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INJ
St Luke 16:1-13
'Stewardship'
Divine Service
The 9th Sunday after Trinity Sunday | July 20, 2008
Dear Saints,
Christians give their money to support the preaching of the Gospel. When we talk about stewardship, that's the most important thing for us to understand, so we'll hear it again: Christians give money to support the preaching of the Gospel.
Sometimes, though, they need to be reminded. That's what our Gospel text does, Jesus tells this parable, really a difficult parable, to remind us of this, that Christians ought to use their money to expand the preaching of the Gospel.
The parable is like this, there is a man who has a steward who is wasteful, so the master comes to him and says, “Close out the books, you're fired.” So this steward, knowing that he's out of a job, and also knowing that he's too proud to beg and too weak to dig or do physical labor, he knows that he's got to make a few friends so there will be people to take care of him in his need. So this steward goes to his master's clients and cuts their debts.
“You owe 100 measures of oil? Make it 50.” “You owe 100 measures of wheat? Make it 80.” Now, any way you look at it, this is steeling. And here's the rub, this steward is commended. “The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.” [Luke 16:8] What's going on here? Surely the Lord is not approving of the way this steward acts, is He?
We hear the point when the Lord continues, and explains the parable:
For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10 One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? [Luke 16:9-12]
This is why we consider this Sunday to be Stewardship Sunday, the Lord is reminding His Christians that the children of the world, the unbelievers and heathen and pagan, know how to use their money to keep what they love the most: their won lives. We who have the wisdom of God ought to know how to use our money to do the same, to keep that which we love most: the promise of the forgiveness of all of our sins, that is, the Gospel.
What is gold and silver when the Lord has given us His holy and precious blood? We have been bought with such a price that the riches of this world are wood and hay and straw, nothing. It is with Christian wisdom, then, that we use the money that the Lord entrusts us with to support that which Christians love most of all, the Gospel.
The unbelievers and the world know how to use their money and position to gain personal advantages, so much more should we use our money to bring the benefits of the Lord's kingdom.
This brings us, then, to the question of stewardship. The way I see it is this (and here's my stewardship program laid out before you): if the members of a church aren't giving generously to the church there are two possible problems: first, the people are not Christians, or, second, the people are Christians and they think that the Gospel is being preached and spread better by some other organization or church or whatever. So they are giving to another church or group instead of their own church.
Non-Christians don't love the Gospel. Christians do, and their money follows the preaching and proclamation of it.
Now, if you agree with my assessment so far, then we're ready to look at the solution that the Scriptures give.
But first, let's consider what the solution normally looks like. When you saw “stewardship” as the title of today's sermon, what did you think? I suspect you thought of one of two things. The first is an old-fashioned berating, a brow-beating from the pulpit. The preacher stands here and beats you down with the law, about how your selfishness shows your idolatry. “Look how much the Lord have given up for you, and you give nothing for Him, or toss Him the left-overs, or whatever.”
The second possibility is the sermon that's softer and nicer and about time, talent and treasure. I must be a little cynical; every time I hear that phrase “time, talent and treasure” I think, “What he really means is treasure, but he thinks it sounds too crass to talk about money.” If you mention 'time' and 'talent' then is doesn't sound like you trying to get you hands in people's wallets. This second type of stewardship sermon is still law, but it's nice sounding law.
Stewardship is normally some sort of law, which can be summarized like this, “You should give more money.” I could see that there might be a time in the life of our congregation where I would have to stand up here and say, “Hey, we need a few more dollars to pay the bills.” I don't think that there's anything wrong with saying that, but it's not stewardship.
If it's true that people not giving as they ought is the result of unbelief or of an unclear Gospel, the answer to both problems is simply this: peach the law in its severity and the Gospel in its sweetness. If this congregation, this pulpit, this altar deliver the pure and holy forgiveness of sins and the righteousness of the kingdom of God, all other things will be added unto us.
So let's have it, the Lord's law and Gospel. The Lord concludes His teaching on this parable with these words:
13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. [Luke 16:9-13]
That you there is you. You cannot serve God and money. But you think you can. You think that your worry about the bank account and if you will be able to pay the bills and what the stock market will do to your retirement and whatever doesn't effect your faith. That your constant devotion to getting and keeping your money is now problem at all. But you are wrong. You cannot serve God and money.
Single and full-hearted devotion is what the Lord demands, and so this command stands over you like every command the Lord gives and crushes you. It shows us our weakness and our sin and our idolatry.
But look, for you and me who have divided hearts, who try to serve two masters, who worry and fret about money, for us there is a single-minded Lord. Jesus' heart was not divided, He served only God, and His service meant that He gave up every thing that was His, His splendor and glory, all for you. He held nothing back, kept nothing in savings, He spilled out His blood to the last drop for us, to cleanse us and make us holy and wholly His. He has redeemed us, not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood, His innocent suffering and death.
That's you, dear saints. You have been made rich by the Lord's impoverishing cross. You have been set free from worry and fear. Your life has been bought and paid for by your Jesus. You are the Lord's holy and precious children.
May the Lord keep us in this true Gospel in life and in death even unto life eternal. Amen.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
Hope Lutheran Church | Aurora, CO