Luke 18--Trickster Stories
Then Jesus told them a story to teach them.
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Jesus came from a long line of story tellers. So do I. Maybe that puts me in good company. In my family, we always called it swappin’ lies. But that doesn’t mean our stories were not true. A good story teller never lets the facts get in the way of the truth.
Every culture uses trickster tales to tell the truth. The serpent tricked Adam and Eve. The patriarch Jacob was a trickster until he wrestled with God. Many of Jesus’ stories feature tricksters. They guy who was going to tear down his barn to build a bigger one tricked himself out of a blessing. The unmerciful servant who abused a fellow servant was way too sneaky for his own good. The prodigal son was a trickster. His dad loved him anyway--but not his brother.
In the wilderness and on the cross, the trickster Satan tried to destroy the Son of God. At the resurrection, Christ became the ultimate trickster as he outsmarted death and defeated Satan himself.
Tricksters are like Wile E. Coyote or Barney Fife: low on wisdom but full of bluff and bluster. They try to be something they are not, but they only fool themselves.
Native people have hundreds of trickster stories about Coyote, Rabbit, Raven, and Glooscap. Maybe we love tricksters because we all have a little bit of Wile E. Coyote in our souls. I want to think that someday I will be a gentle soul like Mr. Rogers. To be honest, I may be more like Barney Fife.
Tricksters teach us to laugh at ourselves.
They remind us that our best laid plans go awry more often than not. Tricksters always think they can plan for the future and control what will happen next.
Wise people—persons of faith—know that is God’s job.
Things go so much better when we admit that our lives are out of control, and we need a higher power to restore us to sanity. Bluff and bluster might be enough to fool ourselves, but when we come face to face with the Creator we need honesty and humility.
So how is it going for you?
Are you in control of your own life? Are you the manager of your own destiny? Have your plans all blown up in your face before—but this time it’s a sure thing?
Maybe it’s time to put down all the Acme blueprints you have drawn up for yourself. Maybe it’s time to confess that you cannot manage your life. You cannot control your world. You need God to save you from your own cleverness.
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O God, I am oft times too clever by half. Forgive me for trying to take your seat. I need you to run my life. And when my soul gets too proud and tricky, Lord, nip it in the bud.