The Ninth Sunday after Trinity

 The Ninth Sunday after Trinity – August 17, 2025

Psalm 54; Proverbs 16:1-9; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

St. Luke 16:1-13

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today’s parable is the most difficult parable of our Lord to understand. It seems as though the shrewd and unrighteous steward is being praised for lying, cheating, and stealing. He is accused of wasting the master’s goods and is being fired. When the master sends him to collect the financial records, the steward quickly brokers deals with all of the master’s debtors, seeking to gain favor in their eyes so that when he is kicked out of the master’s house, he will have friends to stay with and possibly even job opportunities. The master commends these shrewd actions and the parable ends.

Thankfully, our Lord summarizes the parable with the words, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.”[1] He is telling us to take notice of how hard the steward worked to secure for himself a future. The master did not have to give the steward the opportunity to fetch the books. He could have had the steward immediately thrown in jail while another servant was sent to gather the financial records. The steward recognizes his golden opportunity and seizes it. He analyzes his situation, seeing that his job prospects are minimal. His body is unfit to dig ditches, and he is too proud to beg. So, he concocts the plan to forgive portions of the debts owed to the master to gain goodwill among the debtors.

This plan is not without risks. The master might become more angry and invoke his right to have the steward jailed for his crimes. The debtors might turn out to be greedy, and although the steward helped to lower their debts, they might still turn him away in his time of need. But the steward has already considered these as well. By lowering the debt of the debtors in the name of the master, he has increased their view of the master. It appears to the debtors that their master is generous and has done a kind thing for them. His reputation is improved by the actions of the steward. The steward’s plan puts the master in such a position that to punish the steward would only increase the steward’s reputation before the debtors while harming his own.

As for the debtors, it is true that some of them might turn out to be greedy and refuse to help the steward. That is why he did this for all of the master’s debtors. He wasn’t putting his eggs in one basket, to use a common phrase. The steward has carefully thought through every aspect of his plan and then put it into action.

And for what? He is planning for his future security, safety, and provision. He can’t take the physical work of digging and he is too proud to beg, so he works diligently to make for himself a future where he can provide for himself.

If we understand our Lord to be referring to the steward as one of the sons of this world, who is cunning in providing for himself in this world, then what of the sons of light? The primary distinction between the two is the goal for which they are striving. The sons of this world are looking for rewards on earth. They are looking for security for their future days in this world. The sons of light are striving for something else. They look toward eternal life. The sons of light are sons of the Light of the world, which no darkness can overcome.[2] Their source is the Light of Christ, and their goal is eternal life in the world without end.

So now, we can understand the rebuke and admonition of our Lord. He is saying that the sons of this world work diligently and think shrewdly about how to achieve their goals in this life while the sons of light are lazy when it comes to achieving their goal; lazy both in thought (or planning) and in deed.

In terms of planning, the sons of light are called to plan for eternal life through diligence in the Word of God. Notice, that as the shrewd steward is forming his plan, he is considering all the information he has at hand. For the Christian, this information is the Word of God. No matter how many times you’ve read the Bible, there is always more to learn. New insights will occur every time you open the pages of Scripture. It is an unending well of insights into God and His actions working toward your salvation.

However, if this gaining of information is kept within the pages of Scripture, then it will be of little use. As you read the words of Scripture, it also necessary to lift your eyes from the page and consider how these Words apply or affect the world around you. For instance, it would be an error to read the words of creation but look at the world around you as having developed over billions of years. Rather, take the words of creation and see how wonderfully designed the world is; how everything has been formed by the hands of God to work in concert.

More directly connected to our text would be any Word of God which concerns the fleeting nature of this world and the eternal nature of the world to come. As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are being thrown into the fiery furnace, they tell Nebuchadnezzar that the Lord is able to deliver them from the burning fiery furnace and even if He doesn’t, the Lord will save their souls.[3] That is, they trust that the Lord is on their side and that they will endure unto life, whether life in this world or in the glory of the next. They count their temporal lives as but one step on the journey toward glory.

As for putting this wisdom gained from God’s Word into action, we have another word of Christ, “Make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.”[4] This is where Christians are called to be shrewd, to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves;[5] to use the things of this world in service to God, both for the benefit of their neighbor and the benefit of their own souls. We are called to put our time, our abilities, and our resources to the best use we can, according to the Word of God and the vocations into which God has called us, so that this mammon, the things of this world which are unrighteous by the fact that they cannot offer salvation, would be used for God’s glory. Then, when our bodies fail, we will be welcoming into our everlasting home with great rejoicing among the angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven.

Lest there be any misunderstanding, our stewardship of the things of this world does not gain, nor secure, our everlasting home. Our reading from the Proverbs makes this clear: “In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity; and by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.”[6] It is not our stewardship that provides for iniquity, nor is it our preparation for forgiveness, nor even our sustaining of righteousness. It is the Lord alone, through His great mercy and truth, who has covered our sins and paid the penalty they deserve.

Christ taking your sins upon His shoulders, dying upon the cross, and rising the third day that has satisfied the wrath of God against you. His atonement provides for iniquity, and it is the Holy Spirit who sustains you in that righteousness. Your stewardship of the unrighteous mammon of this world is the result of this atonement provided for you. The call to righteousness is what follows salvation. Even at that, it is not as though “you better do it, or else…” The admonition of Christ is the guide for the sons of light who desire nothing more than to be conformed to the righteousness of Christ.

It is the attitude of the sons of this world to look for gain, how they might work and position themselves for the greatest gains. The sons of light already possess everything they could ever need in the atonement of Christ. However, the sons of light also see the darkness clinging to their flesh and the darkness of the world around them. They need guidance in how to conquer that darkness, continuing to bring the light of Christ to those around them. Hence, Christ gives admonition into how to steward what you’ve been given so that you would continue to live within the mercy and truth which He has provided.

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”[7] All the shrewd planning, consideration, and actions of even a righteous man have no guarantee of results. It is the Lord who directs the outcome of our steps. It is the Lord who has guaranteed the result of our salvation. And thanks be to God for that fact, because if it were left to us in even the smallest of ways, we would stumble and fall. “He so cared for and esteemed me that the Son He loved so well, He has given to redeem me from the quenchless flames of hell…So my many sins and errors find a tender, pard’ning God…Grant me grace, O God, I pray You, that I may with all my might, all my lifetime, day and night, love and trust You and obey You. And, when this brief life is o’er, praise and love You evermore.”[8]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Luke 16:8.

[2] St. John 1:4-5.

[3] Daniel 3:16-18.

[4] St. Luke 16:9.

[5] St. Matthew 10:16.

[6] Proverbs 16:6.

[7] Proverbs 16:9.

[8] I Will Sing My Maker’s Praises, LSB 977, stanzas 2, 4, 5.

The Second Last Sunday in the Church Year

The Second Last Sunday in the Church Year – November 17, 2024

Psalm 54; Daniel 7:9-14; 2 Peter 3:3-14

St. Matthew 25:31-46

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The words of our Lord concerning the Sheep and the Goats is not a parable. A parable is an illustrative story that may-or-may-not be true (but generally isn’t), where the people, places, and events stand in for other people, places, and events. Next week, we will hear the parable of the 10 virgins. That parable depicts those within the church who have genuine, saving faith and those within the church on earth who are hypocrites, who give no attention to the faith once delivered to them. However, when Christ returns, there will not necessarily be 10 women waiting by a wedding hall where 5 enter in and 5 do not.

The Sheep and the Goats is not a parable because the division of the nations into the righteous and the wicked will happen, and it will happen as Christ describes it. He calls these two groups “sheep” and “goats” as an illustration and this illustration delivers the key to understanding this teaching of our Lord. The eternal fate of the nations, that is, all people, is not determined by works. It is determined by what they are. Sheep and goats are different animals. To use biblical language, they belong to different kinds. One kind of animal is saved. The other kind of animal is damned.

It is fundamental to understanding the final judgment that you understand this concept. We will get to the judgment of works in a moment, but the separation into the categories of those who are saved and those who are not is determined by what you are. Are you a baptized child of God? Are you a new creation in Christ? Do you find your origin in the living Word of God? Then you belong to one category of man. Are you a citizen of the kingdom of satan? Are you the old creation of Adam? Do you find your origin in the loins of man? Then you belong to the other category of men.

On one of the occasions that the Pharisees challenged Jesus, they claimed to have no father but Abraham.[1] Fundamental to their understanding of the world is that they can trace their blood and their faith from man to man, all the way back to Abraham. What are they saying? They claim that the most important aspect of their salvation is who donated DNA to their existence. They find salvation in their blood heritage. Since the time of Christ, the Jewish people have obstinately continued in this lie.

