Luke 16:1-13

So what do we do with the parable of the Dishonest Steward? Most of the commentaries I read on this parable said the same thing, “Do you think this parable is difficult, well you’re not the only one, good luck.” So much for modern day Christian scholarship.
We talked this morning in our Luther study about what makes a true theologian. Is a true theologian one of the cross or one of glory? A true theologian, according to Luther, is a theologian of the cross and is one that can distinguish between the law and the gospel. So let’s start there.
The Dishonest Steward has been given a job; manage the master’s business affairs. But he was not righteousness in his job therefore was wasting the master’s possessions. We are not told particularly how he was wasting them but he was wasting them none the less. I would imagine that if he was employed he had certain rules to follow and certain things were expected of him. Therefore his wasting of the master’s possessions was breaking those rules and expectations thus he was breaking the law. Thus this is the law part in this passage.
Being caught in his trespasses he was subjected to the consequences of his actions. He was to be fired. Break the law suffer the consequences.
What is unusual about this parable is that when a sinner is confronted with their sin that sinner, the Dishonest Steward, does not repent and receive the gospel. Rather he delves deeper into sin by stealing more form the master by erasing the interest due on the debts owed his master. Seeing that this servant was shrewd in his dealings, in other words he was creative in saving his own neck, the master decided that a man who knows how to manipulate the people for his own gain and thus profit from it is just the kind of man that he wants running his business. For this man is shameless in his dealings and will do anything for a profit.
“The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.” Who are the sons of this world? The master in this parable is the devil and the Dishonest Steward is a human who has fallen under his influence. The influence the master has on the Dishonest Steward is the love of money and personal security. You see when the Dishonest Steward proved that he truly loved money and not mercy, for if he desired mercy he would have begged the master for it but instead he went on in his sin trying to keep this sense of security. Jesus tells us that satan and those under his influence, the sons of this world, are tricky in their dealing with us. It may seem that they are doing something kind for us but in the end their actions are self serving. They are dishonest with little therefore they will be dishonest with a lot.
Who are the sons of light then? The sons of light are the ones who have heard the gospel and repented of their ways; the ones who have chosen God over money and things of this world. The sons of light have been trusted with little and have done well therefore they are now trusted with much. Here in lies the gospel of today’s parable.
You have a choice to make. Serve God or serve money. Are you here in this planet to accumulate as much wealth and possessions as possible? Or are you here to serve God by loving and serving your neighbor?
“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.” To be a honest steward is to use your unrighteous wealth, money and possessions, to gain friends so when your money and possessions fail you, when you die and they can no longer serve you, you will be received in to eternal life.
It is not bad to have money and possessions, as long as you use them to love and serve others and do not elevate them over God.
You cannot serve both God and money. Where are your priorities during the week? Where are your priorities on the weekends? During the week are you working for a paycheck to use to party on the weekends? Or during the week are you serving your neighbor through you God ordained profession with the result of a paycheck that allows you to provide for your family and your neighbors? Are you spending Sunday morning loving and serving your neighbors in your vocation or are you elevating work over church because you need the money. Are you at church if you are not working so that you may hear the gospel proclaimed thus building within you salific faith making you more useful for your family and friends? Or are you choosing the lure of money or self serving activities.
Are you serving God or money?
The gospel message in today’s reading is that you have a choice; there is hope, you do not have to be a slave to the devil and the things of this world. If you have been baptized then you are claimed by Christ, you are His. You are free to either squander that freedom or serve him and be rewarded with eternal life. If you have not been baptized then see me soon! We can baptize you anytime day or night. All we need is water, the Word and two witnesses.
You have been called by Christ to love and serve your family and neighbors with all of the resources at your disposal. Money, time, talent, love, kindness, selfless giving the list goes on. If you want to be free, truly free then turn away from the worship of things in this world that are finite and worship Christ who is eternal.