportunities to look out for the vulnerable people around me, to challenge unjust systems, to inject kind words, honesty, and fairness into what I post on social media. There’s a whole lot of sludge out there online, and sometimes my call is to disengage with that mudslinging, put down the screen, and be in person with the people around me.
There’s probably never been a time when there weren’t deceitful people, but our present age feels particularly corrupt. We acknowledge this and negotiate it as best we can, and we are single-hearted in following God and loving other people. How we do that may take some discernment. It will take support from each other for sure. And God is with us, helping us to move through this time with integrity. Thanks be to God for prudence and guidance and for the gift of each other for support and care.
For reflection
As you reflect on these readings, what is stirred up in you?
How do you negotiate the dynamics of our present time and circumstances? How do you live with integrity?
What’s your call in all this? Maybe you could take some time with God and see what God has to say to you.
By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP
Sister Leslie Keener, CDP is the director of God Space, a community-building spirituality ministry in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. She’s a Sister of Divine Providence with a Masters in Ministry and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreats from Creighton University. She directs retreats, meets with people for spiritual direction, and serves as the vocation director for her community. She enjoys music, meaningful conversations, and dancing.