The Parable of the Whistle-blower

Tuesday, July 15, 2008 -- Week of Proper 10

Today's Reading for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 975)
Psalms 26, 28 (morning) 36, 39 (evening)
Joshua 2:15-24
Romans 11:13-24
Matthew 25:14-30

Three years ago I did some study about this parable of the talents and wrote a sermon based on the remarkable scholarship of William R. Herzog, II in his book "Parables as Subversive Speech." That sermon is on our web site at this address: http://www.stpaulsfay.org//lowellsermon111205.pdf

Herzog says that these characters would have been recognized by Jesus' listeners. They were the retainers of wealthy, absentee landlords. According to the law of Hammurabi, they were expected to make a minimum profit of 100% on liquid assets. Beyond that, they could keep part, maybe even all of the excess income. One way they invested was to make loans to peasant farmers so that they could plant their crops with interest rates ranging to 60 percent and perhaps as high as 200 percent.

Jesus' hearers would have been familiar with these retainers. Some peasants may have lost their lands through forced foreclosure when their crop was not sufficient to cover their loans to the retainer. The retainers' work was dirty work. And they were hated by the peasants.

These retainers were very powerful businessmen. But when Jesus calls them slaves, he exposes their vulnerability and dependence upon their master. Describing powerful men as slaves must have surprised Jesus' listeners. Maybe Jesus wanted them to re-think their attitudes toward these retainers. Especially the third one, the one who hid his talent.

This retainer talks back to the master in an insulting, manner, calling the master out to his face and speaking of his dirty business in public: "I knew you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed." Today, he might be called a whistle-blower.

And though this retainer was afraid, he buried the money. He took the aristocrat's money out of circulation and hid it in the ground, where it could no longer do harm. He opted out of a corrupt and oppressive system.

He was right to be afraid. He is thrown into the outer darkness, away from the influence and protection of the aristocrat and other retainers, and into the world of the peasants where his skills are useless and their resentment toward his type of people is great. His is a desperate and vulnerable position. Yet it may be that Jesus is framing him as some kind of hero. Maybe Jesus is encouraging a peasant community who would otherwise be hostile toward any retainer to give this one a break.

Maybe Jesus offers this parable to encourage acts of integrity, justice, and public consciousness raising, especially when such acts are costly. We can ask ourselves, how are we trapped into cooperating with systems or relationships that are unjust or sucking the life out of us and others? How should we opt out of such entrapments, burying our participation instead of using our talents wrongly?

But more than that. It seems to me that Jesus is telling the community of his listeners to open their hearts with compassion and to give some support to those people who take such risks. Some people are able to leave a destructive situation when they believe that they have even just a little backup or understanding out there somewhere. We can be the community that takes the fallen retainer out of the outer darkness he been thrown into and befriends him.

Even if that retainer seems to have made a mess of his life thus far. Even if he was someone we pointed toward as one of the "bad guys." Now that he has stood-up to the oppression that also trapped him, he needs our friendship.

Anybody out there stuck in a cycle of destruction? Sure. Anybody out there escaping and paying for it? You bet. We can help. How can we help?
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(for a fuller exposition on this parable, see my sermon from November 12, 2005, "When Conscience is More Powerful than Fear," http://www.stpaulsfay.org//lowellsermon111205.pdf)

Lowell

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About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life

We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas