Spreading the Cash Around

Recently, two township officials stopped in for a meeting. During small talk before the meeting, one commented that he didn’t believe he had met me before. He knew my older brother from local auctions and other neighborhood events I seldom attend. The other official commented to my brother, “It's great to see you get out and spread that cash around.”

Hmm. I've felt smug that I am wise enough to realize going to an auction for social reasons generally results in buying things I don't need. To avoid the temptation of impulse buying, I just stay at home. Here was an unbeliever with a radically different perspective about the use of resources.

I've wondered for years if the world actually sees the message that we Anabaptists think we are sending. Things like this official’s comment give us insight into what they are seeing. What I see as squandering of God's resources, this man sees as sharing the abundance at our disposal.

My thoughts immediately went to Luke 16:9 KJV, “And I say unto you, make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” Have I missed what Jesus was referring to here? I see a tendency in myself to feel good about making a donation to some charitable cause but disgruntled if I pay more than market value for something I buy. Do I need to reimagine stewardship? Would paying top dollar at my neighbor's auction for a plow I'll use once a year actually be a way of sharing God's blessings?

If a steward is one who is responsible for another person’s resources, we need to understand what God expects from our use of the things He has given us to care for. I have pondered over the story of the unjust steward in Luke sixteen for years. The first verse in this passage says the steward was accused of wasting his master’s goods but does not describe his actions. In verse eight, Jesus says the unjust steward had used his lord's assets wisely. The intervening verses describe actions that seem very selfish and wasteful. Why would Jesus say they are commendable? Do we stumble over this story because of a misconception of stewardship?

Prior to this account, Jesus taught the disciples His view of money in chapter 12:13-40. Would it make sense that God thinks saving money is wasteful? This steward was notified that he was going to lose his position; but after he started losing net worth, he earned the praise of his master. If Jesus told this story as a way to show us His view of handling finances, we need to pay attention.

In verse 11, Jesus asked how we expect to attain true riches if we are not faithful with unrighteous mammon. I have heard some elaborate explanations for the meaning of unrighteous mammon, but often they have sounded hollow. According to Strong's Concordance, mammon is simply money or wealth. Since Jesus says unrighteous mammon in this story, some say He was referring to money obtained in an unethical manner. I don't profess to understand all the possible readings of this passage, but the disciples were simple, unsophisticated men, so I try to read the Bible from such a perspective. If we take away all the commentary we have ever heard or read about unrighteous mammon and assume it simply means all money and wealth, doesn't this passage seem pretty negative against saving?

If we take this passage as an indication of how God wants us to use our money, verses 10-12 take on a weighty meaning. What if money is God's litmus test? What if the financial resources we have access to are simply a test to see if we are worthy of greater things? If money is the least important thing in God's kingdom, why does it cause so many problems in our churches?

From verse 14, it is obvious the Pharisees understood what Jesus was teaching. “And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.”

Not long after the meeting with our township officials, a forklift salesman stopped in. We have done business with this man for almost twenty years and have become more than just clients. In the course of conversation, he began fuming about this certain Anabaptist whom he hopes to never do business with again. I was startled by his outburst, since I've never heard a bad word about the man before.

It turned out the salesman's frustration stemmed from what we Anabaptists do so well. Being frugal, we check around for the best price on whatever we want to buy. The salesman was fed up with being shopped around, so when Mr. Frugal had a breakdown and actually needed help, the salesman, out of spite, refused to provide any services.

The world looks at our businesses and homes and sees plenty of wealth, but our vendors sometimes feel they are being denied a living wage. We walk away from the auction flush and smug, but the old couple selling out is eyeing their meager retirement.