Luke 16:1-13 follows a string of Lucan readings in the traditional lectionary. And like most of them, it is somewhat unsettling, and certainly challenging.

The parable of the dishonest manager seems, at first, to leave little room for us to "put ourselves in the narrative." After all, how many of us would ever admit to cheating another person...especially if that person is our employer! And to make the parable even more disturbing, the owner praises the manager for the way he handled his profits (verse 8). Whether we read the parable to suggest that the manager cheated himself, the customers, or the owner! There must be more to this parable than a commendation of dishonesty.

As most biblical scholars agree, this parable--like many in the surrounding chapter in Luke's Gospel--must be understood in the context of the coming Kingdom of God. These early followers of Jesus believed wholeheartedly that the Kingdom would be realized very soon. And the urgency in many of Jesus' words in these parables suggests that he believed the same. He wanted his followers to know what was coming and to be prepared for its arrival. The kingdom, Jesus preached, would change everything as it was known in this world. The kingdom, he preached, was for everyone--not just religious leaders, experts in the Law of Moses, and those upright citizens in first century Palestine. The kingdom would include tax collectors, the poor, the disenfranchised, and even non-Jews. And this Kingdom of God was coming fast. So Jesus often urged his hearers to be prepared, and he used parables to drive home his point.

So read again the parable in Luke 16:1-13. Faced with the loss of his job, the dishonest manager acted decisively to provide for his own future. The manager had no time for reconsideration, for negotiation, for estate planning, or for financial counseling. He knew what he had to do, and he did it. Now whether the actions with his owner's customers were admirable or not, he is praised for his foresight, his quick decision, and his boldness. As the epitome of the famed trickster, the manager made his mark in the world...and was rewarded.

Money makes friends! Jesus used the parable to make a stern point: disciples are to make friends by means of wicked or dishonest wealth. What?! Read in the context of Luke's overall view of wealth, these "friends" must refer to those who have little means of wealth themselves, that is, the poor and disenfranchised. As long as the end result of one's wealth is that these are cared for and the work of serving others is accomplished, Jesus seems okay with the idea that the wealth may be gotten in less than ideal means.

Simply stated, Jesus suggests in this parable that wealth is not the goal after all; serving others and loving them into the Kingdom is our ultimate goal. And we are to do so not lackadaisically or as if we have all the time in the world; we are to do so urgently and with the highest of priority. The Kingdom, after all, is at hand.

That understanding helps to clarify Jesus' final words: we cannot put our energy into serving God and serving wealth at the same time (verse 13). One will always be more important than the other. And given the immediacy of the Kingdom, we must be faithful in preparing ourselves for this future...and looking out for the future of those around us as well, helping them in whatever way we can to set their hearts and eyes on God.