Kindness is not Random!
Luke 16: 1-13
Charles J. Tomlin
Flat Rock-Zion Baptist Partnership
September 19, 2010 Proper 20C
There’s an old story about a young man in Montana who bought a horse from a farmer for $100.
The farmer agreed to deliver the horse the next day. However when the next day arrived, the farmer reneged on his promise.
“I’m afraid the horse has died,” he explained.
The young man said, “Well, then give me my money back.”
The farmer said, “Can’t do that. I spent it already.”
The young man thought for a moment and said, “Ok, then, just bring me the dead horse.”
The farmer asked, “What you going to do with a dead horse?”
The young man said, “I’m going to raffle it off.”
The farmer said, “You can’t raffle off a dead horse!”
The young man said, “Sure I can. Watch me. I just won’t tell anybody he’s dead.”
A month later, the farmer met up with the young man and asked, “What happened with that dead horse?”
The young man said, “I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $998 . . .”
The farmer said, “Didn’t anyone complain?”
The young man said, “Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back.”
(As told by King Duncan in a sermon entitled, “There’s Something About Con Men”).
Now this was certainly a resourceful young man. We might even call him something of a con man. There’s something about a con man that captures the imagination. Con men have even become “heros” in many television shows and movies; remember Ocean 11? Even Jesus made a con man a “hero” of sorts in of one of his parables. Such a move makes some Christian’s nervous, but here it is as our Bible text for today.
Most of us know this story as the parable of the Unjust Steward or as more modern translations put it, “The Dishonest Manager”. The story goes that this manager was doing a poor job managing his boss’ affairs. The boss got word of it and asked him to come in to give an account. This guy realizes, now that the truth is out, he’s about to be fired. So what does he do? In order to make sure he has some kind of safety net to fall into, he brings the bosses’ debtors in one by one and starts forgiving large portions of their debt.
“How much do you owe?” He asks one of the customers on his credit account.
The customer responds, 800 gallons of olive oil.
“Then make it 400 gallons”. He does this again taking a bill of 1000 bushels of wheat and making it 800. Now you get the picture. He’s not only reducing their debts, but he’s using his bosses’ money to make friends and to assure himself a future. When the boss hears about it, instead of getting mad and throwing the guy in jail for cheating him out of money, he’s quite impressed with his clever tactics and even praises him for being so clever and smart. Jesus even “praises” him too, not for his dishonesty, but for his shrewdness. Then Jesus comments: Only if God’s people, “the children of light”, he calls them, were half as smart as some of crooks out there in the world? Then, he suggests, they too could use material means to make friends and influence people. That’s the attention getting message Jesus wants us to hear.
When I was reading through this parable again, I was astounded at the application it has for teaching us about the nature of kindness. You might think it absurd to make a con man a hero of kindness, but don’t forget, I learned this from Jesus.
What in the world can this dishonest money manager teach us about kindness?
PEOPLE NEED KINDNESS
Several years ago, when I was living in Germany, I had to make a sudden 7 hour train trip across the country on business. The trip from Frankfurt-Oder to Frankfurt-Main was perfect without incident. But upon my return trip, when I rushed to make the last train back, the doors were shut, even though it was still in the station. I attempted to get the ticket agent to let me board, but he told me it was too late. She said I would have to take another, which would be an indirect route, causing me to arrive home at 5 AM the next morning rather than 11 PM that evening.
I pleaded with the ticket agent to “please” let me board. But no, the rules were the rules. I had to take another train. The problem was there was no other train; at least no direct one. Even though my train still sit there 15 minutes and was not full, she would not let me board. Instead I had to take a bullet train north to Hanover, and then a Russian train to Frankfurt-Oder, which traveled across Germany through the middle of the night. I didn’t get a wink of sleep, fearing that I would wake up in Moscow where the train was ultimately headed.
If only the ticket agent, had been kind enough, and even “dishonest” enough to “bend” the rules a little. But as it seems, the rules were the rules and showing “kindness” or mercy on me and my problem, didn’t seem to be an option. Where are the “kind” people, who, like this Money Manager, would bend the rules to help somebody in need?
