The Ninth Sunday after Trinity, 2014.Luke 16:1-9

God has given each one of us certain gifts to get us through life, but also as believers to serve Him and His Kingdom. We have a tendency to envy what we do not have, and we are easily made jealous when we see someone who has similar but perhaps greater talents. If they are not greater, they may be praised and recognized when they are ordinary or even inferior, which also bothers us.

God created us and others that way, and we can see the wisdom when groups of people form to get a job done. It is said that 100 people can create a working village, even when picked at random, because the talents will be scattered among them so that they will have everything they need.

This rich man had a large estate therefore a steward or manager. The term steward is used for someone who has the responsibility of the owner but not the ultimate power. The estate does not belong to him, but he should run it as if it is while keeping in mind the will of the owner.

But this steward wasted the goods of the owner in this parable. We can imagine all kinds of things, such as speculation, poor planning, laziness, inattention to detail. The others could tell what needed to be done, but the opposite happened, which was very costly.

For instance, planting spinach in hot weather - as I did - will result in insect-eaten tough plants that do not taste good. The seed is wasted, except spinach makes good green manure when left to rot in the soil, covered up.

2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

There is a certain amount of humor in this, because we can imagine the steward being called into the main office to be questioned and fired. The calling may be a personal messenger sent to him, with this precise communication: 1) Prepare the accounts. 2) You are fired.

As Luther observed, this is the Parable of the Unrighteous Steward. We are not to imitate his unrighteous deeds but emulate his cleverness, employed for the right reasons.

This is clearly aimed at the way believers lead their lives. We are managers of what belongs to God. The Word is His and not ours. He has prospered us so we can live in peace and share with others. If we squander the talents and resources, we are unworthy.

God gives us so many opportunities. Each day is filled with ways in which we can teach or share God's Word in some fashion. Like gardeners, we do a little and see the vast multiplying effects of God's abundance. Kindly gestures lead to more of the same. As Judith Durham sings, "Treat the world kindly and be worthy of grace. Remember one day you'll see God face to face."

Helping someone in the work of the Kingdom is going to be honored by God. "Whoever gives a cup of cold water to one of these will receive his reward." A cup of water is not much, but it feels so good at the time. It is the mark of hospitality among Mexicans, to offer water and to drink it. Yesterday our neighbors offered me something to drink and had a cold root beer. They said, "Free for neighbors" at their yard sale, but I went for my coins in the car, 100 feet away. I said, "Thank you for extending credit to me when I was hot and thirsty from walking with Sassy." The daughters grinned at me.

Publishing projects lead to poorly paid church workers being paid for their help in various parts of producing a book. People do not know where the gifts came from and the donors do not know, but they are appreciated.

I remember one time when Bethany needed $20 for the fuel bill, and a check arrived for that amount. We could have paid for the bill, but the thought meant a lot.

One person said this when others turned away his effort to give, "Don't take away my blessing." As we get older it is more easily felt - It is more blessed to give than to receive.



3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 

This is both funny and unnerving for a parable. He is too weak to dig and too proud to beg, so his answer is to cheat the owner out of his receivables. ?But this illustrates the way of the world. Unbelievers get tossed from their ability to earn money, so they quickly devise another way. Many times they are not honest pursuits, but no one lacks for ingenunity in this regard. Every single person is good at self-preservation.

This plan will allow the unrighteous steward to have employment in the estates of those he favors in his hour of necessity.

5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

This is what alarms people and preachers, too. Why should we imitate him? He is reducing the bill owed to the owner so these fellow crooks will employ him, due to their savings. This shows that he does something rather than just worrying about his fate. He has confidence, but his confidence is in the wrong things.

 8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 

This is even harder to understand at first, because the lord of the estate commends his unrighteous steward for being so clever. However, this makes sense if we look at the word "unrighteous". The owner admired the steward for creating a deal, and that is not uncommon in business. If a bill is too large, even if deserved, it is cut back to retain a customer. If the goods were delivered late or in bad condition, the goods may be doubled or deeply discounted. I ended up with a lot of earthworms because the first shipment was delayed. That made me want to order from Uncle Jim again, and I recommended his little laborers to one of our readers, who bought them. The cost of goods is not as high as the loss of good customers who may talk loud and long about a bad deal.

The dishonesty is not commended but the cleverness in this parable. This shows the genius of Jesus' teaching, because this parable is impossible to understand for unbelievers and very difficult for believers. We have to study it anew each year to keep the lessons in mind.

for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light

The unbelievers seem to have all the street sense. They are very good at taking care of their business while the believers are wasting the resources God has given them.

