+ 15thSunday after Pentecost (Proper 20C) – September 22, 2019 +
Beautiful Savior Lutheran
Milton, WA
Series C: Amos 8:4-7; 1 Timothy 2; Luke 16:1-15
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Last week we began a three-weak stewardship emphasis, focusing on Jesus the Good Shepherd, and how we’re Stewards Under Our Good Shepherd. In the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin Jesus reveals himself as the steward of the Lost. In today’s parable of the Dishonest Manager Jesus reveals that he’s also the Steward of the Heart.
“There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’
The manager’s job was to look after the master’s daily business affairs. Everything belonged to the master. The steward was simply the caretaker charged with being responsible for everything the master gave him to do.
Problem was, this manager irresponsible. He was caught wasting his master’s possessions. He was an unfaithful steward. It’s no wonder, then, that when accusations started flying around and getting back to his master’s ears that he was squandering his master’s possessions, he would be called out for his misdeeds, and his authority as steward would be revoked.
And yet, here’s where the parable takes a rather unexpected turn. We’d expect that once the master found out, he sends his guards to accompany the man with stern instructions: “Pack up your personal things. Turn in the books. Leave the key. And get out. You’re fired!”
But that’s not what happens at all. The steward thought to himself: ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.
So what does he decide to do instead? He decided then and there that he would squander even MORE of his master’s possessions! That way, when he was removed from his management, others would receive him into their homes. Quickly, the steward summoned his master’s debtors one by one. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ‘A hundred measuresof oil.’ ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’
By some estimates , this would’ve been the equivalent of two years’ worth of manual labor for each debtor. Now, I’m no accountant, but that’s a lot goods worth a lot of money. Money now lost thanks to the steward.
Again, Jesus’ parable takes another unexpected twist. We’d expect the master to be further incensed with his ex-manager’s actions on his way out the door. But instead of calling the police or pressing charges, the master commends the steward for acting prudently.The sons of this generation are more prudent in their own generation than the sons of light.
What’s even more unexpected is that Jesus essentially echoes the rich master from the parable in commending the prudent actions of the dishonest steward. ‘I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when that unrighteous wealth fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.’
Once again, you’re probably thinking, “How is an unfaithful, dishonest steward supposed to be a good example of being a faithful steward under our Good Shepherd?
Remember, Jesus’ parables don’t always make sense in the worldly way of things. Jesus’ parables are meant to focus our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds on the Kingdom of God. So don’t fret. Jesus isn’t teaching us how to do a bad job at something to make life easier for ourselves. This parable, reveals Jesus as the true steward of our hearts, the one who rescues us from sin, death, and the devil.
So, how do we see Jesus as the steward of the heart in this parable? Consider some contextual clues. The steward appears to have been a long-time employee. The debtors were likely tenants who farmed the rich man’s land. So their rent was paid in wheat and oil instead of gold or silver.
Most – maybe all – of their dealings with the rich man would have been through his steward. And because the steward had the authority of the rich man, any business deal made with him was made with the rich man. That’s what it meant to be a steward – to speak for and conduct business on behalf of the rich man. And so – unless they were the ones who brought the accusation of mismanagement against the steward – they wouldn’t have thought anything was out of the ordinary when they were summoned to meet regarding their debts. Indeed, they would have assumed the steward was acting in good faith on the instructions of his master when he told them to reduce their debts. Sure, they would’ve thought well of the steward for bringing such good news, and that would bode well for him in the future, but the one they would thank and praise for his generosity and mercy was the master!
And then there’s the master himself. He could’ve had his dishonest steward arrested and imprisoned, but he didn’t. The master was merciful to the steward. And it was this, the mercy of the rich master, that the steward counted on, trusted in, and even believed in, when he came up with the solution to his problem.
So the shrewdness, or prudence, of the steward wasn’t that he built up goodwill for himself with his master’s business partners, but that he counted on the mercy of his master to protect him in spite of his audacious behavior. And the crazy thing is, it worked! Left with the choice of flip-flopping on his steward’s debt reduction plan, and upsetting his long-time business partners; or leaving the steward’s accounting adjustments in place, he chose to commend the steward. He chose to have mercy.
It’s a remarkable, albeit difficult parable. “So what?” We ask. “What does it mean for our life as stewards under our Good Shepherd?” After all, God appoints us as stewards of every earthly thing he gives us. He calls us to care for ourselves, our families, our church, our neighbors, and others. And because all we have is gift from God, we return a portion of that in thanksgiving and joy. But what’s this parable have to do with that?
Are we, as stewards, supposed to look for opportunities to squander what God has put into our care and keeping? By no means. Jesus’ words at the end clearly explain this. Luke reminds us that the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And Jesus said to them: “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
And there’s the crux of the parable: God knows the heart. God knows us inside and out. No thought, word, or deed is hidden from him. There’s no way for us to make friends for ourselves with unrighteous wealth without God being the wiser. The sons of this world think themselves prudent by trying to look after themselves in this life, but there’s more to our existence than this life.
So what’s left? Repentance and faith. Don’t try to justify yourself before men, and certainly not before God. It’s impossible. Like that dishonest steward, our only hope is the mercy of our Lord. Whose mercy is promised and delivered to you in Jesus. Whose mercy is poured out for you today in his body and blood. And whose mercy is seen in our mercy to others.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Special thanks to Pastor Jonathan Bakker for the stewardship theme and sermon notes for this year's stewardship emphasis.
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