I don’t want you to misunderstand and think that I, nor Jesus, advocate real, lowdown, “dishonesty”, like some sort of “kindness among thieves”? Jesus didn’t and I’m not. If you think this, you’re missing the point. What I am advocating, is what the Bible itself advocates. I’m saying that if our religion or our righteousness doesn’t exceed and go beyond the laws, the rules, the legalisms and self-aggrandizing, like those harshly imposed rules and laws of the Scribes and Pharisees, which did not take into account the needs of hurting people standing right in front of them, then we’ve missed it. If we just keep practicing our faith, like religion has a tendency to do, judging, being critical, putting ourselves above others, standing on this position or that position, instead of showing kindness, mercy and compassion, such “unkind” religion and unkind “Christianity” or “unkind” living, is simply not enough to get us where God wants us to go and where we need to go to live God’s kingdom into our world and lives.
What is it about this con-man’s kindness that made him look so smart, even smarter than many Christians in these days where being crude and rude are in style? What can we, and other sons and daughters of light, learn about kindness from the likes of this wily and worldly fellow?
KINDNESS HAS A PURPOSE
One thing Jesus really likes about this dishonest fellow is that he knows what he is doing and why he is doing it. He has purpose. He has a plan. He is doing something “kind” enough to intentionally make a difference both in his life and also in the lives of some other people. He might still be doing it dishonestly and with somebody else’s’ money, but at least he is spreading it around, and helping himself out in the process. His method is bad, but his goal is good.
Several years ago, in America there arose a cultural social movement known as “Random Acts of Kindness?” Do you remember that slogan? “Practice Random Acts of Kindness.” The whole philosophy was that every day you should take a to do an act of kindness for some unknown stranger for no reason at all. Just do it and see what happens. There was even a great movie made which put this on the big screen, entitled “Pay It Forward!” The idea even follows Jesus’ idea of the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” When you “pay it forward”, or you do a three “random good deeds for strangers, because someone has done a good deed for you, then, before long, as the movie suggests that, before long, if everyone else would just keep do three good deeds and “pay it forward”, we could change the world.
Great idea. I’m not knocking it. There’s certainly nothing wrong with doing “random” good deeds for people. Even some churches have gotten into this “random” kindness idea. I know one church that took their youth group downtown and starting cleaning bathrooms in businesses for no reason at all, except to practice “random acts of kindness”. It’s not a bad way to be a witness. The only problem I have is that, while it is good, it’s still not quite Christian. The kindness that the Bible talks about is much more than doing some “random” act of kindness for a stranger for no real reason.
Christian kindness must be much more than a random act. We can see that in this story, can’t we? This con man is not randomly picking people to do them favor’s, or to show them some surprising moment of kindness, in hopes of changing the whole world. This guy is intentionally going after something that can help save his own skin, while he helps others save theirs. And there is something better about this kind of specific “kindness”, even with its ulterior motive, that is better than showing someone kindness “randomly” for no real reason at all. What we need to see is that true “Christian” kindness is about being kind to some very specific people, in very specific “needful” situations, for some very specific “obvious” reasons. In other words, Christian kindness needs a “name” on it. If it doesn’t have a specific person or purpose behind it, it’s not quite smart enough to be called Christian.
How can your kindness be Christian smart? Well, in order to understand this, we need a good biblical picture of Christian kindness, which has someone’s specific name on it. We need to see how kindness flows out of a specific love, joy, peace, and patience with someone very specific in mind. We have such a picture in Romans 12, where Paul recommends those who follow Jesus to follow him in showing “kindness” even to those who might “persecute” them. Do you recall Paul’s words, beginning in Romans 12.14? Paul writes: 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." 20 No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:14-21 NRS).
If this is not a very specific, strange, shocking form of kindness, which has somebody’s name on it, and is not at all random, I don’t know what is. According to biblical scholars this is the one single unique form of “kindness” that Christianity introduced to the world, which the world had never heard of before. Being kind, even to those who are trying to hurt you, is either the most stupid idea humans made up, or God gave it to us as part of his saving purpose to bring reconciliation and redemption into the world.
