The Gospel of the Day – 2016.08.07
On Stewardship and Servitude
Jesus said to his
disciples: ‘There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased
your Father to give you the kingdom.
‘Sell your possessions and give alms. Get
yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in
heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also.
‘See that you are dressed for action and have
your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding
feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those
servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he
will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be in the
second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy those servants if he finds
them ready. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at
what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through
the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is
coming at an hour you do not expect.’
Peter said, ‘Lord, do you mean this parable
for us, or for everyone?’ The Lord replied, ‘What sort of steward, then, is
faithful and wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give
them their allowance of food at the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s
arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you truly, he will place him over
everything he owns. But as for the servant who says to himself, “My master is
taking his time coming,” and sets about beating the menservants and the maids,
and eating and drinking and getting drunk, his master will come on a day he
does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off
and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful.
The servant who knows what his master wants,
but has not even started to carry out those wishes, will receive very many
strokes of the lash. The one who did not know, but deserves to be beaten for
what he has done, will receive fewer strokes. When a man has had a great deal
given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great
deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.’
(NJB)
Hope
is the Gospel, Reject Fear
Because the Gospels were
written by men, or communities of people; long after the time of Jesus, we are
often confronted with passages that appear to vacillate between the hope, and the
joy, and the optimism of Jesus, and the demands of those who were seeking to
enshrine his teachings in institutions.
Every day, and especially
on every Sunday the Gospel must be read carefully, and from time to time we have
to peel away those segments that speak to us from the fears and the doubts, the
conservativism and protectionist teachings of those who came after him in the
second and third generations after his passing.
The opening of this
passages represents the heart of Jesus in clear and untrammeled terms; there is no need to be afraid, Jesus
says.
There is no need to be
afraid says the shepherd to his little flock. There is no need to be afraid.
The parable that follows,
must be read in the context of these hopeful words.
The parable speaks to the
roles of a householder and his servants. The parable does not address whether
the servants were members of his family, hired hands or slaves, because that is
immaterial, it speaks to the issue of preparedness, of role fulfillment, and
cooperation.
In this parable we are presented
with the walled house of the householder, this is a metaphor for the believing
community. We are presented with the householder himself, who is alternately an
image of Jesus himself (the Son of Man who has promised to return), and in the
place of Jesus the householder represents the head of the believing community.
And we are presented with the servants of the household, which is a metaphor
for the entire community of believers. Remember this, the metaphorical figure
of the householder represents head of the believing community, but this one
figure is only chief among servants when considered in the light of Jesus, the
Son of Man.
The theme of this parable,
as Jesus gives it, is about preparedness, and preparedness is about
expectation, expectation is about hope, and hope is the core of the Gospel.
We are called to be happy
in our work, to go to it joyfully, to faithfully execute the responsibilities
we are given (the responsibilities we have sought), to anticipate the needs of
those in our care.
The narrative changes in
response to Peter’s questioning. I suggest that this represents a departure
from the teaching of Jesus, and that this departure takes place long after the
time of Jesus. It is a reflection of the teachings of the church in the
following generations. The teaching becomes harsh.
The love, the mercy, the
forgiving heart of Christ are absent, in their place are judgements, beatings,
lashings, and the alienation of others.
Jesus taught us to come
together as one. He taught in the spirit of compassion, he forgave those who
persecuted him, the disciples who abandoned him, even as he was being
crucified.
Remember this…love one
another.
19th
Sunday in Ordinary Time