Tuesday, August 31, 2021

The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist

Psalm 31; Revelation 6:9-11; Romans 6:1-6

St. Mark 6:14-29

In the name of the Father, and of the T Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

“There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between these two ways.”[1] These are the opening words of perhaps the oldest Christian writing outside of the New Testament called The Didache or “The Teaching.” The author of The Didache is likely referencing Psalm 1, “For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”[2] These two ways, the way of life and the way of death; the way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly, are on clear display this morning.

King Herod was not in fact a king. He was a tetrarch, one of four men set in authority in the territory of Israel but subservient to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. So long as he kept the peace and served Rome, Herod was allowed to live as he pleased. He was rich beyond necessity and bore no real responsibility aside from pleasing the Romans. Herod associated with the rich and powerful, feasted sumptuously, wore fine clothing, and enjoyed the company of young women.

John the Baptist was an exile from birth. The father of this Herod – confusingly also named “Herod” – ordered all boys under two be murdered so that the coming Son of David would not assume the throne. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled to Egypt. Zacharias, Elizabeth, and John, only six months old, fled into the wilderness. Donning the garb of a prophet, John ate locusts and wild honey, wrapped a leather belt around his camel hair shirt, and preached the Word of God, preparing the way for the Christ.

The contrast between the stations of Herod and John could not be wider. St. Mark is emphasizing that outward signs of blessing in this world do not correlate to the salvation of God. Christ came for the blind, the weak, the poor, and the lowly. The mighty he has cast down and the proud are made weak.

But before we condemn Herod for being a ruler, who showed all manner of outward blessing (in food, clothing, company, and wealth), God does not offer salvation based on outward lowliness either. The poor man is not saved by being poor nor is the rich man saved by being rich. Nor is either forgiven on account of changing his station – the poor pulling himself out of poverty through hard work or the rich man giving away his wealth to the needy. Our station in this life is given to us by God so that we would be stewards of what we’ve been given.

The contrast between Herod and John which is far more important are the words they speak. Because John was called to be the prophet who prepared the way of the Lord, his preaching was primarily that of repentance. He was to prepare the hearts of Israel so that they might receive the Christ. We are prepared for absolution through repentance. We are prepared to receive the Gospel through the condemning action of the Law.

Herod enjoyed this preaching of John. Herod, who murdered his brother so that he could marry his sister-in-law; Herod, whose hormones rages so uncontrollably that he was titillated by the dancing of his 14 year-old step daughter; Herod, who lived in excess and bowed the knee to the Romans, enjoyed hearing John preach the Law.

When John condemned the marriage of Herod and Herodias, the spiteful woman wanted to kill him, but Herod protected John. He would not allow the prophet to be murdered but he would allow him to be imprisoned – likely so he could please his now “wife” and hear John preach all the more. The sick and depraved Herod was intrigued by the Word of God spoken by the prophet. The Holy Ghost was working in the heart of Herod, seeking to destroy his stony heart with the hammer of God’s Law so that a heart of flesh might fill its place.

Then comes the fateful night of the birthday feast. Herod loses his mind to lust over the dancing of his stepdaughter, a young maiden, barely old enough to be betrothed, and offers her anything her heart desires. The girl is at a loss, so asks her mother, who demands the head of John the Baptist. Though he is exceedingly sorrowful, because of his oath and the presence of his noble guests, Herod gives the execution order. In that moment, all the preaching of John the Baptist has been rejected by Herod. Whatever Word of God had begun to work on his heart, Herod’s own lust, his pride, and his reputation were stronger.

Do not scoff at Herod. Perhaps he never had faith and perhaps he was only entertained by John, but do not scoff. For you too are like Herod. The time comes to tell your cousin it is a sin to sleep with her boyfriend and you don’t have the nerve. Especially when getting married would cause her to lose her deceased husband’s benefits. Your reputation before others if very important to you but notice that the 8th commandment requires you to protect the reputation of your neighbor – not your own. Even then, if confessing the truth harms your reputation among your friends, they are not your friends or at least they are sorely confused about who you are.

Then there are the parts of Scripture you may not like. You do your daily bible readings and you come to church and listen to the sermons, but every time Christ says, “Rid yourself of crude jokes,”[3] your ears bristle and you think, ‘That can’t mean a dirty joke here and there…’

‘Submit to the government, not only the good but also the harsh.’[4] “I like when Jesus says, “Obey God rather than men, but submit to harsh rulers? No thank you.”