Several years ago, I watched a very interesting movie about the Bosnian war, entitled “No Man’s Land.” It told of the terrible war and genocide that was going on between Bosnian Serbs, Croatians and the Bosniaks. In the movie, two soldiers from opposing sides end up accidently getting tied up together with a bomb. If one tries to free himself from the other, the bomb will explode and both will die. Also, if one kills the other, the bomb will go off and both will die. The only way they can both survive is try to help each other, but this is what they don’t want to do. They don’t want to co-exist. They don’t want kindness. They would rather die, but they can’t quite do this either. They are in “no man’s land” of hate, violence, and unkindness.
This movie is both sad and funny to watch, because it is so true to life and the way of the world. Without kindness we cannot survive as a human race. We can never get rid of everybody we don’t like, nor can we make everyone like us or will we like everyone. But one thing for sure: we can’t save our own skin or the world by hating or hurting or conquering everyone else. When we are unkind, even to our enemy, we not only destroy them, but we end up destroying ourselves in the process. Don’t you remember what happened at Abu Ghraib prison? Those crazy misguided American soldier guards thought they could treat their prisoners and enemies any way they wanted, even torturing and abusing them; and they believed that nothing bad would happen to them. What did happen is that when they did not show respect and kindness, even to their enemy, they also destroyed themselves and hopes of peace.
Kindness, especially kindness to specific people, even to the enemy, is the extreme, radical, revolutionary lesson of kindness that Christianity teaches us, but still even some Christians don’t want to learn it or practice it. But this is the first thing we can see in this dishonest manager, that showing kindness to others, even for selfish reasons, is better than no kindness at all. Kindness for any reason, even “random kindness” will ultimately serve a purpose. Christian kindness, however, is kindness that has somebody’s name on it. It is not random, but specific and intentional, and serves great purpose. It will either help someone, or it might even come back to “save” your own skin.
ONLY KINDNESS BRINGS THE FUTURE
Could it be that what Jesus wants “children of light” to learn from this story, is not only the “kindness” has a very important purpose, but that the most important purpose is to give us all a future. Listen to what Jesus says, as he comments and explains the main point he wants to make with this story in verse 9: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. (Luk 16:9 NRS). What in the world the point Jesus is trying to make here? It still sounds very “shaky” and even a little “shady” doesn’t it? Here is one of those places in the Bible we need to stop, consider not just the words we read, but the entire context and we need to pay close, close attention to his main point.
The point Jesus makes is not that Christian should make money dishonestly, nor does he say we should use money earned “dishonestly” for good reasons. Those conclusions are to miss the main point. The main point is that in the world, we can’t escape the fact that all money is in some ways tainted by the world. We can’t clean up everything about money that goes on in this world, but what we can do is decide to use money in ways that “make friends” so it serves the greatest purpose of all---creating an eternal future for us and for the world. For if you look closely, it is not really the “money” that creates his future, but it is his kindness, and it is his kindness with money, even dishonest money that makes all the difference.
Do we grasp Jesus’ lesson, that it is kindness that creates the opportunity for eternity. It is God’s kindness to us, while were sinners, and it is also our kindness to each other, that is part of process, creating the opportunity for you to both know and receive God’s grace and goodness into our lives. Only kindness opens the door to the future. The kindness you show now is the only thing that can promise you a future when the money runs out. And it can run out.
Several years ago, I was walking on the street in Berlin, where I saw an Arab woman begging on the street. In those days, you didn’t see a lot of beggars on the German streets. I slowed down my walk and noticed people walking by her, trying not to pay her any attention. Then suddenly, I saw this young teenager, with purple hair, stop, turn around and walk back to the woman. She then reached down and gave the woman the longest hug. She didn’t give her any money. She probably didn’t have much to give. What she did give the woman was, even when she couldn’t even speak her language, was a message of kindness. It was as if this was worth all the money in the world and it gave every one of us, who saw it, an amazing moment of kindness and hope.