I was thinking of the denominations starting a new mission with $1 million, with a great focus on the right plot of land, debt to the denomination, and all the old methods of starting a mission when it was relatively cheap and easy to do.  The social media age has shown that congregations can be formed on the Net and sustained for very little money. Many businesses and books are started that way - by unbelievers. Some call it crowd-sourcing. But the leaders are stuck in the 1950s.

9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

The conclusion is another head-scratcher, until it is explained. 



Luther wrote:
This is truly a Gospel for priests and monks, and will bring them money, unless we prevent it. Before entering upon the consideration of it, we must accustom ourselves to the language used, especially the word mammon.

The Jews were acquainted with this word from the Hebrew, and it has come down to us, just like other Hebrew words, as Halleluja, Amen, Kyrie eleison. In German mammon means riches, not simply riches, but a superfluity of riches, whatever is beyond our needs. However, that which is called mammon and that which is not called mammon are distinguished in a twofold way. First, if the estimate be according to that of our Lord God and of the truth, there are many who possess mammon. But if the estimate be that of the world and of man’s mind, there are few who possess it. For our leaders in thought have taught in the high schools and even from the pulpit, that everyone should see to his station in life, what he needs, and adjust his possessions accordingly. If he be a man with wife and children, he needs more, for where many persons are there much will be needed.

2. In the second place they have taught that one is not bound to help, except in cases of the greatest need. Such teaching entirely overthrows the Gospel, so that no one has been helpful to another; but they have in the meantime built churches; and yet in doing so they did not even wait for the greatest need, until the arches were rent asunder and churches became roofless, but they gave to great excess, spreading their gold upon the walls.

To sum up the whole matter, mammon properly means, that a man has more than he needs for his support, so that he can help others without injuring himself.

3. Hence the Lord calls it “The mammon of unrighteousness,” because it is daily made use of by the wicked; as it is said: riches develop courage, and the heathen have also called it irritamenta malorum, riches tempt to evil.

Again St. Paul says, 1 Timothy 6:10: “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil,” whence cometh strife, pride, war and bloodshed.

Therefore it is also called here the unrighteous mammon, because it is applied to such evil uses, and is a great cause of evil to men.

20. Now one thought remains: How will they receive us into the eternal tabernacles, as the text here says? Will they lead us in by the hand? No, but when we come before the judgment seat of God, poor persons whom we have assisted here, will stand in heaven and say: he has washed my feet, he gave me drink, food, clothing and the like. He will certainly be my friend and a witness of my faith, whatever words he may use to declare it. Then a beggar will be more useful to me than St. Peter or St. Paul, for there none of these can help. But when a beggar comes and says: My God, this he has done unto me as thy child! that will help me, for God will say: Whatsoever you have done unto these, you have done unto me. Therefore these poor people will not be our helpers but our witnesses so that God shall receive us. By this I would not object to your honoring St. Peter and other saints, for he is a member of Christ and of God. But you do better by giving your neighbor a penny, than by building a church of gold for St. Peter. For to help your neighbor is commanded, but it is not commanded to build a church to St. Peter. Now everything is twisted the wrong way, one goes to a certain passage in St. James, another to Aix-la-Chapelle, another to Rome, to seek help from the departed saints. But the poor people, who are the real sainthood, are left behind lying in the streets.

Making friends means to act kindly toward others so that when we reach eternal life, they will speak up for us and welcome us to heaven. The families of many ministers, missionaries, and teachers will say, "This individual gave us what we needed, just in the nick of time." Or - "This one showed kindness when everyone else was shunning us." Or - "She babysat our child so we could have some rest from her terminal illness. And she said she often wanted just a little rest herself with young children, and no one was there. Instead of getting even for what was not done, she made things better for us."

And these kindnesses multiply in various ways. Because some ministries continue, more hear the Gospel, and the mustard seed becomes a vast tree where many are sheltered.

I just read that Genghis Kahn has about 25 million descendants in Asia, because he had so many concubines. A believer has the same potential, because the Word of God is multiplied among many people who also multiply it, especially today.

Our daily classroom has 4,000 views, doubtless because many people expand the reach through their use of social media. As I told my wife Chris, if 50 people send one post to their 100 best friends, 5,000 people have the chance to read it. There is no way to measure the ultimate reach of the Word.

Luther:
13. The Scriptures in some passages speak of the outward conduct, and in others of the inner. Now if you will apply that which is said of the outward to the heart and confuse matters, you pervert it and do wrong. Hence you must let the distinction remain, and observe it. These expressions: I have been hungry, thirsty, shelterless, naked, sick and in prison, and you have shown me no work of mercy, refer to the external conduct, and signify as much as: you have never exhibited any outward conduct by which you have shown your faith; and to prove this, I appeal to the poor as witnesses.Therefore, faith alone must be present first to make us good, after that good works must follow to prove our piety. This now is one point, namely, concerning works.