17th Sunday after Pentecost 9/23/07 Text: Luke 16:1-13 Title: Wake up call.
17th Sunday after Pentecost
9/23/2007
Text: Luke 16:1-13
Title: Wake up call.
This morning I want to talk to you about another hard saying of Jesus. We find it in verse 9 of our Gospel reading for this morning. But, before we get to it, I want to go over the Gospel reading first so that you will know the context in which he spoke.
We see in verse 1 that Jesus is talking to his disciples, those men and women who were following him around the countryside as he taught them. Jesus is telling them a story about a rich man who apparently had a large enough business that he needed a manager to watch over his business affairs, at least some of them.
The manager was caught doing something wrong, or at the very least he was a poor manager. He gets fired. He is to turn in his bookkeeping books and then leave.
Well the books must have been in another place, for the manager has time to as we say, “cook the books”. He goes to at least two of the people that owed money to his boss, there might have been more, and tells them to change the amount they owe.
Well, of course they were happy to oblige. They might have not known that the manager had been fired or they might have known. It really does not make any difference, for the outcome is the same.
The rich businessman lost money, the debtors were not in as much debt, and the crooked ex-manager was assured that later when he was out of work he would be watched out for by those he helped.
Now there are all type of theories about the rich man and the poor manager. They all share one thing in common. They all try to make the ex-manager out as the hero of the story. They do this because his ex-boss commends him for his shrewdness, even though he is still fired, which it appears that all the commentators overlook. And at first glance it also appears that Jesus commends him for his shrewdness, even though it is not written that he does.
We read that into the text because we want God to approve our shrewdness when we make a good deal, or come out on top of someone else.
I read in the paper a couple of weeks ago, maybe you did too, about a woman who had found a billfold in a casino down at the coast. It had 300 dollars in it. She turned in the billfold minus the 300 dollars. When asked why she kept the money she said, “She had done nothing wrong, for she figured that God was just using her to teach the man a lesson because he was not suppose to be gambling.” See how easily she managed to turn her sin into something that God would have approved of.
But before we condemn her we need to look at ourselves to see if we are guilty of doing the same thing. Now I am sure none of you have ever kept the money in a wallet or a purse that you might have found, but how many times have you gotten something for nothing, at the expense of someone else and not tried to correct the situation.
What about the time that the clerk gave you the wrong change back and you did not say anything, as you thanked your lucky stars? Or that time you received an invoice that had an error in your favor and rather than going to the company and straightening it out, you quickly paid the bill before they found out. Or how about that time or times when you did not report all your income on your tax report? Or maybe you received a double shipment of something you ordered and was not charged for it and you just kept the merchandise. I could go on and on, but I am sure by now you have gotten the idea that we all have taken advantage of someone else’s misfortune.
But having said I believe that we all still admire in at least some small way the shrewdness of the manager, for he took care of himself and that is a good thing, isn’t it?
We forget one thing, actually a couple of things. Even though the rich man commended the manager for his shrewdness he was still fired. We also forget that Jesus never commended him for his shrewdness. Like I said earlier we read that into the text even though it is not there.
We read it into the text, because of what Jesus tells his disciples in the last half of verse 8 and then in verse 9 “For those of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than those of the light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwelling.”
It appears that Jesus is telling us that we need to be like the shrewd manager so that when we get to heaven we will be rewarded by those we helped by our dishonesty.
That is what it appears he is saying and we puzzle over such an odd saying. First of all Jesus is telling his disciples, thus us, that we are to be as smart concerning our relationship with God, as those of the world who are just making sure that their earthly lives are taken care of.
Being smart about our faith is studying the Word of God; it is spending time in prayer. It is listening to God’s voice as we lead our lives in such a way that we give glory to God in all we do. It is loving the unlovable. It is doing all those things that those of the world think are dumb. That is being smart/shrewd.
Now let us look at verse 9 for it is a hard saying, rather troubling. There has been a lot written over the years about these verses, all of them attempting to make sense out of something that goes against Jesus’ teachings. He appears to be telling his disciples to make sure they take care of those around us, so that when we die they will welcome us into heaven. In other words, the good we do in this life will be rewarded.
Now deep down we like that, don’t we, for it involves us in our salvation. But I have to tell you that this verse could not mean that, for it goes against too many verses in the Bible that say just the opposite.
There are some who say that by shrewdly using one’s money to share the Word of God with others that they if they die first will welcome you in heaven.
While that some good things to say about it, it still does not catch the essence of what Jesus is saying. To get the true meaning you need to read the rest of verses that formed our Gospel reading for this morning. When you read the rest of the Gospel reading you see Jesus is speaking strongly about not letting things of this world get in the way of our salvation. He tells us that you cannot serve two masters. If you have ever had that happen in your life, you know what he is saying is true. You simply cannot serve two masters.
Concerning our relationship with Jesus, just like the readings that we have been going over the last several weeks we see that Jesus demands that he be number one in our lives.