Compare this to the teachings of Christ who said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”[2] Jesus is not teaching disobedience to parents. He is boldly stating that the Word of God is more important than blood. We are the true children of Abraham because we have continued in the same faith delivered to Abraham. We are the true children of Adam because we continue in the same faith delivered in Eden immediately following the Fall. We are a different kind of being than the Jew, the Muslim, and the hypocrite.

The nations are divided according to the kind of being. The goat-sons of satan and all who disbelieve the Word of God are set to the Lord’s left. The true sons, of Adam, Abraham, David, and Christ, the sheep in the hands of the Almighty, are set to the Right.

After this division has taken place, our Lord judges the works of the sheep and the goats. After the determination of salvation or damnation, our Lord evaluates their works. The sheep are surprised to learn of what deeds they’ve done. They have no idea that they were serving Christ in all those ways. This is because they are true sons of God. A son does not need to work to gain the love of his father. Born within the son is the desire to be like his father. He wants to become the man who defines masculinity in the eyes of the son.

From the son’s perspective, that usually means trying to find great deeds of heroism to impress his father. But from the father’s perspective, it is the subtle traits of maturity that make him proud; the effort to become a better man that warms his heart. This relationship found in man is a reflection of the Almighty’s relationship with mankind. We distract ourselves with the idea of big, heroic works of righteousness when what our Father sees is our works in secret. He sees the daily acts of love toward our neighbors.

The goats are likewise surprised to learn of what they haven’t done. They believe that they’ve done their best, that they are “pretty good people,” that they did their time in Sunday School and that those things should be enough. Yet the Lord has placed them on His left, sentenced them to eternal perdition. Why? They have rejected the Word of God made flesh. They have rejected the messengers of this Gospel. They have rejected the Church and her true love – the Words and Sacraments of God. If the Church is the Body of Christ, then these have amputated themselves from the body and a limb that has been cut off, shrivels and dies.

Now, it is incredibly significant that although our Lord speaks of the goats last, He concludes His teaching with a statement about the righteous. “The righteous will [will go] into eternal life.”[3] This indicates that whenever we consider the Last Day, whenever we consider the end of times, it is for the consolation of Christians, the comfort of your conscience. When Christ reveals Himself on that Last Day, it will be in glory, as He revealed Himself at the Transfiguration. He will reveal Himself in His glorified flesh, at the sound of angels’ trumpets. And this will be our call home. Like the dinner bell on the farm, or a mother’s whistle into the neighborhood signaling that it is time to come home for dinner, the return of Christ will be a joyous occasion for the righteous. Even before the division between the sheep and the goats, all those in Christ will rejoice that their King has come to dwell with them eternally, to bring them home.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. John 8:33. See also St. Matthew 3:9.

[2] St. Luke 14:26.

[3] St. Matthew 25:46.

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity

Trinity 9 – July 28, 2024

Psalm 54; 2 Samuel 22:26-34; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

St. 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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[1] St. Matthew 10:16.

[2] St. John 14:1-3.

[3] St. Luke 16:22; Hebrews 12:22-24.

The Second Last Sunday in the Church Year

The Second Last Sunday in the Church Year – November 13, 2022

Psalm 54; Daniel 7:9-14; 2 Peter 3:3-14

St. Matthew 25:31-46

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”[1] Faith is born in you, is created in you, by the hearing of the Word of God. This is not your own doing; it is the work and the will of the Holy Spirit. The act of hearing itself is not your work. Hearing is a passive, or receptive, activity. You hear when someone else speaks. You receive their words into your ears.

The reception of faith is then always connected with another person. We might call this the incarnational aspect of faith. Faith comes by hearing when the Word of God issues forth from the mouth of another human being. In this way, the Word of God becomes wrapped in flesh. Whether it is your mother singing to you in your nursery, your father reading the Scriptures to the family at night, or the public reading of the Holy Gospel by the ministers of God in the Divine Service, your faith was brought to you in the Word of God wrapped in the lips of another person.

The Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error. Yet in writing the Word of God, in its transmission, God saw fit to inspire holy men. God works through means. There is not an “Epistle of the Holy Spirit to the Church in Missouri.” Words did not miraculously appear on pages. The Son of God took on flesh, became incarnate, that He would physically die the death you deserve. After His physical resurrection but before His physical ascent into heaven, our Lord, Jesus Christ, breathed on His apostles.[2] He breathed the Holy Spirit upon them so that whoever hears them would hear Christ.[3] This is the Apostolic Doctrine once delivered to the saints.[4] This is the one faith into which we are all baptized.[5] It is the Word of God, and it is the Word of God delivered by means of fleshly mouths.

The propagation of the faith by the mouth of Christians to the ears of new Christians is how the Sheep are created. The Sheep are those who have received the Word of God in faith. Yet receiving the Word of God is not quite enough. The Word must take root. The Word must change the stony heart of the Goat into a fleshly heart of a Sheep. In fact, the Goats are surprised to be called such. They are surprised because they thought themselves to be Sheep. They thought their actions had proven the wool of their Sheep coats.

The difference between these two animals in the parable is the presence of faith. The Sheep and the Goats are separated based on what they are. One is a new creation, having received the Word of God in faith and growing into that Word accordingly. The other is the Old Creation. The Goats may have heard the Word of God, but it took no root in their hearts. The Goats may outwardly appear to be sheep but are little more than Goats in wool coats.

What does it mean, then, that faith take root in your heart? In this parable, it is presented as the works born of faith. The blossoming of faith is described as feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, housing the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned. Associating the hungry, thirsty, stranger, etc., with Christ, Himself, tells us that the object of these good deeds is those who have brought the faith to you. It is the way in which the Sheep have treated their brothers and sisters in Christ. In a general sense, we can say the division of the Sheep and the Goats is based on the reaction each has shown to the hearing of the Word of God.

However, the Scriptures get more specific in this parable. Christ says, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”[6] When our Lord speaks of “His brethren,” it is a reference to the Apostles. More specifically, it is a reference to the Apostles when they are acting in the stead of Christ. So, while it is true that the division of the Sheep and the Goats speaks to your reaction to and treatment of the Church, this parable speaks specifically of your reaction to and treatment of the ministers of the Church.

Some of the actions listed are necessities. It is necessary that the ministers of the Church have food, drink, and clothing. It is not necessary for this life, that he be taken in when he is a stranger. It is not necessary that he be visited when he is sick. What this tells us is that Christ is speaking of more than meeting the basic needs of His ministers. He is speaking also of hospitality shown toward them.

In this light, we can see that the Sheep recognize the Office of the Holy Ministry to be the vocation of highest honor on this side of glory. They recognize the difficulties of the Office and that a man of flesh and blood must fill this Office. The Sheep also recognize that it is the ministers of Christ who bring to them the one thing needful – Jesus. The Office is honorable, difficult, to be respected, and mentioned in this parable not because of the men who fill it. The Office is honorable, difficult, and respectable because of who instituted this Office – Jesus.

On this side of glory, men are placed into the Office of Christ so that His Word would continue to work faith in the hearts of man. Men are placed into the Office of Christ so that His Body and Blood would continue to feed and sustain His church. Men are placed into the Office of Christ so that your sins would be forgiven through the Words of a human mouth—a human mouth in poor imitation of the lips of the One who died for your forgiveness.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Romans 10:17.

[2] St. John 20:21-23.

[3] St. Luke 10:16.

[4] Jude 1:3.

[5] Ephesians 4:4-6.

[6] St. Matthew 25:40. Emphasis added.

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity – August 14, 2022

Psalm 54; 2 Samuel 22:26-34; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

St. Luke 16:1-13

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What man intended for evil, God meant for the good, to save many people alive.[1] Such is the assessment of Joseph when reflecting on how his brothers tried to kill him and he ended up a slave in Egypt. Joseph is one of very few people in the Old Testament who is portrayed as being nearly flawless. He is a prophet of God and works faithfully for his masters in Egypt. Even when Potiphar’s wife repeatedly tempts his flesh, Joseph remains faithful to God and his Egyptian master.

Being thrown into prison, Joseph is such an exemplary inmate that he is eventually given charge over other inmates. Such loyalty leads to him being made the second most important man in Egypt, steward over all that belongs to Pharaoh. Joseph had complete authority over everything in Pharaoh’s household, having the complete trust of someone the Egyptians believed to be a son of the gods. Joseph is the picture of the ideal, the faithful steward.

