Note: No sermon audio available this week
Jesus tells a parable about a dishonest manager. It is also called the parable of the unjust steward. The parable starts out this way, “There was a rich man who had a manager.” There is nothing wrong with being rich. There is nothing wrong with having money. Money is not the problem. Rather, the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:19). We are not to make money an idol.
God is like the “rich man” in the parable. God is the Creator and He owns everything. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, the world and those who dwell therein.”
Well, this rich man had a manager—a steward. He was supposed to take care of the estate. There is nothing wrong with being a manager. There is nothing wrong with being employed or earning money. Actually, God wants us to work. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says that he who does not work shall not eat. We are to be faithful at work and not lazy. We are not to steal from our employer.
Again, God owns all things, and we are his manager—his steward. We are to take care of God’s possessions. We are to be faithful in managing all that belongs to God for His purpose. God wants us to take care of what rightly belongs to Him.
Think of it this way … God is the owner of a castle. He owns the whole estate. We are his butlers, the maids, the cooks, the grounds keepers, and so forth. God owns the whole estate. Nothing belongs to us. We only manage what belongs to God.
How we manage what belongs to God reveals what our priorities are. If money is our idol god, then it will show forth in our lives in how we mismanage what God has entrusted to us. But money should not our master. It should not tell us what to do. Rather, money is our servant. We tell money what to do: pay this bill or give this much to church. Money is not our master; it is our servant.
Well, in our parable for today, we learn that charges were brought against the manager—the steward. He was wasting the master’s possessions. He made money and the things of this world his idol. He mismanaged the books. He stole from his master. He was dishonest in his employment.
He should have said, “You are correct. What I did was wrong. I am sorry.” He should have asked for mercy; but he did not. Well, he was fired. There are consequences in the workforce. After being fired, he should have prayed that God would open a door of employment. He should have vowed never to commit the same sin again. He should have learned his lesson and promised to be faithful from here on out.
When we have sinned, we should confess our sin to God and to others saying, “I am sorry. Please forgive me.” We should, then seek the forgiveness of sins in the Gospel. After being forgiven, we should seek to amend our sinful life and live a life of honesty and faithfulness.
Well, the unjust steward tried to solve his own problem. Before his friends heard about his firing, he quickly went to them and lowered their rent payment. Instead of owing the master one hundred measures of oil, it’s lowered to fifty. Instead of owing the master one hundred measures of wheat, it’s lowered to eighty. The unjust steward helped his friends out, so that when he is out of a job and has no money, then he can rely upon them for help. The steward made friends by misusing the master’s money, so that when he is out of a job, they may receive him into their home.
We just sang a beautiful hymn, “What is the World to Me!” (LSB 730). Stanza 3 of the hymn says, “The world seeks after wealth and all that mammon offers, yet never is content though gold should fill its coffers.” The unjust steward sought after wealth, and all that mammon offers. He made money his idol. He worshiped it. He wanted it more than anything. So, he stole from his master by changing the numbers in the ledger. He was not a faithful steward.
Do you waste God’s possessions? Is money your master? Does it control you?
Stanza 3 of the hymn which we just sang continues to say, “I have a higher good, content with it I’ll be: My Jesus is my wealth. What is the world to me!” In other words, we don’t ask the world for guidance, strength, or wealth. The world is not our God. It cannot give us faith in Christ, eternal life, or everlasting peace.
The Apostle John says in 1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” So, the Apostle John urges us not to love the world or the things of the world. They will pass away, but with faith in Christ, you will abide forever.
So, we are in the world, but we are not of the world. We are of Christ. We are in the world, but we are not like the world. We do not adopt its sinful pleasures. Rather, we reflect the light of Christ. This world is only temporary. Heaven is our real home. We cannot take any of our possessions with us to heaven.
The hymn which we just sang mentions Jesus as our treasure. It also says that Jesus is my wealth. As this point, let us now look at the life of Christ.
When Jesus came into our world, he was born of a poor mother and was laid in a manger—an animal trough. During His ministry He had no place where He could call home. He made no earthly investments. He did not serve money. When He needed money to pay a road tax, a coin was found in the mouth of a fish.
Jesus did not come into our world for the sake of earthly investments, but Jesus came in order to make full payment for all of our debt – not with gold or silver but with His holy previous blood and His innocent suffering and death.
Jesus doesn’t deserve to be crucified. The steward in our parable was dishonest, but Jesus was honest in all that He did. The steward wasted his master’s possessions, but Jesus was faithful to His Father in everything. Yet, Jesus was crucified as if He was a thief.
Even though Jesus was innocent, He was covered with your sin and mine. On the cross, Jesus didn’t give 10%. He gave 100%. His whole body was sacrificed. He gave His whole life as a ransom payment for your sin and mine. In the end He cried out, “It is finished.” On the third day, he rose from the dead.
Before Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, He ordained His Apostles to be stewards of the mysteries of God. Pastors today are stewards of the Gospel and Sacraments. They baptize, teach, absolve sin, preach, and administer the Lord’s Supper. These things should be administered according to God’s Word. Pastors should be faithful for the sake of those entrusted to their care.
You were brought into the kingdom of God by means of water and the word. The benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection were given to you in the waters of Holy Baptism. You are now a lamb of God within God’s fold. Your debt of sin is forgiven on account of Christ and His sacrifice. Furthermore, the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection are also given to you in the body and blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper.
God is a cheerful giver. He gives us clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home and all that we have. He gives us employment and the gift of money in order to support our family and church. But more importantly, He gave His only begotten Son to be our Savior. Our salvation by God’s grace through faith in Christ is absolutely free—no strings attached, no works required, and no down payments needed.
As a response of thankfulness for everything which God has done for us, we gladly support God’s kingdom freely without coercion. We want to make wise use of God’s possessions and not waste them foolishly. We are concerned about the Gospel here and abroad. Therefore, we give joyfully out of thankfulness for God’s mercy toward us.
Stanza 4 of the hymn reads, “What is the world to me! My Jesus is my treasure, My life, my health, my wealth, My friend, my love, my pleasure, My joy, my crown, my all, My bliss eternally. Once more, then, I declare: What is the world to me!”
Jesus is your treasure, your life, your health, your wealth, your friend, your pleasure, your joy, your crown, your all, and your bliss eternally.
What is important in your life? There is nothing wrong with earthly wealth and possessions. There is nothing wrong with being employed. There is nothing wrong with buying a home or land. We pray that God help us to faithfully manage all that He has given us first of all, for the sake of our family, then to support the Church in her work of proclaiming the Gospel, and finally for the sake of our neighbor and for those in need.
Earthly wealth, possessions, and earning wages are important, but having faith in Christ and receiving his gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation are the most important things in life. Bread is important, but the righteousness of Christ is most important. Reaching heaven through faith in Christ is our goal in life.
With the Lord as your Shepherd, you shall not be in want. You will lack nothing. He gives you food within the green pastures and drink along the still waters. He provides you with daily bread and with Jesus, your bread of life.
This world is temporary. Heaven is our real home. Amen.
