Two masters

Luke 16:1-13

        I have a slightly different take today on this passage that struck me from the last line, you can not serve two masters.

        In my position at work, I am in charge of a bit of accounting. Not money, but people's actions and adherence to laws and regulations. I am a strict taskmaster. There have been several occasions over the years that my scrutiny has uncovered bad behavior and personal addictions. In any arena it is bad, in the  area of health care it is unacceptable and endangers patients. I take my charge seriously.  Invariably a person who abuses substances or some similar behavior starts out on a road believing they can handle it. Soon enough however, they are out of control. If I don't catch them before this point, they soon reveal themselves because they wind up throwing caution and moderation to the wind and in a few cases I did not catch, the person wound up nearly killing themselves. Our sincere hope is to help these people and of course to maintain premier health care. The person who embarks on deviant behavior does not realize this scripture is speaking to them, you cannot serve two masters. Eventually you betray yourself by your actions.

        This is also true of those that try to live a double life of any sort. From government officials to preachers and every day persons, it can't be done forever. You cannot serve two masters.

         Realizing you are gay and find it is often at odds with society or your religious beliefs causes quite a conundrum. The force that God gives us, to guide us, to be who we are is difficult to overcome. This is especially so about being gay as our sexual energy and force is so integral to our being. Many in politics, pastors and preachers who realize they are gay often try to hide it. Perhaps it's "a phase".  Some might say "it's the devil". If you are gay, it is neither, it's a gift. What is problematic is to hide who you are, to try and live a double life. The hiding is the 'drug' that eventually goes viral and gets out of control. You cannot hide who you are. I understand that there are complications of coming out. I still argue that honesty is the best policy. Handling the issues, 'manning up' and handling these issues with dignity and honesty is the best avenue. Living a double life never works - for long. So it isn't the being gay, it's compromising your personal ethics, disrespecting your commitments  and lying that gets you in real and serious trouble. It's what puts your soul in danger of damnation.

          Before embarking on a double road, realize the treachery and deceit involved. Honesty is not always easy but it is the most rewarding and earns the respect of yourself and others.

Then Jesus said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property.

So he summoned him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.'

Then the manager said to himself, 'What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.

I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.'

So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'

He answered, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.'

Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?' He replied, 'A hundred containers of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill and make it eighty.'

And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.

And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.

"Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.

If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?

And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?

No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."