It is How You Use It

Luke 19:1-27

Jesus talks quite a bit about wealth and how we can faithfully use our money. More precisely, Jesus consistently warns his followers of the difficulty of being wealthy and faithful. The story of Zacchaeus and the parable of the pounds are illustrative of Jesus' perspective. Zacchaeus is a tax collector who makes his money not only collecting taxes for the Romans, but also by adding "graft" onto the tax for his own income. Tax collectors were hated because they cheated people and were understood to be immoral. When Zacchaeus encounters Jesus he is overwhelmed by Jesus' acceptance and vows to make amends for his exploitative ways:

Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Luke 19:8

 

Zacchaeus vows to live a changed life and Jesus declares that "salvation has come to this house." The story tells us that it is not ever too late for those who live dishonestly to change. It is not ever to late to repent and receive forgiveness.

The parable of the pounds, like other parables, can be interpreted in multiple ways. The most common interpretation is to assign the role of the nobleman to either God or Jesus, and the slaves as those who receive Jesus and those who do not. In this interpretation the third slave is chastised because he did not utilize his gifts and share the message of salvation. The other slaves were able to multiply the money of the master through their effort and thus grow the estate--grow the kingdom. This interpretation encourages us to take advantage of opportunities to share God's love and not to hide our faith or be timid.

Another interpretation of this parable sees Jesus not as a character in the parable, but as one who names and unmasks the exploitative economic system of his day. The master is quite wealthy and is hated by the people because he has gotten rich at their expense. When he leaves to continue to grow his empire and employs his slaves to grow the business, he is not moved by benevolence but by greed. The slaves who multiply the money no doubt mimic the exploitative methods of their master and grow the business at the expense of the people. The third slave is a hero because he stands up to the master and names the exploitation and immorality. 

Then the other came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth,for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ Luke 19:20-21

The third slave is a whistleblower who has the courage to name the evil ways of the master. He is punished for his honesty and the master then orders that all others who oppose him will be slaughtered. The story illustrates the necessity to stand up to evil and the price that is often paid by those who speak the truth. Jesus is heading to Jerusalem and will be speaking truth to power. He will not play the religious game, he will not endorse the Roman empire, he will not back down. For this, Jesus will be treated like the third slave in the parable.

Either interpretation can be edifying for our faith. We should look for opportunities to share God's love with others, we should use all the gifts we have been given to God's work in the world. But, as people of faith we are also called to stand up against injustice and evil. The world needs people of faith who are bold and who are willing to risk.

The connection between these stories lies with the different ways that Zacchaeus and the master respond to the challenge of their wealth. Zacchaeus acknowledges his sinful ways and seeks forgiveness. The slave master doubles down on his choices and seeks to eliminate any truth tellers or opponents. There is no remorse and no transformation. For those who have power and wealth and have gained it by exploiting others, these stories frame the spiritual choice: repent and be forgiven, or continue to perpetuate evil. Let us pray for more like Zacchaeus.