‘Wives, submit to your husbands.’[5] “That just means women can’t be pastors, it doesn’t mean anything at home.”

‘Let women be silent in the churches, not exercising authority over men.’[6] “Well, I just don’t like any version of that.” 

The point is Christ came to save the humble – those who humble themselves before God and his Word. You may not like the Word of God, you may not like the judgement of the Lord, but you are called to humble yourself before it and pray that he would reveal the joy of His Word to you. Humble yourself in repentance. We all need to repent. God already knows what you’ve done. He knows all and sees all. Repent of your sins because if you don’t, if you harbor them because of shame, they will be revealed on the Last Day, but they will be revealed to your judgement, like the sins of Herod.

Then there is John. John lived a life of humility, faithfully submitting himself to Christ. Even when Christ came to him to be baptized, John did not count himself worthy to Baptize the Son of God. Yet the Father had appointed John to be His prophet and to anoint the Savior of the World. Together, John and Jesus would fulfill all righteousness by fulfilling the Word of God and setting in motion of the ministry of Jesus – the Salvation of Man.

John continued to be faithful, to point to the Lamb of God, now anointed to be the sacrifice for the sin of the world. He preached repentance to everyone who would hear – the lowly and the great. He preached the Word of God to Herod who heard him. Then Herod betrayed him by following the way of death. Ironically, Herod’s way of death was the portal to John’s final steps on the way of life. What Herod meant for evil, God turned to the good of John. His labor was complete and now his only duty is to enjoy eternal bliss in glory.

Yes, you are as sinful as Herod. You are tempted by reputation, by threats of losing your job, by threats of losing family members to anger, by threats of losing your life or the life of your loved ones. These temptations are real, and you fail to deny them all. But right now, you are Herod listening to the preaching of God’s prophet. You are also called to be the prophet John the Baptist. You are called to believe, teach, and confess the truth of God’s Word. It is not given to every Christian to stand behind a pulpit nor distribute the Holy Sacraments, but it is given to every Christian to confess.

John never wavered in confessing the Law of God to Herod, his ruler. He also submitted himself to the authority of a very wicked man, accepting the consequences of living in a sinful world. You are called to no less. You are called to confess Christ before Kings and princes, employers and journalists, siblings, children, and friends.

The closest parallel to Herod in our day are the politicians who speak constantly against abortion. They claim to be champions of the unborn, standing for the rights of the defenseless children. But time and time again, they reveal themselves to be Herod. “It wasn’t the right time.” “We must move incrementally.” “We need to compromise.” They do this so that you will continue to vote for them. Where would Batman be without the Joker? Thus, he can never kill his archenemy. So too with the anti-abortion politicians, or at least most of them.

Far more timely are the ethics surrounding COVID-19 and vaccinations. No matter what you think or what you think you know about vaccination; whether vaccines will save the world or cause autism, assuming Christians who disagree with you desire the murder of others is sinful. Assuming that disagreement means you as a person are superior to others is sinful. Authorities at any level – federal, state, local, employers – authorities demanding vaccination while forbidding conversation about alternative treatments is sinful. They are no longer being harsh leaders but monstrous ones.

Forcing a Christian, whose conscience is plagued by the idea of participating in a drug created using tissues derived from abortion, to take said drug is a sin. So is claiming the burdened Christian is murdering those around them. Repent of these sins and treat one another with the eyes of Christ.

At the same time, do not be surprised when monstrous leaders take your job, your livelihood, your children, or throw you in prison. Do not be surprised when you cannot enter a store without proof of vaccination. Throwing a fit because you are not free to go where you please is also a sin. Deriding Christians for being afraid is a sin. Bear one another’s burdens. Encourage the faithful in the Word of God. Listen, respond, and communicate because we are all members of one body. The tongue is a poisonous member and no matter your stance is prone to vile sins against your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Hear again the words of today’s hymn, the first and final stanzas: 

“If thou but trust in God to guide thee

      And hope in Him through all thy ways,

He’ll give thee strength, whate’re betide thee,

      and bear thee through the evil days.

Who trusts in God’s unchanging love

      Builds on the rock that naught can move.”

“Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving,

            Perform thy duties faithfully,

And trust His Word; though undeserving,

            Thou yet shalt find it true for thee.

God never yet forsook in need

            The soul that trusted Him indeed.”[7] 

St. John the Baptist knew these words. He proclaimed the truth of Christ because he knew God would be faithful to him. What did he get in return? The Scorn of man, a stay in prison, and his head on a platter.

God has promised to bear you through these evil days, but his unchanging love may not look how you want it to look. It may look like the inside of a prison, poverty, the funeral of your loved ones, or even your own funeral. God’s unchanging love definitely looks like the Son of Man nailed to a cross. God’s unchanging love definitely looks like an empty tomb and folded burial clothes. God’s unchanging love definitely looks like water poured upon your head and the Triune Name placed upon you. God’s unchanging love definitely looks like wine and bread, and with the eyes of faith, the same Body and Blood which hung upon the cross.

God’s unchanging love will be revealed in the fulness of glory on the last day, when our eyes will be perfected and open upon the glorious face of Christ, to whom John pointed. We are one in Christ, you, me, all of us together, with angels and archangels, with John and Peter. Do not allow Satan, and his minions, Herod and Herodias tempt you away from Christ in the name of taking away bodily needs. God has and will provide for your body. God has and will provide for your soul. Do not turn away and seek good from the world.

In T Jesus’ name.  Amen.


[1] The Apostolic Fathers, “Didache 1:1,” 3rd edition, translated and edited by Michael W. Holmes (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2007), 345.

[2] Psalm 1:6.

[3] Ephesians 5:3-4.

[4] 1 Peter 2:18

[5] Ephesians 5:22

[6] 1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:8-15.

[7] “If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee,” stanzas 1 and 7.

Sunday, August 15, 2021

The Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God

Psalm 34; Isaiah 61:7-11; Galatians 4:4-7

St. Luke 1:39-55

            In the name of the Father, and of the T Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

            The Blessed Virgin Mary has been the subject of many artistic depictions throughout history. Many are quite beautiful. Unfortunately, many others contain false teachings associated with the Marian cult of the Roman Catholic Church. However, there is one that I would like to describe for you, which is worth your contemplation.

            The Blessed Virgin sits upon a marble chair, holding her Divine Son in her arms. There are bright white lilies at her feet and the wall behind them is covered in a floral wallpaper. The wall is a mixture of gold, red, white, green, pink and yellow, though all the tones of the wall are muted. Both Mary and her Son are adorned with nimbuses, the golden halo looking ornaments, typical of depictions of any Christian. Of course, the Christ child’s nimbus has a cross within it, while the Virgin Mother’s is rather plain.

The Christ child is naked, however his legs are drawn up so as to cover any indignity that might be displayed. His feet are slightly overlapping, reminiscent of how they will eventually be nailed to the cross. His arms are outstretched to the sides, the right hand formed into the sign of blessing – two fingers curled, the thumb and other two fingers extended. Both hands have their palms exposed, again, suggesting the posture in which he will atone for the sin of the world.

Mary is clothed in a dark velvet cloak. The color is difficult to discern, perhaps a dark shade of purple, perhaps a faded black. The cloak has gold trim and is clasped with a diamond shaped broach. She wears a red shirt, barely visible beneath the cloak. A thin white garment is placed upon her head and the hood of the cloak covers it. The Blessed Mother appears young, certainly under 20, as she was when she bore the Savior of the world. She holds the Christ child in both arms, simultaneously expressing tender care and somehow clutching him to herself.

The most striking features of the painting are the eyes of Christ and Mary. Christ stares directly at you, the viewer. He is painted face on, with vivid eyes, a serious but compassionate expression upon his young face. The Blessed Mother is looking down, her eyes barely visible. She is looking at her Son. Although the figure of Mary occupies three-quarters of the image, her gaze directs us to the Christ, particularly his hand raised in blessing. While Jesus’ lips are shown in a serious but compassionate expression, Mary shows slight concern in her understated face. She looks somewhat uncomfortable seated upon the marble seat.

What have we to learn from such an image? The purpose of celebrating the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary is to follow her gaze – to focus on Christ, her Son. Her eyes are focused ever on Christ, not her own station as the Mother of God. She is uncomfortable on the seat because she knows it is Christ’s throne, not her own. She is no more the Queen of Heaven than any other Christian. She deserves nothing. It is precisely because of her low estate that she was chosen by God to bear the Christ.

She clutches at the Christ child because only by clinging to her Savior does she have hope of salvation. She must hold him tightly, fervently, knowing that only in His salvation will she receive eternal life.

At the same time, she, as a mother, must not restrict him. A sword will pierce her heart as her own Son is beaten and nailed to a tree. She must endure a lifetime of sorrow for not only did her Savior die on her account, but her Son sacrificed Himself for her. She must not prevent Him from the death for which He was sent into the world. Mary was a smart woman, she knew that one day the Savior, her Son, must die to atone for her sin and she could not stop it.

Aside from being the Mother of God, as though that title were a trifle, Mary is also the fulfillment of the Ark of the Covenant and the image of the Church. The Ark of the Covenant was given to the Hebrews as they wandered the desert for forty years. It contained the Word of God and was the physical manifestation of the location of God. It was God’s throne and place of judgement. The lid was called the Mercy Seat, or more accurately, the Atonement Seat. Likewise, Mary was given to carry the Christ child within her womb for forty weeks. In her was the physical Word of God, come to dwell with his people. God would soon take his place upon the Atonement Seat, now fashioned into a cross.

The church is now the bearer of Christ. Inside these walls, inside the walls of your heart, dwells the Son of God. Here He comes to be with His people, physically in His Holy Body and Precious Blood. He dispenses that same atonement, made once and for all on Mount Calvary and now distributed to you in His Word, His Supper, and His Baptism, every Sunday. “His mercy is on those who fear him, from generation to generation”[1] of those who receive his Word of absolution in faith. From whence comes this faith? The very same Word. “He has helped His servant Israel, [the Church,] in remembrance of His mercy, as He promised to our fathers, [to your fathers,] Abraham and to his seed forever.”[2]

Because of the terrible abuses of our Mother in the faith, we are tempted to denigrate Mary. “She was nothing special, she was a sinner, too. We shouldn’t exalt her any more than any other Christian. Giving her special attention is too Roman Catholic.” Mary was a sinner. She is no greater than any other Christian in regard to her salvation. She was conceived in iniquity and born in sin. She needed the blood of Christ to wash away her sins every bit as much as you do.

But we should also heed the words the angel Gabriel, “Rejoice, highly favred one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”[3] Then there are the words of Elizabeth, spoken to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”[4] Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Mary herself sang, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth ALL GENERATIONS WILL CALL ME BLESSED.”[5]

Lest we become the very prideful ones scattered in the imaginations of our hearts, we should humble ourselves before the Blessed Virgin Mary, not out of worship. We never worship a Christian. The temptation to hold the Blessed Virgin down so as to elevate ourselves is blatant hypocrisy, sinful pride, and biblical ignorance. The mighty, in worldly power and in sinful pride, are cast down from their throne. But the lowly, the humble, are exalted. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are filled with good things while the rich are sent away empty. We should humble ourselves to the mercy shown to Mary by God; humble ourselves before the faith shown by a teenager told she would bear God in her womb; humble ourselves to imitate this faith, begging our Father in Heaven to endow us with such humility, grace, and endurance.

She cast her gaze upon the Christ child in whom is her salvation. In her deepest suffering, as her beloved Son hung upon a cross, she did not curse God and beg for death. She stood silently weeping and received the blessing of Christ. In His moment of greatest suffering, Christ Himself looked down from the cross and regarded his beloved mother. Despite enduring the pain of ten thousand generations of sin and evil, he took a moment to entrust his beloved mother to his beloved disciple. In the depth of sorrow, God looked up upon his blessed saints. Everything God does, everything Christ does is for the benefit of the Church and His saints. Everything is done for you.

On this account, we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary. We celebrate her as our mother in the faith as the first Christian to receive the Body of Christ into herself. We celebrate her as our sister, praising the manifold gifts of God. We celebrate Mary as the image of the Church, ‘the glorious princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. In these many-colored robes she is led to the king, her own Son seated upon His eternal throne, with all her virgin companions, the Church, all those cleansed from their sins and made pure as virgins, following behind.’[6]

In T Jesus’ name.  Amen.



[1] The Magnificat, Luke 1:50.

[2] The Magnificat, Luke 1:54-55.

[3] Luke 1:28.

[4] Luke 1:42.

[5] The Magnificat, Luke 1:47-48. Emphasis added.

[6] Psalm 45:13-14, the Gradual for the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Sunday, August 8, 2021

The Tenth Sunday after Trinity

 Psalm 55; Jeremiah 7:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

St. Luke 19:41-48

In the name of the Father, and of the T Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Jeremiah was given a difficult vocation. He was called by God to be a prophet at a young age. As a young man, he was given primarily to proclaim judgment against and call to repentance the inhabitants of Judah and especially the people of Jerusalem. In his day, the Jews would offer sacrifices to Baal in the morning, then go up to the temple in the evening, offering sacrifices for their sin. The next day, they would sacrifice to Baal, then go up to the temple for forgiveness. Some had even begun to sacrifice their children on the altars of Baal, only to return to the temple as though it were no sin. Day in and day out, the people believed they could worship and live as they pleased because God’s Word of forgiveness would freely be given to them.

This is what Jeremiah means when he says, “Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.’”[1] The Jews believed by performing the prescribed rituals, by being in the correct place at the appointed time, and by satisfying their perceived duties to the temple, they were free to live and worship as they pleased. The Word of God had nothing to say about any aspect of life outside of the temple worship. They truly believed they were delivered from sin so that they could commit all manner of abominations.[2] They trusted in lying words that cannot profit.

Jeremiah is sometimes called the ‘weeping prophet’ because he is recorded as shedding tears several times at the harsh words given to him by God to speak judgment over the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Jeremiah remained faithful to his prophetic office by calling them to repentance and pronouncing the judgment of God. Eventually, he would stand and watch as Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians, sent to enact God’s judgment upon the Judeans. Jeremiah would witness the presence of God depart from the temple even as Ezekiel saw the same presence arrive to be with those in captivity in Babylon. Eventually, Jeremiah would be carried away into Egypt, where the very people to whom he was called to preach the Word of God would stone him to death.

Christ our Lord stood overlooking the same city for which Jeremiah wept and shed his own tears. Jesus wept for Jerusalem because he loves her and all her inhabitants. Jerusalem was the city chosen to receive the Incarnate Lord, given the Word of God and the promise of everlasting life. Yet Jerusalem had rejected her Savior. Jerusalem had killed the prophets and neglected the Word of God. The leaders of Jerusalem had made commerce and trade their god, cutting deals with the Herodians and Romans. The temple was now a den of thieves. 

Do not think this refers only to those buying and selling in the temple. The Temple was a den of thieves because they had robbed the people of the Word of God. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the chief priests, and scribes had stolen the promises of God from the people, teaching them to worship personal preference and luxury. The thieves in the Temple were idolaters, adulterers, sloths, and gluttons. They desired the approval of the world, not the promises of God. One can see silver on the table but cannot see the eternity of heaven. Trust, but verify. Just in case God will not provide, they had better provide for themselves.

This has direct implications on their worship. Like the Jews in Jeremiah’s day, the worship life of the temple in Jesus’ day revolved around the proper performance of rites with no thought given toward faith. Keeping the Law was essential for salvation, the promise of God was not. Come to the temple, pay your dues, hand the pigeon to a priest, and you’re done. Your sins are forgiven, now go and do as you please. Our next service is the same time next week.

In case you haven’t caught on, nothing has changed. The devil, the world, and our flesh want your soul. It is far easier to hand it over. Every news station, every website, every camera, every phone, is collecting data on you so that those controlling commerce can more effectively tempt you. Churches throughout the world have departed from the Scriptures in favor of worldly practices. Christians demand pastors to act in accord with preference instead of the Word of God.

There is no aspect of your life which is not impacted by the Word of God. Being a Christian is a vocation, that means you have been called to this station. You are a Christian 24/7, not only on Sunday morning. The life of the Church is not constrained to one hour on Sunday. The conduct of the Church is not a matter of preference. It is a matter of confession, a statement of the objective truth of God’s Word. By this confession, we are teaching one another and ourselves. Yet our flesh wars against this confession. Our flesh desires that which tickles the ears. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”[3]

Repent of your idolatry of self and the fellowship of the world. Repent of any false notion that God’s grace is so cheap, you are free to live in abominations if you only attend the weekly church service. Repent of the selfish notion that you are more important to the Church than Christ.

Repent and receive the tears of Christ. Our Lord weeps over Jerusalem because he loves her. He loves the Pharisees and Sadducees, the chief priests and scribes, the leaders of the people, the Romans, and the Herodians. If this were not the case, he would not bother to rebuke them nor shed tears on their account. He desires not the death of a sinner but his conversion. Jesus weeps for your sin. I’m not so certain that Jesus isn’t weeping as he cleanses the temple with a whip of cords. He weeps for your sin and then bears it to the cross of Calvary. 

The same Jesus who chases out those buying and selling will shortly thereafter submit to these same authorities. He will not struggle against them. He will not seek asylum. It is Palm Sunday when he weeps for Jerusalem and cleanses the Temple. Jerusalem who kills the prophets and silences the Word of God will soon kill the Prophet like Moses, the Incarnate Word of God, the King of Kings, and Eternal Priest of the Most High. Jesus will submit to the death of a criminal so that the money changers don’t have to; so that you don’t have to.

Every drop of water in the Bible points to Holy Baptism, even the tiny drops of Christ’s tears. He sheds these tears to cleanse you of your sin. He sheds his Holy Blood to pay the debt your sin has incurred. He rises victorious to proclaim his word of forgiveness and victory over sin, death, and the devil; to claim you as his trophy. His tears, his teaching, his life, death, resurrection, and ascension are all accomplished for you, whether you like it or not. This is what Christ has to deliver to you through the lips of a sinful man.

A parent who enjoys spanking their child is an abuser. Chastisement truly hurts the parent as much or more than the child because we love them. The Heavenly Father chastises us for our own good. Christ cleanses the temple for the good of the money changers, so that they would repent, then listen to his teaching. Immediately after cleansing the desecration of the Temple, Christ teaches the crowds. He restores the Temple to its purpose – that place where the Holy God dwells with his people, distributing his Word of forgiveness and his gifts of salvation.

In T Jesus’ name.  Amen.



[1] Jeremiah 7:4.

[2] cf. Jeremiah 7:10.

[3] 2 Timothy 4:3.

Sunday, August 1, 2021

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity

Psalm 54; 2 Samuel 22:26-34; 2 Corinthians 10:6-13

St. Luke 16:1-13

            In the name of the Father, and of the T Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

            It is tempting to read the parable of the unjust steward as referring to the character of the steward himself. Afterall, he is the primary character, and it is his actions which move the parable along. Even the master commends the steward at the end of the parable.

            A little cultural knowledge will go a long way in helping to understand this parable. The master is a landowner. He lends out his land for farmers to work it. They are sharecroppers. Each year, they owe the master a certain percentage of their harvest. Their debt to the master is the cost of working his land. The master has also hired a steward to manage his financial accounts. The steward is responsible for collecting and recording the debts and offerings in the name of the master. The activities of the steward toward the farmers are considered the same as if the master himself were dealing with them.

Certainly, the steward is important to the parable but so is the master. A closer reading of the parable reveals much about the character of the master. When the master hears the accusation that the steward has been wasting his goods, the master is fully within his rights to immediately have the steward cast into prison until the debt is paid. The master does not exercise this right. Instead, he shows mercy by allowing the steward to depart, collect the books, and return them to the master before he is released from his duties.

The master knows this gives the steward the opportunity to cook the books. He has already shown himself to be capable of lying, cheating, and stealing, but the master is willing to be merciful to the steward.  At the same time, the master has declared that for his transgression, the steward will be cast out of the master’s house. This shows the master to be just, that is, to practice justice.

When the steward reduces the debts of the farmers, they do not act suspicious. They do not question the actions of the steward. Their reaction reveals the master to be gracious. The farmers see this act of generosity as being perfectly in line with the character of the master. It is something he himself would do for them and likely has done in the past. In fact, the reaction of the farmers probably indicates that the steward’s crime was not being gracious to the farmers. Rather than reducing their debts, according to the Word of the master, he charged the farmers higher rates and kept the difference for himself. This is the wastefulness of which the master accuses the steward. He wasted the grace and mercy of the master.

Finally, the master commends the steward for his shrewdness. This commendation reveals the master to be forgiving. He desires forgiveness and not punishment. He is just, willing to punish transgression, but he desires mercy and reconciliation. 

