I think the thing that most confuses my students, whether when I was seminary director, or subsequently, in other groups with whom I have had the privilege of sharing lectures, has been my insistence that we cannot fully understand God’s will. Although we are God’s servants and understand ourselves to be following God’s will, and have been gifted with God’s Holy Word, we are not in a position to decide what God’s will may be. That troubles us immensely sometimes, particularly when we want God to be on our side. Many times, Christians really seem to want to stand in judgement of others who may not be in agreement about some basic truths, irrespective of a given individual’s or group’s behavior. And they want to know that God is judging them too! But, my line has always been, ‘It’s Not Your Call!’
This weekend’s gospel text is among the most difficult to interpret, for in it, Jesus shares a parable wherein it seems that he is endorsing or encouraging the unethical behavior of the ‘unjust steward’ or the ‘crooked manager.’ Jesus seems to be okay with someone that most of us would condemn. In the end, even when confronting this or any other confusing text, it may be helpful to remember that ‘It’s Not Your Call!’