September 21 – Sermon
Holy God, You reach out in love thru Jesus Christ to save us so that we may live as faithful servants of You alone. Unchain us from our desire for wealth, power and control so that we may, in turn, release others from the prisons of poverty, hunger, and oppression. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
In the Gospel for today, Jesus tells the Parable of the Dishonest Manager, which is also known as the Parable of the Unrighteous Steward. The terms are interchangeable: dishonest or unrighteous; manager or steward. But keeping the titles straight is the least of the problems with this parable. It is downright difficult to understand. It almost seems that Jesus is commending the dishonest manager! And what does Jesus mean by, “make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth”? But since Jesus is the one who tells it, it must have importance. Jesus is teaching His people what it means to be “Faithful Stewards.”
So this rich man had a manager– a steward, someone who was entrusted with and managed things that belong to someone else. That is the stewardship that had been entrusted to him by his master. But the steward did not manage his master’s property well. Word got back to the master. The master told him, “Turn in your books. You’re fired!”
But before the manager turned in his books, he summoned those who were indebted to the owner and reduced their debts. The manager tried to make friends for himself for the future expecting them to return the favor. Somehow the master got word of this, that the steward had changed those debts in order to look out for his own future. But the master’s reaction was surprising: “The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.” Notice that the master did not praise the dishonest manager for his dishonesty or his crookedness. He commended him for his “shrewdness,” that is, for his clever thinking in the midst of a crisis.
And then Jesus adds, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.” Notice, “the sons of this world” and “in dealing with their own generation.” Jesus did not commend dishonesty or unrighteousness. But in a time of crisis, the manager made provision for the future.
Jesus applies this story to us Christians. Jesus wants everyone of us to plan for our eternal future. Christ would have us look beyond this time in which we’re living to the time when we leave this world. Jesus wants us to have our affairs in order with that long-range future in view.
In other words, Jesus wants us to use the worldly wealth at our disposal with an eye toward eternity.
We are to use our money and possessions now in ways that are pleasing to God and for the good of others. There is going to come a day when your life and mine in this world will end. What will happen then? If you are wise, you will have friends who will welcome you into your eternal home in heaven.
But Christians– made righteous by the righteousness of Christ are able to use the unrighteous wealth you have for God’s righteous purposes. As faithful, wise, shrewd stewards, you and I can use our wealth, such as it is, for God’s purposes and for the good of others.
For example, you and I can use our time, talents, and treasures to help our neighbor in need. We can also use our money to support the work of the church’s preaching the Gospel, both here locally, and around the world. The ministry of the Gospel–this is our world’s greatest need. All people must hear and receive the good news of the forgiveness of sins in Christ. Everyone needs that precious good news! They can’t hear it if we turn them away.
The Gospel says, not only is our debt reduced–from a hundred to eighty, or from a hundred to fifty–our debt is taken away! Erased, wiped out! Jesus paid it all for you! He paid the price you could never pay. Jesus is the wise steward who reduces our debt to nothing.
That’s the Gospel that we are to bring to people. Using all our resources to help preach and teach God’s word. As faithful stewards, we want to support, and even expand, our vision for mission. This is a faithful and wise use of our time, talent and money –using unrighteous wealth for a righteous purpose, God’s purpose. This is pleasing to God our Savior, “who desires all people to be saved and to come the knowledge of the truth.” There is no finer use of your wealth in this world than to give it for the work of the Gospel.
That doesn’t mean we are buying our salvation. God forgives us and saves us and receives us into His heavenly dwellings purely out of his free grace in Christ! It’s all a gift. You have an eternal dwelling waiting for you, dear friends, because Christ Jesus has gone to prepare that place for you. It’s a gift. Christ has earned it for you. The Holy Spirit is working, through the means of grace, to strengthen your faith in Christ. And that same Spirit will make you into the faithful steward you are meant to be. To be a steward is a high calling.
Our true riches are in heaven. And there is no price tag we can put on them–forgiveness, life, eternal salvation, righteousness before God. All the wealth of this world cannot buy any of those priceless gifts. Christ has purchased all those treasures for us with his holy, precious blood. And God gives them all to us as a free gift. Money cannot buy the eternal salvation we have in Christ.
Faithful stewards use unrighteous wealth for God’s righteous purposes, especially for the eternal good of others, until that day when God says, “well done good and faithful servant.”
