Luke 16:1-15 (Pentecost 15C)
St. John, Galveston 9/21/25
Rev. Alan Taylor
+ In Nomine Jesu +
Grace and peace to you, from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
As I read the appointed passages for today, especially the Epistle reading and the Gospel reading, it occurred to me that I was going to be preaching this morning, either on the role of women in the Church, or on money. Frankly, both options seemed to be fraught with potential pitfalls and perils. I say that because God’s word is often at odds with the beliefs of society in general and sometimes even of individual Christians.
On the role of women in the church, many people today believe that much of what Paul wrote on the subject was, either his own biased opinion, or it was culturally conditioned and therefore not applicable to today. That position, however, begs the question whether the Bible is the word of God, or not? If part of it is God’s word, and part of it isn’t, then what part of it is, and what part of is not? The truth is, while the Bible has many writers, it has only one author. “All Scripture (the Bible says) is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
As to the other topic, money, many people are convinced, somewhat cynically I might add, that all the Church ever does is talk about money. And, in all fairness, I suppose with what passes for Christian preaching and teaching over the airwaves and social media, that view is certainly understandable. That said, we can’t ignore what the Bible says about money, and more importantly, about “serving two masters.” “You can’t serve two masters. (If you try to,) you’ll end up loving the one and hating the other, or (you’ll be) devoted to the one and despise the other.”
I’d like to suggest to you this morning that God’s revelation to us in Luke 16, that we can’t serve two masters, has tremendous implications for our lives well beyond the use of money. As I suggested earlier, as Christians we are always going to find ourselves at odds with the world in which we live. Now, that doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy the gifts that God gives us in this world. After all, the Bible says, “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.”
It is often said of churches that they shouldn’t engage in political speech. And, if political speech supplants or overshadows the preaching of the Gospel and of the salvation of the world in Christ Jesus, then I agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly. Our hearts are, and must be, one with Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save the lost. Salvation is found in none other than Jesus Christ, and Him crucified and risen for the sins of the world.
However, once a particular subject has been deemed political, or politically charged, for instance, things like transgenderism, homosexuality, and same sex marriage, must the Church, or Christians, for that matter, hold their tongue and remain silent on that particular topic, lest their speech be deemed political in nature? Do we have nothing to say to the society in which we live? Must the treasure of the Gospel be shared only within the walls of the Church. Are we not a shining light, a beacon of hope sent by God to shine into this world of darkness and confusion? Are we not bound as servants of our master, the God of all creation, to proclaim His word of truth to a confused and a dying world? Not so much to save this country from imploding on itself, as to offer salvation to people who dying without Christ.
Clearly, the parable of the Unjust Manager, which is before us this morning, has a great deal to say to us about one aspect of the world’s wisdom, namely the accumulation of money and it’s use. Ultimately though, money is no different than anything else we’re tempted to bow to. And so, the parable is first and foremost about the first commandment, namely that we are to have no other gods before the true God.
You may recall another point in the Gospels where Jesus met a man who asked Him what he needed to do to be saved. Jesus knew that the man was seeking to justify himself. In other words, the man was looking to offer his stellar performance in life in exchange for a seat in the kingdom of God. Jesus said to him, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ”
The man was, no doubt, excited to hear Jesus’ answer to his question. In fact, he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” He was, of course, sadly mistaken, since God’s commandments are kept only out of pure and perfect love for God and for our neighbor. Still, in his mind, he had kept the commandments as they had been given. “One thing you still lack (Jesus said). Sell all that you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When (the man) heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
By telling the man to sell everything he had and give it to the poor, Jesus wasn’t advocating some sort of redistribution of wealth as a preferred way of life, nor was He offering the man the final thing he needed to do in order to complete his resume for entrance into the kingdom of God. To the contrary, He was holding up the man’s idol before his eyes. As it turns out, the one thing he loved more than God, more than following Jesus, was his money. And so, later, Jesus said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
In his explanation to the 1st commandment, Luther reminded us that our God is whoever, or whatever we fear, love and trust in above all other things. Certainly our possessions could be that one thing. Money can be our master and we it’s servants if it consumes our plans and purposes, our motives and every aspect of the direction of our lives. In the case of the unjust servant, he forsook allegiance to his true master in order to protect his wealth. In doing so, he demonstrated his greater love for money than for his master.
But, there are all sorts of things that compete for our devotion in life; the praise of others, peace and quiet in our lives, unity with others, even if it’s a false unity, built on our willingness to keep silent and to hold our tongues.
Many years ago, God’s servant Joshua said, “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
In many respects, it is a daily struggle to serve the Lord, your God. He is a Master though worthy of honor and praise. He has called you out of darkness and transferred you into the kingdom of His beloved Son in whom you have redemption, the forgiveness of your sins. In Holy Baptism He has washed away all of your sin, your failures to devote yourself to Him and to honor Him, and He has prepared a place for you in His everlasting Kingdom. He has lead you through perils unknown, always giving you the victory, if not in this life, then in the life of the world to come. He has even called you by name, adopting you as His own dear son or daughter.
My yoke is easy, Jesus says, and My burden light. Whereas a master might lay a burden upon the shoulders of his servants, a burden that is hard to bear, this master bears the burden Himself, even the burden of sin and death. Only in serving this master are we truly free. Free to live before God without guilt and shame, without fear of condemnation and ultimately of damnation. And yes, we are free to shine a light of life and hope into an otherwise dying and hopeless world.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.
+ Soli Deo Gloria +