The steward in today’s parable is found to be much less deserving of faith. This steward has authority similar to that of Joseph. He has complete control over all of his master’s possessions. He may do with them as he sees fit. The primary concern of the master is that the steward uses his possessions to increase the wealth of the master. Yet this steward has demonstrated himself to be wasteful. He is the prodigal steward, using money that doesn’t belong to him to indulge the lusts of his flesh in food, drink, and women. He is like the prodigal son throughout the first half of that parable.

We join the parable as the master learns of his steward’s wasteful actions and brings the accusation before the steward. There is not a moment of denial by the steward. His actions speak for themselves. He can’t deny it because his sins shine brighter than a spotlight on a dark stage. Once the account books are turned over to the master, the steward will be cast out of his position, having gained a reputation that will certainly prevent him from ever working in this town again.

Most of us are well trained in reading parables. We know to look for the “God” figure and the “man” figure, locating the forgiveness of sins or a similar description of God’s character and mercy toward man. This is especially true of the parables in St. Matthew’s Gospel. It is also generally true of St. Luke. But St. Luke also has much to say about possessions and the right use of possessions by the Christian.

The Parable of the Shrewd Steward does not have a “God” figure. The master is not standing in the place of God. Rather, this parable is revealed in the concluding sentence, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.”[2] This is a parable concerning the actions of the sons of this world and how it is an example to the sons of light.

When the steward calls the debtors together, he still technically has the authority to write and rewrite the contracts of debt. Until the account books are in the hands of the master, the steward retains the authority to change them. He is acting according to the letter of the law as opposed to the spirit. This man, who has lived wastefully on another man’s wealth, is too proud to beg and is too weak to dig ditches. He is not a paragon of virtue. He is, however, shrewd.

This word, “shrewd,” has 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 original word carries no such meaning. It simply 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.

At the end of the parable, the master does not commend the steward’s lies or prodigal living. He commends his shrewd actions. The steward knows his future is bleak unless he takes action. He decides to use the remaining few minutes of his authority to craft deals with those owing debts to the master. This is not an act of revenge. It is an act of practical wisdom. By cutting the debts, the debtors will look upon both the steward and the master with great favor.

Make no mistake, the actions of the steward will cost the master financially, but those same actions will benefit the master in reputation. From the perspective of the steward, he has benefited both himself and the master in the eyes of the debtors. The master understands this and commends such shrewd actions. The steward will still lose his job but has virtually guaranteed himself a place to stay and new job prospects once he is fired. He has also strengthened the loyalty of the debtors toward the master, probably making him more money in the long run.

Do not imitate the actions of the steward in obeying the letter of the law to benefit yourselves in this world. That is not the message of this parable. The teaching of the parable to is to align your actions with your priorities for the future. The actions of the steward guarantee him a comfortable future in this world. He is a son of this world and acts shrewdly to improve his life in this generation.

You are sons of the light. What future are you prepared for? Do your actions speak of shrewd preparation for that future? Do not be anxious about what you will eat or wear or where you will lay your head.[3] These are short-term concerns, and your Heavenly Father has promised to take care of them for you. Compared to the parable, worrying about tomorrow is like the steward worrying about which path he will use to walk home after the master fires him. It is something you need to make decisions about but not something worth your anxiety.

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.[4] 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.[5]

The steward took action toward his goal. He used practical wisdom, he was shrewd, in deciding what steps he can take to ensure a desirable outcome. How shrewd are you? It is true, there are no steps, no actions, no amount of wisdom that will give you heaven. Salvation has come unto you. You have been called by Christ and delivered from sin, death, and the devil. This was done while you were yet in your sin. Even now, as a baptized child of God, it is not up to you to keep yourself in the faith. It is not by your own reason or strength that you continue to be a Christian. This, too, is a gift of God.

Yet there are plenty of actions, steps, foolish thoughts, and sins that can drive you away from salvation. Being lazy and not attending to the miraculous gift of faith you have been given is the sin of sloth. Sloth is enough to turn you away from God. Idolatry, wrath, envy, greed, pride, and lust all easily turn you away from God.

So, I ask again, how shrewd are you? For what are you preparing yourself? Make no mistake, every action today is preparing you for something tomorrow. Honestly reflect on how you spend your time and evaluate what it is that you are preparing yourself for. Are you preparing to have a conversation about a foreign war with no direct impact on daily life? Are you preparing yourself for retirement? What about when the war is over, or you find that you are retired? What if you die before you retire? For what have you prepared yourself for?

