Yesterday's sermon got me thinking.  (That's the purpose, right?)  It was a comparison and contrast of two parables:  the dishonest manager in Lk and the unforgiving servant in Mt.  Those are the subtitles given by the NIV anyway.  Here's the scoop.  Both have servants and a guy with lots of power.  The landowner goes on vacation leaving a servant in charge of the property.  He's gone for an indefinite amount of time and then comes back and wants to know what has happened while he was gone.  Of course things are not as they should be, and here is the crisis point of the story.  The owner calls the servant to account.  "Either get my money back or you lose your job - or worse your life."

The servant in Mt does exactly what is expected of him.  He goes out and tries to get the money back that is owed his master so he can save his own skin.  He follows the law, threatens the debtors, has them thrown into jail, and then still comes up short.  This I can understand.  The guy was given a second chance to make things right,  his buddies see him beating others up to save his own skin and tell the master.

The servant in Lk takes a different approach.  He thinks ahead.  "If I'm nice to those who owe money, maybe they help me, bc I'm surely sunk.  The master is going to be really ticked.  There's no way I can get all this straightened out in the amount of time I have been given."  So when the debtors come in to beg forgiveness, he barters a lower payment.  He does this with every one of them, perhaps pulling out his calendar thinking he'll stay with so-and-so the first week and then what's-his-name the second week. 

The conclusion is that the Mt. servant is punished.  I can deal with that.  The master was nice to him, and he refused to treat his fellow servants the same way.  The  Lk servant, however, has always befuddled me.  Jesus says that he dealt wisely with the situation.  What?!?  He lied and cheated and stole.  How can Jesus say this man was doing what was right?

The first guy dealt with God on terms of the law.  He expected the landowner to be strict and legalistic, and he was.  The second guy was "tricksies," but he was looking at the end result.  "If I don't treat you fairly, If I'm nice to you while you're in trouble, then maybe you'll be nice to me later when I need it."  Sure enough, not only did he have friends in the debtors, but his master rewarded him.  How is that fair?

God will deal with us with the same judgement we deal with others.  Am I a tit for tat kind of person?  Or am I willing to extend forgiveness and grace to someone else, because I know that's what I have received from God?  Hopefully I will be quick to forgive, quick to extend grace, and wise in my relationships.

I first met David E. Small when I was a freshman in college.  A few of us went to spend the weekend and for the most part it was a fun, comfortable experience.  I loved the teasing, the love, the family that I experienced. 

Perhaps this story will help you understand what I mean.  We ate in the dining room.  I remember the looks of fear and surprise her sons gave her when Barbara opened the pocket door and entered the sacred room.  "We never eat in here," one of her sons said.  "Well, we are tonight" and that was the end of that.  We sat down to a lovely table complete with china and silver.  We bowed our heads, and David began to pray.  He did great until he came to this part:  "We thank You, Lord, for"  Pause...awkward pause...he had forgotten our names!  The boys started to giggle.  They got The Glare from their mom.  In their defense, what is funnier to a teenaged boy than the embarrassment of his father?  Anyway, David was determined to push through and save the moment.  "We thank You, Lord, for ...these strangers at our table.  Amen"  The entire table burst out in to gales of laughter.  We ate a delicious meal of lasagna, home made bread, and salad.  That is still my favorite meal that my mom in law makes.

I've often tease my hubby that I would have married him anyway just to get to be part of his family.  I remember in our premarital counseling that we were told to look at each other's parents - especially the one who was the same sex as our finance bc that would be what our spouse would be like in 20 - 25 years.  I looked closely at David and then at Barbara and then at their relationship as a couple.  I thought, "I guess if she can put up with this for 20 years, so can I."  And that was the beginning of my relationship with my in laws.