September 22, 2019 Text: Luke 16:1-15
Dear Friends in Christ,
Money can be a temptress. It gives you freedom but it also paralyzes you. When you have it you think you can relax and enjoy it. But it calls the shots.
The manager in our parable this morning understood this better than most. He had been cooking the books, skimming some funds, breaking the 7th Commandment. He worked to justify it – overworked and underpaid. He needs it more than his master. It is going to help him solve his dilemma. Or is it? It is a good question to ask ourselves . . .
“DO YOU TRUST THE MOOLAH OR THE MASTER?”
You can’t trust false gods and money is a false god. It doesn’t care about you or love you. It will leave you. This is what happens to the manager. His money is abandoning him and so what now? He has to find something else to put his trust in. What will it be?
This manager is desperate. He’s stuck. “I can’t dig, I’m ashamed to beg.” He worked a lifetime, even if crooked to get to this point. Even if you haven’t been in his position, you understand this could be you by tomorrow morning or by this time next year.
The manger gets fired. No longer legally authorized to conduct business. Notice something here; the master does not throw him in jail. He could have but he doesn’t. This guy could have been escorted out the door by security like in today’s world. Instead the manager meanders back and gets the books.
This generosity by the master gives him a little time. He has choices at his disposal. The best option – bank on the master’s reputation for being exceedingly generous. Trusting in the master’s money is gone. He must now trust the master, the one thing he should have trusted in all along.
He calls in the master’s clients. They don’t know he’s been fired. With each person in debt he cancels about eighteen months of wages. But did you notice he has them change the amount? It happens in their handwriting, not his. This is important because when he returns the books to the master, the master will notice two things: first, the debts have been lowered, and second, his debtors know about it, because it is their handwriting. Genius.
The master sits back in his chair and figures he is going to win businessman of the year. He is the most generous landowner in the county. Facebook and Twitter are on fire with the news of this swell fella.
What will a normal landlord do? He will walk into the celebration party and announce, “I didn’t authorize this. This man is a crook. I will be expecting your regular payments at the beginning of the month.” Most creditors would do this. It is what you would do, right? But this master doesn’t do this and the manager’s plan doesn’t collapse. This master is generous. It is part of who he is.
He commends the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. Well-played Harris. When the ship was sinking he knew where to jump. He used the master’s generosity to his advantage proving that “it’s not what you know; it’s who you know.”
What is the moral of the story for us? What point is Jesus making? “Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into eternal dwellings.” (v. 9) You’ve got money. Many of us have significant amounts. Use it wisely, Jesus says, for the work of His Kingdom so that more souls can go to heaven. There will be people in heaven who are there to thank you and welcome you because God used your offering and the work of the Holy Spirit to get them there. He made it so your money would have eternal returns.
We don’t labor under a master who is hard and cruel. We labor under a generous master. Whether you have been faithful in your use of money or have wasted it, your Master is still good. He loves you and sees you through. You will be saved and have your eternal reward because of the generosity of your Master.
Your Master? Jesus Christ. He loves and forgives sinners. We receive more than earthly wealth and goods. He gives you His body and blood on the cross to save you. You don’t have to make back payments to receive this bounty. You don’t need to do anything; you don’t even need to be wise. You just need to know which way to jump when your ship is sinking. You jump and let the grace of God in Jesus catch you.
If your stuck and don’t know what to do or where to go – too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg – don’t trust your moolah but turn to the Master. Grab hold of the generosity of your Father in heaven. Truly shrewd stewards are Christians who trust in the generosity of the Lord. Plead the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, his death and resurrection, and it’s yours.
You are going to be okay. You are going to make it, dear Christian. Your Master loves you, indeed.
Amen.