Kindness has that kind of specific, even saving power in our lives, and it also has an amazing power in other people, even those who are different from us or oppose us. When Benjamin Franklin was young, he was a self-sufficient, critical, and somewhat arrogant, know-it-all, kind of fellow. But as he became more mature, and even “smarter”, we might say, he learned something very important, which today, has had lasting value and is called the “Ben Franklin Effect”. This “effect” eventually helped him develop the skills of a diplomat which he later used as Ambassador to France. We can read about this in one of his own writings, as he describes how he won over a political opponent by asking him a favor (Politicians today could learn something important from Franklin, especially his other word: “If you argue and rankle and contradict, you may achieve a temporary victory - sometimes; but it will be an empty victory because you will never get your opponent's good will”).
Here is how Franklin himself learning this “virtue” that had a powerful effect in his life and work: “I did not … aim at gaining his favour by paying any servile respect to him but, after some time, took this other method. Having heard that he had in his library a certain very scarce and curious book I wrote a note to him expressing my desire of perusing that book and requesting he would do me the favour of lending it to me for a few days. He sent it immediately and I returned it in about a week with another note expressing strongly my sense of the favour. When we next met in the House he spoke to me (which he had never done before), and with great civility; and he ever after manifested a readiness to serve me on all occasions, so that we became great friends and our friendship continued to his death. This is another instance of the truth of an old maxim I had learned, which says, “He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another than he whom you yourself has obliged.” (From Help.com based upon thefranklinpapers.org)
Did you know that in the Greek language, one of the languages of the Bible, that the word for “kindness” is “chrestos”, which sounds a lot like the name for Jesus as Messiah, “Christos”? When you say it, you can hardly hear the difference: “Christos” or “crestos”. It is said that in the early days of Christianity, many pagan people mixed up the two words, calling the first Christians, the “the kind ones”. (“Life on the Vine”, by Philip Kenneson, IVP Press, 1999, 137).
I don’t think that happened by accident. The saving Christ is also the kind and compassionate Christ and the ones who follow the Christ (Christos), and live by his Spirit, will also be “kind ones” (crestos).
There is an old song I learned as a youth: “They know that we are Christians ( real Christians) by our love.” That means a love which results in joy, peace, patience and also kindness. Today, in this text, in the most unusual way, Jesus tells us a story that both grabs our attention and shakes our senses. In doing so, Jesus remind us that kindness, even for the most selfish materialistic, mammon oriented reason, is not random, but it is the shrewdest, cleverest and most influential virtue or value we could ever put into practice. Through Kindness, especially the very specific acts of kindness which have somebody’s name on it, especially the kindness we show to those who oppose and persecute us…through showing this very non-random form of kindness, Jesus’s love and saving power is turned loose in a world that can be very cruel, dishonest, and hurtful.
Bret Younger (In a sermon “Living Towards Hope” @ www.goodpreacher.com) gives some images of kindness among his very common, everyday images of hope: He tells of an accountant who gets a unexpected call from an old friend inviting him to lunch…
A cabdriver, who picked up a fare in a wheelchair and took her to the grocery store for free.
A ten-year-old got an A on a history test, because her Father helped her study.
A boy in love pointed out a bright star in the eastern sky to the girl to finally agreed to go to a football game with him.
A deacon went by the hospital to check on someone he didn’t know.
A church had a business meeting and nobody got angry.
An elderly woman got a visit from some teenagers.
An unemployed truck driver with aching feet went into a church clothes closet and was given a new pair of shoes.
Someone share a clean joke with and a retired school teacher who laughed out-loud for the first time since her husband’s death….
I know that there are still people out there who like to make news by assuming that “voting right” “arguing right, or even “being right” is the way to save the world. But I’m just one of those people who “strange” and maybe “shrewd” and “cleaver” enough to believe that it is kindness, not rightness, that is the kind of righteousness Jesus had in mind. The hymn writer says it best:
In loving-kindness Jesus came
My soul in mercy to reclaim,
And from the depths of sin and shame
Through grace He lifted me.
From sinking sand He lifted me,
With tender hand He lifted me,
From shades of night to plains of light,
Oh, praise His name, He lifted me! . Amen
My soul in mercy to reclaim,
And from the depths of sin and shame
Through grace He lifted me.
From sinking sand He lifted me,
With tender hand He lifted me,
From shades of night to plains of light,
Oh, praise His name, He lifted me! . Amen
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