We have one quirky parable to ponder this weekend in worship. It is a parable unique to the Gospel of Luke, so it is not recorded in Matthew, Mark, or John. Whenever we have a parable of Jesus that is only recorded in one Gospel, it is a challenge. We have no comparison or grounding for pondering the context or meaning.
Wise scholars through the ages have cautioned about overthinking quirky parables. If we follow that advice, we note that Jesus tells this parable immediately after the three lost and found parables. In the parable of the prodigal son, the son has squandered his inheritance. In the parable of the dishonest manager, the manager has squandered the property of the rich man. The prodigal son and the dishonest manager find themselves at their wits’ end, or we might even say at death’s door. They are caught with few options for the future.
The prodigal son returns home to throw himself on the mercy of his waiting father. The dishonest manager throws himself on the mercy of the people in debt to the rich man. The intention of both the prodigal son and the dishonest manager might be read as self-serving, but when you are at your wits’ end or death’s door, you grasp at just about anything. Returning home, the prodigal son experiences the grace and love of his father. Turning to the homes that were in debt, the dishonest manager is strangely commended for throwing himself on the mercy of those who owed the rich man money.
How are we squandering the grace and mercy of God at this moment? When we find ourselves at death’s door, rock bottom, or at our wits’ end, how do we experience the surprising grace of God? Death and resurrection are at work in these parables, in amazing and quirky ways.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Pastor Peter