SUNDAY COLUMN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 125, 11 March 1950, Page 3

SUNDAY COLUMN

I (CONDUCTED BY TDE ASHBURTON MINISTERS’ ASSOCIATION). “Arid his Lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.”—St. Luke, 16, 8. The parable of the unjust steward is at first sight difficult to understand. In it Our Lord appears to commend unscrupulousness and dishonesty, but in reality, of course, this is not so. The story was told to bring home certain important lessons which we need to be continually reminded of in order to gain and keep a right perspective of this life. The underlying theme is the right use of our gifts and material wealth. Jesus was continually emphasising our stewardship. We are all stewards entrusted with certain powers which we can use rightly or abuse. In the story a steward of a rich man was accused of wasting his lord’s goods, and he was called to account and told that he would be discharged, but the man now showed a certain sagacity, vision, and*’initiative. Calling his master’s debtors ho released them of part of their debts, saying no doubt, to himself, “Now I shall have a hold over them when I am discharged—one good turn deserves another, and they will be friendly. However, the lord was not so easily | cheated. He found out what had been [ done, but, instead of reprimanding the man and charging him in the court [ for theft, he commended him because - he had done wisely. We miss the whole point of the story_if we dwell on the dishonest part of it. The steward was commended not for his dishonesty and deceitfulness, but for his initiative and foresight. That is the firstMesson Jesus wanted to press home. By comparison, he reflected, the sons of this generation, that is. the worldly people, the business men, are so often wiser than the sons of light. If only you Christians would show the same* kind of initiative, of'vision, of courage to, take risks, and then further risks, as this unjust steward did, you would be more in accord woth the spirit of God. What does He mean by this? Let us take a look at the work-a-day affairs of men, and what do we see? Men will study, train, and fit them selves with great zeal and enthusiasm for a particular calling or profession. All keen business men believe in efficiency, there must be no slack or slovenly work in their establishment. They want things done, done well, and done quickly. Everything, runs smoothly in a well-ordered business) house to-day because much time and thought has been given to details and organised effort. Now, says Jesus, in effect: Apply these principles to the religious life, put in some real enthusiasm, real study, real training, let everything you do in your religious life be done with the same sort of care and thought an?i industry that is required in the pursuit of the mammon of .unrighteousness—money. Be alive to things of the spiritual world in the same way as businessmen are anve to opportunities -of worldly things. Be as persevering, let nothing hinder your prayer life, your Bible study, your Communions, your daily acts of service, and you will be commended hereafter for having done wisely. That undoubtedly is the first great lesson in this story—the unjust stew ard was commended, not for his dishonesty, but his enterprise. But another difficulty arises in the last verse: “And I say unto you, make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of, unrighteousness that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” What does this mean? -That Christ is counselling the pursuit of money and worldly things which ho always put second Surely not. No! He is advising us to make friends with the true riches, by using-, our worldly wealth as a means of laying up for ourselves treasures in I-ieaven, that when we fail—die—we may be welcomed by the good spirits into the everlasting Kingdom. He is showing us that our worldly gSods and gifts are but a trust, a means, whereby we can bring happiness into the lives of others and create in ourselves the spirit of love and unselfishness which alone will admit us into God’s heavenly Kingdom. Like all gifts, money or talents of any kind with which we are endowed may bo used rightly or wrongly. When we use them in a selfish spirit entirely for our own comfort and pleasure, we have lost the vision of our goal—we are in danger of condemnation and nat corpmendation. kere, then, are two important lessons in this parable of - the unjust steward. First, to throw as much energy, zeal, thought and enterprise into the pursuit of the Christian ideal, the Christian character, as men put into the pursuit of worldly things, and secondly, whatever gifts you have, whatever material wealth you have, must be so used to serve this same end—Christian character—which alone will bring you into everlasting habitations when your probation in this world is completed.