Totally Confused or Thinking Clearly?

Once upon a time, there were four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have. The end.

This is a classic story, and as confusing as it is, the message is that no one took responsibility so nothing got done, and nothing changed.

Another story that is quite confusing is today’s Gospel (Luke 16:1-13). We hear a very strange and puzzling parable. Jesus often uses parables in his teachings to shock us into a new way of thinking. Mission accomplished!

We hear about a man who is responsible for his masters’ property. But he gets caught squandering those possessions and the master demands that the steward show him the accounts.

The steward panics because he realizes that he can lose his job over this. If he were to lose his job, he would be out on the street which could lead to starvation. And this was a small town, so everyone would know why he was out of a job, which would make it extremely difficult to find another one.

So the steward gets greedy and decides to cheat his master even more by making some under-the-table deals. Ultimately, he’s trying to protect himself so he can stay on top of what looks like a bad situation.

But then, Jesus shocks and confuses us with this statement: “And the master commended that dishonest steward…” Why on earth would he praise the steward? The master in not praising the steward for what he did, but how he did it – with prudence and ingenuity. It’s like he’s saying, “I don’t agree with what he did. But you have to admit, it was a bold move.” He acted wisely and decisively in order to survive. This is not meant to confuse us but enlighten us on how we should be living a spiritual life. I believe that there are three steps we need to take in order to get there.

1. We need to wake up!

The steward is in a heap of trouble, and he knows it. He has hit rock bottom – and when you hit rock bottom there’s only two ways to go: uphill or sideways. He can’t keep doing what he’s doing, so he needs to make a choice. It’s no different for us. When we hit crisis-mode, something has to give. We need to awaken to the mess that we are in spiritually and make a decision: are we with God or against God? Are we focused on wealth or devoted to God? (Any commitment to Jesus requires rearranging your views on everything.) We cannot serve both God and anything that might prevent us from fully serving God. We need that “aha” moment so we can think clearly – to wake up and leave our old sinful ways behind and re-connect ourselves to the Father.

2. We need to look within.

When the steward realizes that he is in trouble, he says, “I’m not strong enough to dig and I’m ashamed to beg.” He’s admitting that he is weak physically and spiritually. Things are not right in his life and he knows it. We too have to be honest with ourselves by looking within spiritually. We need to have the strength to go to Jesus and say, “I know that things are not right between us. I’m drifting away from you and I don’t want it to be that way.” We need openly admit that we are not praying daily, that we’re not treating others the way we should, that we’re not using our gifts for the glory of God, or that we’re too attached to our wealth and possessions. So we need to look within and empty ourselves so that God can fill us up.

3. We need to take action.

Despite his weaknesses, the steward decides to act and make a change. It’s the same for you and me. It’s all about admitting that our personal relationship with God needs to be better, regardless of our weaknesses. If your prayer life is weak, take action and start praying today. If you’re struggling with the way you treat others, stop taking advantage of them. If you’re tired of injustices, begin working for justice. If you’re filled with hatred and anger, start loving others as God loves you. If you’re not using your God-given gifts, take action and get involved here at the parish. If you want your money to secure your spiritual existence, you need to share it with others – which mirrors how God uses his wealth. If we are to serve God and live in the Spirit, we have to make the first move.

Let’s stop being like Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody and make a change in our lives. It’s time to wake up, look within, and take action. If we can stop relying on power, privilege, and wealth, our life will be grounded more deeply in God and we’ll be more adaptable to spiritual survival. And there is absolutely nothing confusing about that!

Confused about whether God is speaking to you? Read this.