DEVOTIONAL --  THE DISHONEST STEWARD Diocesan Annual Assembly 14
May 1988 St. Gregory Armenian Church Pasadena, California

c.1988 Fr. Vazken Movsesian

     Perhaps one of Christ's most confusing parables is that of the
unjust steward (Luke 16:1f).   It is difficult to understand
because the hero of the story is one who has squandered money and
property.  He was given a responsibility to manage the affairs of a
wealthy man, but was found negligent in his duties.  He was asked
by his employer to produce his accounts because he would soon be
dismissed from employment.
     Now the steward was truthful in that he admitted to himself
that he was not strong enough for manual labor and too proud to
beg.  So he decided on a scheme that would ensure him security
after he left his job.
     He called his employer's debtors one-by-one to him.  He asked
the first, "How much do you owe my master?"
     "A 1000 gallons of olive oil," responded the debtor.
     "Sit down and make it 500," said the steward, adding, "And be
quick about it."  Calling the next debtor, he asked, "And you, how
much do you owe?"
     This one answers, "A 1000 bushels of wheat."
     "Take your account and make it 800," said the steward.  And by
doing this to his employer's debtors he was able to insure payment
to his master and at the same time make friends for himself.
     And here is the catcher: The master applauded and commended
the dishonest steward for acting so shrewdly.
     After telling us this story, Jesus tells us to, "make friends
for yourselves by means of unrighteous money (mammon), so that when
it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitation."
     Our Holy Orthodox Church teaches us that yes, there is life
beyond this temporal existance; however, while on this Earth we
must work with the tools given us in this world.  More
specifically, with the tool: MONEY.  Ironically, it is that
"unrighteous" money that does God's righteous and holy work here in
this world.
     We are all managers, stewards and are asked to take care of
something.  Here in this world we all have our responsibilities,
e.g., wife, husband, children, family, business, houses, etc.
These are all responsibilities given or acquired by us.
     Today we are assembled here as a different type of manager or
steward.  As the Diocesan Assembly we have come to manage our most
dear and precious mother, the Armenian Orthodox Holy Church and
it's mission in the Western United States.  It is a privilege and
at the same time a responsibility-- a very heavy responsibility at
that.  The decisions made at these assemblies effect not only our
church today, but generations to come and ultimately the entire
Church in America and abroad. And money is an important element in
God's work and mission here.  Therefore, the responsible allocation
and use of funds is so essential not only to the smooth operations
of the Diocese but to the continuation of God's work on Earth.
     Now the hero of our parable, the steward, was certainly not
commended for his dishonesty. Nor was he commended for his
squandering.  His actions did not lead to a profit for his
employer.  Rather, he was applauded for his shrewdness.  He was
able to use the money in a manner that insured his security.
     Over the past year many major activities, under the leadership
and direction of our Primate, took place in our Diocese.  The
long-awaited visit of His Holiness the Catholicos to these shores
was realized.  The dream of owning and operating our own camp
became a reality.  It was the shrewdness of "stewards" and the
proper use of money that made these and other events possible.
     Last evening, it was announced that the Diocesan Endowment
Fund would lend $150,000 to the St. Andrew parish if needed.  As
the Pastor of that community, I know that more than insuring us
that our building project will continue uninterupted, that money
shows a vote of confidence on the part of the stewards of the fund.
 That encouragement is so necessary for small and growing parishes.
 More importantly, we see a living parellel to Christ's parable.
The shrewd dealings of the administrators of the fund, throughout
the years, has now insured security for our Diocese and small
parishes that are expanding.
    Today we are standing on the threashhold of a new century.
Along with it comes a new age for the Armenian Church in America.
God's work, as described by the prophet Isaiah, and later used by
Christ, of "preaching the good news to the poor, release to the
captives, recovering sight to the blind, and setting at liberty
those who are oppressed" (Lk. 4:18f) has not changed.  Rather our
response to God's call is at a point of being tested.  It is at
this time that we must be atuned and awake to shrewdly use our
funds to continue God's work. *    Over 10,000 new Armenian
immigrants will reach the United States by the year's end.
Conservative estimates place 90% of them in the Western Diocese.
Can we sit back and justify our non-action by saying, "Our parents
didn't receive help when they came over," or is it a call to us to
be shrewd and insure our brother's and sister's security here?  By
allocating funds for a department of socials services and setting
up programs for aid? *    Only a few months ago, the massacres of
1915 were reinacted (fortunately, to a smaller degree) in Karabagh
and Sumgait.  Is it enough to hold a few demonstrations and dismiss
these events to unfair world politics.  Or is it a call for us to
demand justice?
     We have heard that we have a clergy shortage.  The need for
clergy to ease the burdon of our Primate in new parishes; the need
for clergy as assistant pastors to ease the burdon on over-worked
priest's in parishes; the need for priest's in non-pastoral
positions, to write, to teach, to organize is ever mounting.  Is it
enough to set sub-standard, pay scales or is it up to us to act
shrewdly in the allocations of funds to make entry into the
priesthood and attractive and viable alternative for youth seeking
a career?
     We hear of man's inhumanity to man in Isreal, in Iran, even
here in America and elsewhere.  Is it enough to be overwhelmed and
say in our ethnocentric voices "We have enough troubles taking care
of Armenian needs", or is it a call to see the global mission of
the Church?  Is it not a time for us to say, yes we were the
victims of the first displays of inhumanity to man in this century,
therefore we will be the first to react to inhumanity whereever it
may be.
     The Christian lives in this world, not in some world beyond.
He/she must be concerned and direct his/her efforts here.  We are
the stewards of God.  We recognize the privilege of such a
position, likewise we must accept the responsibility that goes with
it.  We have an added responsibility of being the 1st Christian
nation in the world.  Does it not follow that we should be the
first proclaimers of truth, the first to seek justice, the first to
ensure God's mission in this world.
     The door to the 21st century is waiting to be opened before
us.  Money, the "unrighteous mammon" is our tool.  How we use that
money will determine how effective and viable the Church will be in
this world.  It depends on the shrewdness of the stewards that
manage, allocate and use these funds.
     Today, in our deliberations, let us keep in mind the parable
of the unjest steward.  Let us be shrewd in our dealings to insure
the security of the Church and God's work.  Likewise let us keep in
mind the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, who concludes the parable
of the unjust steward by saying, "He who is faithful in a very
little is faithful also in muchÉ"   Surely, it is safe to say that
the Diocese, the entire Armenian Church, after being resurrected
from the ruins of the Genocide, in a short period of 70 years has
been faithful with little.  We have built that little into much.
It is now time for us to be assured that Christ's promise will hold
true.  We will be given much.  We must likewise be ready, willing
and shrewd in our dealings with all Christ gives for the Glory of
God.
	--Fr. Vazken Movsesian

c. 1988 Fr. Vazken Movsesian send comments to dervaz@sain.org