Regular readers may recall that last week, a year after retiring, I returned to my former place of work for the retirement of a colleague. I enjoyed the event because it allowed me to meet up with my former colleagues. So often, the way we feel about work is determined not so much by the job itself but by the people who work alongside us. I have been fortunate that, for the most part, I have always got on well with the people I work with. It is that shared comradeship that keeps us all going when things become difficult; we support those around us just as they support us. One of Jesus’s most difficult parables is that of a dishonest steward. The senior steward, what today we might call the farm manager, learns he is about to be dismissed by his employer. He promptly goes round all the people who owe his employer money, reducing the amount they need to pay, so they in turn might help him when he loses his job. The employer finds out, but praises the man for his shrewdness. It has been suggested that at least in part, Jesus told this parable to show the importance of cultivating friends; human capital always wins over money in the bank.
Rev David Poyner