There is some debate among Christians whether video games are themselves sinful. Some say yes, and some say no. What cannot be denied is that time spent in a video game has produced nothing. Oh, it might produce the topic of a few conversations, perhaps a basis for a friendship. But what happens to that friendship when that video game is obsolete? What has happened to the foundation? Minecraft has been described as virtual Legos. I’ve seen the ability of Minecraft to help children with autism relate to the world around them. But then again, at the end of the day, if it is virtual Legos, what has the child built? Even the child with autism—he has become better able to communicate with other people on computers, but has it helped him communicate with his mother? Or his peers?

 Such leisure activities as movies, television, and even video games might have their place, but we must remember that not only do they produce nothing, they do not prepare you for anything. They are virtual—that means they are not real. If such idle activities have a place, it cannot be for a considerable length of time.

So, I ask again, how shrewd are you? What are you preparing yourself for? You do not know what will happen tomorrow, let alone next week, or in 5 years. You can plan so that you give your family the best opportunity to have a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs, but you should not be anxious over these things. They are auxiliary. What you know for certain is that death will come. So long as Christ waits to return, death will come. That is the certainty of the future. What are you doing to prepare for death?

You can select a funeral package at Bross and Spidle and you can begin making payments, but these too are auxiliary. What about eternity? With the time that you have been given, are you preparing yourself to walk further away from Christ, staring at your smartphone, your favorite 24-hour news station, and chatting on social media? It is very easy to use the settings on your phone to see just how much time you spend looking at it and even which apps are demanding your attention. Or are you making for yourself friends by unrighteous mammon?[6]

“Unrighteous” in this case does not mean “evil” but rather “that which cannot save you.” Are you using your time, talent, and treasure to build up the Church—both the building and those called by God to gather around His Word and Sacraments? 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.[7]

The unbelieving world hates God; hates Christ; and hates Christians. Persecution is on our doorstep. Are you shrewd enough to handle it? Or will you fold when you get sick, when your neighbor gets sick, or the government tells you to stay away from Church? Are you preparing for a long, comfortable life on this side of glory or an eternal life with Christ? Are you willing to endure the short fires of suffering in this life to avoid the eternal fire of hell or is such delayed reward too much for you to endure?

This is the lesson of the Shrewd Steward. You have been given such wonderful gifts of God. You have been given the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. You are an eternal being, created by God to endure forever. Prepare yourself for eternal life with Christ by using the temporal gifts you have been given in the ways that God has commanded. Serve God and your neighbor by forgiving each other, covering the sins of your brother, walking alongside the erring and the weak, and by devoting your time, efforts, and treasure to the work of the Church.

This is what it is to be a shrewd Christian. Learn from the actions of the Shrewd unbelievers but do not work toward their goals. Use their dogged determination toward the goal which you have already been promised, lest you should lose that eternal reward. ‘What is the world to you, with all its vaunted pleasure; when Christ and Christ alone is your treasure! The world seeks praise and wealth—all that mammon offers—yet it is never content, though gold fill all its coffers. Jesus is your treasure, your life, your health, your wealth, your friend, your love your pleasure, your joy, your crown, your all, your bliss eternally. Once more, then, declare, what is the world to you?’[8] You have Jesus.  

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Genesis 50:20.

[2] St. Luke 16:8.

[3] St. Matthew 6:25-34.

[4] St. John 14:1-3.

[5] St. Luke 16:22; Hebrews 12:22-24.

[6] St. Luke 16:9.

[7] St. Matthew 10:16.

[8] A summary of “What is the World to Me,” Lutheran Service Book #730. Text is public domain.

The Second Last Sunday in the Church Year

 The Second Last Sunday in the Church Year – November 14, 2021

Psalm 54; Daniel 7:9-14; 2 Peter 3:3-14

St. Matthew 25:31-46

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

Christ our Lord has two primary lessons for us to learn this morning, both concerning the division of the Sheep and the Goats. First, we will examine the fact that the Sheep and the Goats are divided based on who or what they are, not by their actions. Second, we will see the fruit born of this identity and how it applies to us today.

