Frank had always loved nice stuff, but as an employee of FEMA for 32 years most of these things were unaffordable. Things had changed recently, though. His co-workers first noticed the new iPod. Then it was the new clothes, the week-long luxury cruise, and even the new car. Everyone figured it was a mid-life crisis; they had seen it before in others.

His co-worker, Matt, was suspicious, though. He peered into some of Frank’s expense account records, and he discovered a number of charges that he didn’t think were legitimate.

The next morning, Frank’s boss called him in. Frank was told that he had 24 hours to give an accounting for a long list of questionable expenditures.

Frank went pale. His hands got sweaty. As he walked back to his office, he knew he was in trouble. There was no way he could legitimize those charges. He knew that he would be fired tomorrow.

“What am I going to do?” Frank said to himself. “How will I find another job? I’m 54. I don’t want to take unemployment or welfare, and I don’t want to work at McDonalds.

He got an idea. He had friends. If he didn’t have his job anymore, he still had his friends. He started the plan in motion. He quickly arranged for five of them to receive generous hurricane relief checks and made sure that they were sent by the end of the day. He called his friends and told them to expect a little extra money because he was able to pull some strings.

The next day Frank turned in the feeble explanation of his expense reports. He was fired within the hour. Fortunately, Frank had some very grateful friends. One of them got Frank a new job with a higher salary. One of them paid Frank’s mortgage for three months.

Four weeks later Frank was called back into FEMA by his former boss. The fraudulent hurricane relief checks had been discovered. His boss went on about how immoral Frank’s actions were, but suddenly he stopped short. He said, “I’ve been thinking. Let’s keep this between us. I’m suspending any charges against you.”

Frank was stunned. He said, “Really? Why?”

Frank’s boss said, “Let’s just say I’ve never seen such a display of shrewdness before.”

The story you just heard may sound strange and slightly familiar at the same time. It is my attempt at modernizing one of the parables Jesus told — the Parable of the Shrewd Manager in Luke 16:1-9.

This parable has been defined by many as one of the most troublesome of Jesus’ parables. It raises a number of questions. Why would Jesus want us to follow the example of someone who cheats his master? How would you like it if someone taught your kid to imitate the practices of Enron’s former CEO?