There can only be one thing you put your trust in. It can be the things of this world which will fail us. Or it can be Jesus who will never fail us in this life or the next and there will be a next for we will be raised up from our graves reunited with our souls and then live with God and all other believers in God in the new heaven and earth.
So Jesus could not be speaking of earthly things being rewarded in heaven. As I have heard, “That dog will not hunt.” No he has to mean something different.
The Pharisees and religious leaders thought that their keeping the Law, at least their law was making them righteous before God. Their wealth and prestige was proof of that.
The disciples, though not as self-righteous as the religious leaders were looking for Jesus to ascend a throne, after kicking out the Romans. As we know by God’s Word, they wanted to be rewarded for all they had gone through in following Jesus. It is no different today, for there are many people who follow Jesus so that they will have prosperity, and health.
The Pharisees, the disciples, and those who think like them have missed the entire reason for Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection. He came to take our punishment so that we can be free. He was a miserable failure according to the world, that is why I am so surprised that so many teach that believing in him will give one success in the world.
Jesus is using irony in verse 9 to make a life saving point. I say that because what we perceive him to be saying is not what he is saying. He is said what he said in verse 9 to make a point, to get his listeners to think about their belief system. In other words he said what he did to shake them up so that they would get on the right path.
Here is what I mean. I am going to have to add a few words to Jesus’ statement, in other words amplify it so that it is clearer. Jesus is telling his disciples, “If you think that using money or goods to make friends here on this earth will be rewarded in heaven, go ahead and see what happens. See if you will be greeted by your friends after you die.”
He wanted to make sure that his disciples; that includes us, are perfectly clear that we as his children are to be wise with our money, but that what we do with it, even when it is put to good use, does no good for us spiritually.
It is the only explanation that works within the context of the story that Jesus is telling. What does this mean for us today? It is a good question and one that has to be answered.
What we are to get out of this reading I believe is that it does not make any difference how successful a Christian is in this life, or how shrewd or smart you are with your belongings. As good as those things are, for they are only good for this life. They do not make you righteous.
What is important is that we learn that learn that Jesus did not come to this earth so that we can be successful. He did not become one of us so that we can be healthy. All of that stuff is for this lifetime only.
Jesus became human for only one reason, and that is to take our punishment. Someone had to pay the price and that someone had to be without sin. That person had to completely and fully trust in God to care for him, and to, yes, raise him from the dead. That person is Jesus who desires all to be saved.
This story is about Jesus and his breaking into our lives, so that we will quit depending on earthly things for salvation. Who is Jesus in your life? I pray that he is your Savior, for he is the only one that will not only see you through this life, but the next. Amen.
9/23/2007
Text: Luke 16:1-13
Title: Wake up call.
This morning I want to talk to you about another hard saying of Jesus. We find it in verse 9 of our Gospel reading for this morning. But, before we get to it, I want to go over the Gospel reading first so that you will know the context in which he spoke.
We see in verse 1 that Jesus is talking to his disciples, those men and women who were following him around the countryside as he taught them. Jesus is telling them a story about a rich man who apparently had a large enough business that he needed a manager to watch over his business affairs, at least some of them.
The manager was caught doing something wrong, or at the very least he was a poor manager. He gets fired. He is to turn in his bookkeeping books and then leave.
Well the books must have been in another place, for the manager has time to as we say, “cook the books”. He goes to at least two of the people that owed money to his boss, there might have been more, and tells them to change the amount they owe.
Well, of course they were happy to oblige. They might have not known that the manager had been fired or they might have known. It really does not make any difference, for the outcome is the same.
The rich businessman lost money, the debtors were not in as much debt, and the crooked ex-manager was assured that later when he was out of work he would be watched out for by those he helped.
Now there are all type of theories about the rich man and the poor manager. They all share one thing in common. They all try to make the ex-manager out as the hero of the story. They do this because his ex-boss commends him for his shrewdness, even though he is still fired, which it appears that all the commentators overlook. And at first glance it also appears that Jesus commends him for his shrewdness, even though it is not written that he does.
We read that into the text because we want God to approve our shrewdness when we make a good deal, or come out on top of someone else.
I read in the paper a couple of weeks ago, maybe you did too, about a woman who had found a billfold in a casino down at the coast. It had 300 dollars in it. She turned in the billfold minus the 300 dollars. When asked why she kept the money she said, “She had done nothing wrong, for she figured that God was just using her to teach the man a lesson because he was not suppose to be gambling.” See how easily she managed to turn her sin into something that God would have approved of.
But before we condemn her we need to look at ourselves to see if we are guilty of doing the same thing. Now I am sure none of you have ever kept the money in a wallet or a purse that you might have found, but how many times have you gotten something for nothing, at the expense of someone else and not tried to correct the situation.
What about the time that the clerk gave you the wrong change back and you did not say anything, as you thanked your lucky stars? Or that time you received an invoice that had an error in your favor and rather than going to the company and straightening it out, you quickly paid the bill before they found out. Or how about that time or times when you did not report all your income on your tax report? Or maybe you received a double shipment of something you ordered and was not charged for it and you just kept the merchandise. I could go on and on, but I am sure by now you have gotten the idea that we all have taken advantage of someone else’s misfortune.
