Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Luke 16:1-15                                      

Luke 16:1-15

Jesus knows us. And oh, how well He knows the world in which He has placed us. Think of all the volumes that have been written on “the human person,” or the human identity. And think, in our current twists and turns of culture what is being declared about who you and I are. We can identify as multiple (non-existent) genders, races, or even clamor for a kitty litter box in school where I can “meow” rather than use the immense, God-given ability of human speech. But Jesus knows us. This parable in Luke 16 reveals it.

Jesus puts on display that he knows what makes us “tick.” Self-preservation and pride are highlighted here. Jesus gives open doors to “using” the world’s wealth to make our way. But in the middle He subtly calls for a redirection of our priorities. He is always doing that. There is a higher life. It’s His life, His use of the mind and faculties to which He prods His children. And here He calls us to make a comparison. Comparison of what this world values and what He would invest in us, give to us, require of us. 

We will have a Master. And upon acknowledging that Master, we will alter our lives accordingly. Our allegiances cannot be shared. Jesus makes that clear. He knows to whom, or to what it is that we bow. He knows us so well.