Luke 19:11-27
Often we think the parables of Jesus are about how the world ought to be. Today’s parable is more about how the world is – or at least how it was in the first century. There was a harsh and selfish ruler that nobody liked. He had control over vast land and wealth and many slaves. When he went on a long trip, he put his slaves in charge. Some of them did well as managers and some didn’t. The people of the land wanted a different ruler. In that day, expressing their displeasure got them executed.
Let’s start with the issue of rulers. First century folks had no control over who was in charge of their land or lives. The issue was settled by warfare and the conquering army took control of everything, including enslaving the defeated people. They maintained control by violence and used it to enrich themselves. This sounds very different from our own times, especially as we’re in the midst of midterm elections. We like to think that our vote determines the direction of our country. We try to match candidates to our values and vote to influence what happens next. There’s no story in scripture about how a vote matters because in those days there was no vote. Instead we see in this story what can happen when the people have no say. We can use that to remind ourselves that we have a great privilege in participating in our government. Even today not all people have that opportunity. That’s why churches encourage everyone to vote. If you haven’t yet, please do.
Then let’s look at the issue of being put in charge of parts of the estate management and wealth. This story always comes in the lectionary in the fall when churches are doing their stewardship campaigns and asking for pledges for next year. In our tiny church we’ve left that practice behind and count on our members and supporters to do what they can in financial gifts. On the other hand, we focus year round on people doing projects that matter to them as the heart of our church life. In earlier translations instead of speaking of “pounds” left in the hands of the managers the text used the world “talents.” A talent was a unit of money. Because we use the word in a different way, understanding it to mean abilities, we often talk about how we put our personal gifts to use when we talk about this parable. Let’s follow that custom today.
First of all this parable tells us that what we do matters. The managers who did their best to get a return on investment were rewarded and the one who played it safe was punished. Is the message to us that faith encourages risks? There was danger in investing the money the ruler gave his slaves because he was indeed a hard man and his anger was life-threatening. I suspect that the ones who did well enjoyed the opportunity to use their knowledge and skills and make a profit. They had no wealth of their own and this was their chance to show what they could do. Maybe the “lesson” is that we keep trying even in difficult circumstances.
We’re living in a time in our own country when there are at least two very difference visions of what life should be. We disagree about whether we should look out for ourselves or function as a caring community. Should people of wealth have all the advantages or should we try to level the economic playing field? Should education and health care be a right or is it a privilege of success? Should we welcome people coming from other countries looking for safety and a chance at a better life or should we close our borders and keep what we’ve got for those who are already here? Should we value diversity and celebrate our variety or is there privilege in being white and straight? Should we try to overcome the inequities of our past or are those principles inherent in our founding? These differences are sharp and increasingly threatening violence as we work out who we will be and how we’ll live together. It’s a great temptation to keep our mouths shut and our heads down and hope that we’ll get by.
Our Justice Conversations group has been reading the book Necessary Risks by Teri McDowell Ott. Rev. Ott describes the temptation for people of privilege – that’s us - to enjoy life just the way it is without taking a look at the struggles other face. She tells stories of her work with incarcerated persons, students of color, and those dealing with gender discrimination. In each case she encourages us to take the risk to know more about people whose lives differ from ours so that we can use our influence to support a more equitable world. For most of us taking a risk is uncomfortable. Unless we’re willing to face into that discomfort, we can’t grow and we can’t be part of creating a better life for everyone.
In our time when we disagree about how society should work, we take a risk by living out our vision and putting our values into action. We risk alienating some of our friends by the work that we do. Not everyone understands why these things matter to us. When we learn about being incarcerated or homeless or hungry, that knowledge leads us to advocate for new policies and programs that get at the root of those problems. Those positions aren’t always popular, but they are important if we’re going to treat all people with respect – like Jesus did.
This little congregation puts a lot of money where our mouth is. You are incredibly generous with your gifts to others. You help with emergency aid to people you’ll never meet. You reach out to minority communities with aid to make repairs, which is a gift of both money and love in the face of hatred. We feed people – lots of people in many places. LaGrave, North Country Food Bank, Christus Rex, Northlands Rescue Mission, Ukraine.
Sometimes I get discouraged that the need is so great and my effort is pretty small. I called my Senators and they didn’t reinstate free lunch for all students this year. I asked them to continue the child tax credit and they didn’t – so we had to help a family this week to make a rent deposit. It’s hard to keep doing work that matters when the larger system doesn’t seem to care in the same way we do. Maybe this parable, with all its first century oddness, is meant to encourage us in the twenty-first century. Not all rulers are just and caring. But we can take a risk and try to make a difference anyway. The parable says that those who have something will get more. I hear that today telling me that those who try hard and do what they can will have some success. When you make a small effort, the results multiply. This fall I asked for apples and tomatoes and the response was slow coming, but when it came it filled up my garage and my dining room table. It translated into 23 gallons of spaghetti sauce, 25 gallons of applesauce and 35 apple crisps – which many of you helped make. That’s not enough to feed everyone who’s hungry in the Grand Cities, but it feeds quite a few.
Maybe this is the message from this story for us today: