Trinity 9 – July 28, 2024Psalm 54; 2 Samuel 22:26-34; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13St. Luke 16:1-13
In the Name of the Father, and of the +
Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
To understand the parable before us
today, it is necessary to understand the words that are used in the parable. A
“steward” is someone responsible for using and caring for the possessions of
someone else. In the case of the parable, the steward is responsible for
managing the money of the rich man. Your accountant is the steward of your
finances. Parents, when you send your children to school, the teacher is the
steward of your child. Hiring Door Dash is hiring someone to be the steward of
your supper. A steward is responsible for the use and care of some else’s
possessions. “Stewardship” is simply the way of describing the way in which the
steward cares for those possessions. It does not necessarily only mean money.
The word “shrewd” might have negative
connotations. It sounds evil, or at least mean. Perhaps it even rings in your
ears as someone who is miserly and lashes out at those around him. The word just
refers to practical wisdom, knowing what actions to take in a particular
situation. This is different from the “wisdom” we usually think of. Wisdom is
generally reserved for theoretical wisdom, that is, having the knowledge of the
best course of action. To be shrewd is to have practical wisdom of the
situation and knowing the best steps to take.
For example, it might be wise for a
carpenter to soften the corners of a table to give it a finished, beautiful
appearance. It is shrewd of the carpenter to soften the corners and the edges
to reduce splintering. The wise Christian knows the value to his body and soul
of attending the Divine Service every Sunday and every other day it is offered.
The shrewd Christian bathes the children the night before so that Sunday
morning is efficient and attends the earliest service so that the children are
still slightly subdued by the early rising.
“Mammon” refers to all earthly
possessions: clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and
children, fields, cattle, and all my goods. In itself, mammon is good because
it is a creation of God. However, Christ calls it “unrighteous mammon” in the
parable. That is because, in this context, “unrighteous” doesn’t mean “evil;”
it means “something that can’t save you.” Righteousness is not found in mammon,
therefore it is “unrighteous mammon.”
We may now begin to understand the
parable. The master discovers that his steward has been stealing his money and
wasting it on extravagant living. Because the master can’t trust the steward,
he fires him and demands the steward return the master’s ledger (the book where
the master’s money is recorded). On his way to get the ledger, the steward
quickly calls those who owe the master money and lowers their debts. This, of
course, makes the debtors happy. The steward does this so that when he is
forced out of the master’s house, he can go to the debtors and say, “Hey,
remember how I got you a break on your debt? How about you help me out by
giving me a job, a place to sleep, or at least a meal.” The debtors,
remembering what the steward did for them, will certainly welcome the steward
into their homes.
Now, we know that the steward is a
scoundrel. He is dishonest. He had been stealing from his master and his last
act as steward was to cheat the master out of even more money. And yet the
master commends his shrewdness, his wisdom.
Neither the master, nor Jesus, commends
the steward for stealing or lying. He is to be commended for his wisdom; for
thinking ahead; for striving so hard for what matters to him most. It is this
effort, this wisdom, that our Lord is commending to us today. ‘Do you see,’ He
says, ‘what lengths the steward was willing to go to in order to reach his
goal? Think now of your goal, baptized child of God. How does your goal
(eternal life in the presence of and in communion with the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Ghost) affect your actions and the way you use the gifts of this life:
clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and children, fields,
cattle, and all your goods?’
These
things, this mammon, cannot save you. Every
possession in this world is mammon, it is unrighteous because it cannot save
you. But all mammon can certainly damn you. It is dangerous. All earthly
possessions are dangerous because they so easily become idols. Thanks be to God
He has given to His children the Holy Ghost, by which we are made wise. We are
wise as serpents and innocent as doves.[1]
Then again, we must use this wisdom,
this shrewdness, given by the Holy Ghost to “make friends” by means of unrighteous
mammon. What does it mean to “make friends” in this context? It doesn’t mean
buddies. It doesn’t mean lifelong friendships. The goal of the steward is that
when his lifelong career fails, he is received into the homes of others that
will care for him the rest of his days. The goal of the Christian is that when
you fail, that is, when your body gives up its final breath, you will be
received into the everlasting heavenly mansion prepared for you by Christ.[2] You will
be received into the bosom of Abraham, gathered into the general assembly and
church of the firstborn, to God the Judge of all, and to Christ the Mediator of
the new covenant, whose blood of the sprinkling speaks better things than that
of Abel.[3]
The friends you are to make are those
who are gathered into glory. Some of our theologians consider these friends to
be the poor to whom you’ve shown charity by giving your mammon to them. That
could be, but I am inclined to see these friends as the general assembly and
church of the firstborn, that is, your fellow Christians, the martyrs, and the
faithful poor; as well as the Holy Angels and the Triune God.
To make friends with them by means of unrighteous mammon is not to earn their favor by storing up good works or merits. Rather, to make friends with them is to show that you are of one mind, one spirit, one Baptism into one Lord. This is seen in how you order your life. What is most important? Nostalgia? Longing for the past? A comfortable life? An easy life? Or is eternal life most important? Longing for unity with the general assembly of the firstborn? The worship of the Triune God? Citizenship in heaven? Receiving the forgiveness of sins? Repentance for the times you’ve fallen short and the many ways in which you have failed to be shrewd?
The parable of the Shrewd Manager is
about the orientation of your life, shown through your use of the things of
this world. Is your life oriented toward God or does your life only pay Him lip
service? Do you care about pure doctrine or your own opinion? Is a college
education more important than faith? The sons of this world are incredibly
shrewd in striving for their goals, more shrewd, in fact, than the children of
light. Perhaps, there is something to be learned from them, afterall.
In + Jesus’
name. Amen.
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