Luke 16:1-13
Proper 20 / Year C
Jesus said, “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.” Luke 16:10
No doubt you are familiar with the proverb
For Want of a Nail. Dating back to at least the 13th
Century, its author unknown, over the centuries people such as William
Shakespeare, George Herbert, and Ben Franklin have referenced it to highlight
the importance of paying attention to the details:
For want of a nail the shoe
was lost;
For want of a shoe the horse
was lost;
For want to a horse the rider
was lost;
For want of a rider the
message was lost
For want of a message the battle was lost;
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
Its message is fairly straight-forward: No
matter what your contribution – be it a little or be it a lot – it
matters.
“Whoever is faithful in a
very little is faithful also in much.” What
a wonderfully empowering perspective Jesus offers to us. It is so tempting to hear the Lord’s teaching
on wealth and believe it applies only to people who are wealthier than we are. We tell ourselves Jesus is only talking to the
rich people, and we are not rich. It is
so tempting to hear his teaching on talent and believe it only applies to
people more gifted than we are. But here
Jesus says it doesn’t matter if you are Bill Gates or Bill the part-time barber,
you what you do makes a difference.
The New Testament scholar
Fred Craddock, focusing on this passage, notes:
Most of us will not this week christen a ship, write
a book, end a war, appoint a cabinet, dine with a queen, convert a nation, or
be burned at the stake. More likely the
week will present no more than a chance to give a cup of water, write a note,
visit a nursing home, vote for a county commissioner, teach a Sunday school
class, share a meal, tell a child a story, go to choir practice, and feed the
neighbor’s cat.
Even if your contribution
to the common good seems minor in the grand scheme of God’s design, you have a
role to play and it is important. So
play it well.
We in the church might want
to call this “Pot-Luck Theology.” Every
time we have a church meal, I love watching the serving table. At first, as the early birds arrive, there
are just a few dishes. And then, as more
and more people show up, what once was a sparse spread is transformed into a sumptuous
feast! And don’t even get me started on
all the desserts set out on the credenza!
It doesn’t even matter most of us bring the same thing over and over because
I (at least) am looking forward to your fried chicken, jiggly Jello, and
deviled eggs. Pot-Luck theology holds
every person’s dish added to the table of life is valuable.
St. Paul framed it a little
differently. He used the metaphor of a
body. Writing to those puffed up with pride,
he said the eye cannot say to the hand “I have no need of you.” I
Corinthians 12:21 If this teaching
was a coin, its flip side would be the little toe cannot say “Since I am so insignificant
compared to – say – the heart, if I don’t do my part, it won’t really matter.”
Here is a little quiz:
1. Name the last Heisman trophy winner.
2. Name the last winner of the Miss.
America contest.
3. Name the last person awarded the
Nobel Prize for Peace.
4. Name last year’s Academy Award
winners for best actor and actress.
5. Name our nation’s Poet
Laurette.
How did you do? Did
any of you get them all? These are folks
who received the highest accolades in their fields and the most significant
recognition our society has to offer. And
yet, over time, our memory of what each contributed blends into life the way a
single thread blends into a tapestry. Is
what they did important. Without a
doubt.
Does it mean what the rest of us adds does not matter? Well, here is another quiz…
1. Name a teacher who aided your
journey through school.
2. Name a friend who helped you through
a difficult time.
3. Name person who introduced you to
something you now value or treasure.
4. Name a person who makes you feel
appreciated and special.
5. Name a family member or friend whose
life inspires you.
Easier? Here is my point:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most
credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who have been faithful in a
very little. And for you, at least, it
has made all the difference. So go, be
faithful in what God has given you to do.
It may be little, but it means a lot.