The master is just, righteous, merciful, gracious, forgiving, and loving. His gifts are abundant and he freely bestows them. The master of the parable points us to God. In fact, you could read the steward as a picture of mankind. The pinnacle of creation, God gave man stewardship over all creation. When he was found wasteful, abusing that which was given into his care, God cast him out of the garden, from the near presence of the Trinity. When God called man to give an account of his life, he must reflect the person of the Master, he must turn to the person of Christ. By speaking forth the Word of God, by showing forth his union with Christ, man is commended on the Last Day for his service.[1]

I admit, such an interpretation seems to leave out the atonement of Christ on behalf of the steward. That is a fair criticism. King David shows in our Old Testament lesson how our Heavenly Father reveals himself to man: “with the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure You will show Yourself pure…For You are my lamp, O Lord; The Lord shall enlighten my darkness.”[2]

God Himself enlightens the darkness of the steward’s heart, even as he enlightens the darkest places of your heart. This enlightenment is accomplished by the Light of the World rising on the third day. The Light of Christ returns to the Church as he is raised from the dead, a death which conquered death on your behalf. His blood has watered the soil which you farmers now work. He has planted the faith in the hearts of man to be illumined by the Word of God, spoken by the Holy Spirit through the lips of the faithful.

Our Master, God the Father, has given all authority in heaven and on earth to the Son, who now delivers the bountiful harvest to you his people, that you might steward it on his behalf. “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”[3]

I believe this to be a parable about the church, those who have already been called to faith. The steward already lives in the house of the master and is threatened to be cast out for abandoning the Word of the master. Only by repenting of his waste and showing the fruits of repentance is he restored and commended by the master.

This is true of all Christians. We are called to repent of our sins and show forth the fruit of such repentance. What does that look like? It looks like conforming yourself to the Word of God. Your sin ought to disgust you because it disgusts God. You ought to love righteousness because God loves righteousness. You cannot do this on your own. The Holy Spirit must sustain you and strengthen your spirit to hold firm to the certain Word of God.

Where do you turn for such strength? To the Word of God. Read the Word in the morning and before you go to bed. Pray fervently for the illumination of the Holy Ghost. Then come and receive the Word of God bound to physical elements. Return to your Holy Baptism every day by crossing yourself and drowning your sinful Adam. Receive the Holy Body and Precious Blood of Christ into your mouth, drawing you ever closer to Christ your Lord.

Perhaps the most confusing sentence in all of Scripture is verse 9 of today’s text. “Make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.”[4] Christ out Lord is not commanding us to seek money so that we can make friends. He is not encouraging us to flaunt the wealth we’ve been given by wasteful spending in attempts to garner the attention of man. This would be prodigal living. Prodigal, by the way, is the same word we hear today as “wasteful.”

Such living not only endangers our own salvation (by trusting in mammon) but it endangers the salvation of our neighbors, those who would be called “friends” in the name of money. By purchasing such friendship with money, we are encouraging our neighbor to fear, love, and trust in money above God.

Jesus is warning us against such living. He is warning us against wasteful living. By calling it “unrighteous mammon,” our Lord is telling us that all mammon is dangerous. The heart of man is easily tempted by temporal wealth and is therefore ripe for becoming an idol. Therefore, it is unrighteous mammon.

But how shall we make friends with it? The other side of Christ’s warning is against miserliness. Do not store up treasures on earth.[5] Our Lord’s command is to use the wealth we are given to serve our neighbor. Rather than storing your wealth, use it in service to your neighbor. Wasteful spending and selfish saving are equally damaging to your soul. Both place your greed above God. Hence, you cannot serve God and mammon, these two masters.[6]

Be a good steward of the gifts of God by serving your neighbors. Then, when your body fails in death, you will be received by the whole company of heaven into your everlasting home. This stewardship is not done according to the latest financial models nor whatever financial gurus might say, even if they are Christians. This stewardship is modeled after Christ our Lord, who gave everything of himself to save you. He is the perfect steward who could even be called wasteful. He showed no concern to withhold even his blood from being given to you. He gave you everything, so that you would lack nothing in eternity.

Christ our Lord is just, merciful, gracious, and forgiving. We have been called to be the same. Thanks be to God our actions do not merit eternal life. Thanks be to God our stewardship does not merit eternal life. Thanks be to God that he has set his glory above the heavens. Thanks be to God he has prepared a mansion for you in our eternal home. Finally, thanks be to God that we have been set free from sin, that we would desire to imitate our Savior, Jesus Christ, in serving God and neighbor with everything we have been given to steward.

In T Jesus’ name.  Amen.



[1] Matthew 25:31-46 – The sheep and the goats.

[2] 2 Samuel 22:26-27, 29.

[3] Genesis 1:28.

[4] Luke 16:9.

[5] Matthew 6:19-21 - “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

[6] Luke 16:13 - “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

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