The beginning of today’s lesson tells us that Christ is speaking of his second coming. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”[1] On the last day, Jesus will return as he ascended, riding on a cloud. However, it will not only be visible to those gathered on a mountain top. There will be lightening in the East and all eyes will see him coming in glory. Christ will descend with all the heavenly host such that no living thing will miss it. All the nations, every human being will be gathered before him. After everyone has been gathered, Christ will separate humanity. He will divide his sheep from the goats.

When a shepherd divides his flock, placing the sheep on the right and the goats on the left, he is not judging the amount of wool a particular animal has provided nor the quality of cheese made from its milk. The shepherd divides the animals according to what they are – sheep and goats are different animals.

So too, when the Good Shepherd divides the flock of humanity, we will be divided based on who or what we are. Are you a child of God? Are you a baptized child of the Heavenly Father? Are you a repentant sinner? Do you have a white garment with your name on it in the Heavenly banquet hall? Do believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, who died for your sins? Then the Shepherd sets you to his right.

The Goats are more difficult to comprehend. The obvious goats are all who have rejected the Son of God. All supposed atheists, Buddhists, Sikhs, Muslims, “spiritual but not religious,” and any other worshipers of false gods are clearly goats. But there are also goats in sheep’s clothing. These are those who have despised their Baptism. He might attend the Sunday service regularly but sees it as a networking opportunity. She might volunteer for every board so that the other ladies will be jealous of her status masquerading as piety. These goats are the hypocrites in the Church, who confess with their lips, but their heart is far from God.

It is these goats in sheep’s clothing who will protest the judgment of Christ most loudly. “How dare you call me a goat! I did everything you said, and I still get no thanks. What kind of God are you?” Sadly, these goats may even be more sympathetic. “How could you God? I did everything you asked of me and still I suffered. In my day of need you were silent. If I have rejected you its your own fault!”

The goats have long since evicted the Holy Spirit from the temple of their soul. The goats have kept the law outwardly but are spiritually dead. They are no different than the Pharisees whom Christ calls “whitewashed tombs.”[2] The temptation to become a goat is often in the name of hypocrisy. The goats are the most likely to complain, “The church is too interested in right doctrine. The church doesn’t do enough for the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, or imprisoned. This should be our focus!”

The church absolutely should care for these people. But care for the poor is for the purpose of the salvation of his soul. The primary purpose of the church is to preach the gospel, the pure gospel of Christ – which means calling sinners to repentance and forgiving the sins of the repentant. The preaching of the gospel requires pure doctrine. If our doctrine is false or muted by the whims of the world, we risk preaching people into goats. We risk raising an entire flock of goats rather than sheep. We risk damning those we encounter rather than speaking to them salvation in Christ.

Having an idea of who the Sheep and the Goats are, we must again notice they are divided long before their works are recounted. The Sheep are Sheep. The Goats are Goats. Sheep go to the right. Goats go to the left. They are divided based on their identity, who and what they are, not what they’ve done.

After the division, our Lord speaks to each group in turn and recounts their works, or their lack thereof; but before we can examine the list of works, there is one more character in this parable that we must define: “the least of these My brethren.”[3] This phrase could simply refer to the destitute, anyone who is hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or in prison. There is certainly a truth in this. All Christians are called to serve their neighbor, especially those of the household of faith, and especially in her time of need.[4]

The key phrase in this word of our Lord is “My brethren.” There is only one group of people in Scripture to whom our Lord refers as “My brethren”: The Twelve. The Twelve Apostles are the only group which Jesus calls “My brothers” in Scripture. All Christians are brothers and sisters in Christ, but our Lord reserved this title especially for those men called into the Office of the Holy Ministry because these men are called to serve in his stead, enduring particular hardships and receiving particular blessings. Thus, it is natural to read, “the least of these My brethren” as referring to pastors.

In this case, the works which are recounted by Christ refer to how the Sheep or the Goats received their pastors. These works are not strictly about how often you’ve served in the soup kitchen but rather how you received the man sent to you by God to bear God’s gifts to you. How have you received the man who bears the medicine of immortality, the Word of Life, and the font of pure water?