But having said I believe that we all still admire in at least some small way the shrewdness of the manager, for he took care of himself and that is a good thing, isn’t it?
We forget one thing, actually a couple of things. Even though the rich man commended the manager for his shrewdness he was still fired. We also forget that Jesus never commended him for his shrewdness. Like I said earlier we read that into the text even though it is not there.
We read it into the text, because of what Jesus tells his disciples in the last half of verse 8 and then in verse 9 “For those of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than those of the light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwelling.”
It appears that Jesus is telling us that we need to be like the shrewd manager so that when we get to heaven we will be rewarded by those we helped by our dishonesty.
That is what it appears he is saying and we puzzle over such an odd saying. First of all Jesus is telling his disciples, thus us, that we are to be as smart concerning our relationship with God, as those of the world who are just making sure that their earthly lives are taken care of.
Being smart about our faith is studying the Word of God; it is spending time in prayer. It is listening to God’s voice as we lead our lives in such a way that we give glory to God in all we do. It is loving the unlovable. It is doing all those things that those of the world think are dumb. That is being smart/shrewd.
Now let us look at verse 9 for it is a hard saying, rather troubling. There has been a lot written over the years about these verses, all of them attempting to make sense out of something that goes against Jesus’ teachings. He appears to be telling his disciples to make sure they take care of those around us, so that when we die they will welcome us into heaven. In other words, the good we do in this life will be rewarded.
Now deep down we like that, don’t we, for it involves us in our salvation. But I have to tell you that this verse could not mean that, for it goes against too many verses in the Bible that say just the opposite.
There are some who say that by shrewdly using one’s money to share the Word of God with others that they if they die first will welcome you in heaven.
While that some good things to say about it, it still does not catch the essence of what Jesus is saying. To get the true meaning you need to read the rest of verses that formed our Gospel reading for this morning. When you read the rest of the Gospel reading you see Jesus is speaking strongly about not letting things of this world get in the way of our salvation. He tells us that you cannot serve two masters. If you have ever had that happen in your life, you know what he is saying is true. You simply cannot serve two masters.
Concerning our relationship with Jesus, just like the readings that we have been going over the last several weeks we see that Jesus demands that he be number one in our lives.
There can only be one thing you put your trust in. It can be the things of this world which will fail us. Or it can be Jesus who will never fail us in this life or the next and there will be a next for we will be raised up from our graves reunited with our souls and then live with God and all other believers in God in the new heaven and earth.
So Jesus could not be speaking of earthly things being rewarded in heaven. As I have heard, “That dog will not hunt.” No he has to mean something different.
The Pharisees and religious leaders thought that their keeping the Law, at least their law was making them righteous before God. Their wealth and prestige was proof of that.
The disciples, though not as self-righteous as the religious leaders were looking for Jesus to ascend a throne, after kicking out the Romans. As we know by God’s Word, they wanted to be rewarded for all they had gone through in following Jesus. It is no different today, for there are many people who follow Jesus so that they will have prosperity, and health.
The Pharisees, the disciples, and those who think like them have missed the entire reason for Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection. He came to take our punishment so that we can be free. He was a miserable failure according to the world, that is why I am so surprised that so many teach that believing in him will give one success in the world.
Jesus is using irony in verse 9 to make a life saving point. I say that because what we perceive him to be saying is not what he is saying. He is said what he said in verse 9 to make a point, to get his listeners to think about their belief system. In other words he said what he did to shake them up so that they would get on the right path.
Here is what I mean. I am going to have to add a few words to Jesus’ statement, in other words amplify it so that it is clearer. Jesus is telling his disciples, “If you think that using money or goods to make friends here on this earth will be rewarded in heaven, go ahead and see what happens. See if you will be greeted by your friends after you die.”
He wanted to make sure that his disciples; that includes us, are perfectly clear that we as his children are to be wise with our money, but that what we do with it, even when it is put to good use, does no good for us spiritually.
It is the only explanation that works within the context of the story that Jesus is telling. What does this mean for us today? It is a good question and one that has to be answered.
What we are to get out of this reading I believe is that it does not make any difference how successful a Christian is in this life, or how shrewd or smart you are with your belongings. As good as those things are, for they are only good for this life. They do not make you righteous.
What is important is that we learn that learn that Jesus did not come to this earth so that we can be successful. He did not become one of us so that we can be healthy. All of that stuff is for this lifetime only.
Jesus became human for only one reason, and that is to take our punishment. Someone had to pay the price and that someone had to be without sin. That person had to completely and fully trust in God to care for him, and to, yes, raise him from the dead. That person is Jesus who desires all to be saved.
This story is about Jesus and his breaking into our lives, so that we will quit depending on earthly things for salvation. Who is Jesus in your life? I pray that he is your Savior, for he is the only one that will not only see you through this life, but the next. Amen.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 7:29 PM
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