None of this is to say, how have you judged the individual called to minister to you. There is a distinction between the man and the Office but the Office is filled by an individual. What does a hearer owe his pastor according to his Office?[5]

·         “The Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.”[6]

·         “Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”[7]

·         “The pastors who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘the worker deserves his wages.’”[8]

·         “We ask you brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.”[9]

·         “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”[10]

The Sheep in the parable have heard the preaching of the Gospel and responded with joy. They have recognized the beautiful feet of those who preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things, who proclaim salvation and says to the Church, “Your God reigns!”[11]

It is true that I, nor the vast majority of pastors preaching in Christ’s church in the West, have never truly experienced hunger, thirst, homelessness, poverty, or prison. It is in the nature of the Office of the Holy Ministry to experience being a stranger. Often, we are called far away from our family, even if for just the four years of seminary. When we receive a call to a congregation, very rarely will we arrive knowing anyone or anything in the area. Making friends is very difficult because of the demands of the Office and our families. Those closest to us in the church are still our parishioners, still our spiritual children, and thus not candidates for the closest of friends.

What then do the actions of the Sheep look like in the modern West? Ensuring your pastor has a living wage and the ability to care for the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of his family, including their health. It also looks like making sure he has the opportunity to study the Word of God so that he is able to minister to you; to purchase books to broaden his knowledge so that he is able to teach you; to have time and space to contemplate the needs of the congregation and the mysteries of God. It looks like ensuring he has time to pray for you and his family. It looks like sitting attentively during the Divine Service, Bible Study, and when your pastor comes to visit you. The actions of the Sheep look like communicating with your pastor and thinking twice before disregarding his words.

The actions of the Sheep look like sharing the fruits of your garden with your pastor’s family or taking him out for lunch to talk about sports, books, or home improvement. It looks like giving him the opportunity to attend conferences, visit brothers in the ministry, and subscribe to journals so that he might be refreshed in his zeal for the Lord.

The actions of the Sheep also look like ensuring your pastor has time to rest; has time to play with his children; has opportunity to attend to his house; and is able to be the husband and father God has called him to be. It looks like encouraging him to care for his beloved wife so that she does not become lonely, isolated, or resentful.

This exhortation is not a checklist of necessary actions for your salvation nor is it a laundry list of my personal complaints. It is however, a list of examples of what it means to serve the ‘least of these, Christ’s brethren.’ This service should be rendered with a joyful heart, such that you might not even realize what you’ve done. The Sheep have no idea what they’ve done because they were simply grateful to have the Word of God preached to them so that they would be saved; so that they would be numbered among the Sheep at the final judgement.

The Goats respond to Christ’s judgment by calling themselves ministers. ‘When did we see you in these situations and not minister to you?’[12] The Goats believe they know better how to manage God’s church than the men called to serve, and yet they refused to seek this knowledge in the Word of God. They are set in the ways of the world and have no heart for the ways of God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”

Most certainly, each of us has Goat moments. If we are honest and measure ourselves according to the Word of God, examining our own consciences against the Ten Commandments, we will quickly see there is no hope for us. Each of has despised the Office of the Holy Ministry, sinned against our own pastor or another man called to be a pastor. If you have the slightest bit of humility, you will know that you deserve to be a Goat.

Thanks be to God you are not the one who determines when and how you become a Sheep. The Blood of Christ sheers the coarse goat fur from your back and replaces it with white wool. For each of those Goat moments, cry out to the Father for mercy for the sake of Jesus. The Sheep are marked by repentance, for they know they are poor, miserable sinners. The Sheep also know they are pure as fresh snow on account of the forgiveness of Christ. You became a Sheep when the Name of the Triune God was placed upon you in Holy Baptism. To endure as a Sheep in this world is to receive the gifts of God from your pastor as from God himself. When you get your Goat up, repent and receive the gift of absolution from your pastor as from God himself. Pray for your pastor. Honor your pastor. Treat him as an angel, a messenger, of God. Above all, receive the Word of your pastor for it is not his word, but the Word of God.[13]

In T Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Matthew 25:31.

[2] St. Matthew 23:27: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”

[3] St. Matthew 25:40.

[4] Acts 11:27-30; Galatians 6:9-10; James 1:27; 1 Timothy 6:18-19.

[5] According to the Table of Duties in Luther’s Small Catechism.

[6] 1 Corinthians 9:14.

[7] Galatians 6:6-7.

[8] 1 Timothy 5:17-18.

[9] 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13.

[10] Hebrews 13:17.

[11] Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15.

[12] St. Matthew 25:44.

[13] Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 1:8; Revelation 1:20.