Sermon for Luke 16:1-13
September 23rd 2007
What do you think guys and gals? Do you want to stick with the text we are dealt today, or maybe search through the Bible and pick one that perhaps is a little easier, at least not quite as challenging?
Because, basically every single commentary, every single sermon I read places this particular text in the context of wealth. I read commentaries that focused upon waste, true riches, but most of them dealt with evils associated with the almighty dollar.
Folks I may be good, but I’m not that good as to where I can convince you in a period of 14 minutes that we need to change our entire concept of money to the point you are willing to give it up, even though Jesus states in one line of the Bible, “You cannot serve both God and Wealth.”
If I preach the typical sermons I’ve heard in the past then like the people in the Old Testament reading, you probably can’t wait till Sunday Service is over, so we can return to everyday living.
However, I not willing to fold my hand with this text and give up the idea that perhaps, perhaps through the power of God’s Holy Spirit I can be good enough in 13 minutes to at least make you begin to think about your relationship to the One who gives you everything, including that almighty dollar.
I don’t know about you but I enjoy a movie that catches me by surprise with an unexpected twist in the plot or an astonishing turn in the life of a major character. I love shows like The Sting with Robert Redford and Paul Newmon, or The Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis where the ending is not what you expect, and you find yourself think about the outcome well into the night.
You see an awful lot of these unexpected twists throughout the Bible. That’s why I don’t understand why in the world more people don’t read it more often. What a great book!
Anyway, an astonishing turn is precisely what we get in the parable about a shrewd manager—remember parable—short stories that tease the mind and make you think?
Today Jesus might retell the story something like this. A middle manager for Inland Steel was accused by a jealous co-worker of wasting time and money. This person had worked his way up the past 25 years, and was now finally in the position where he didn’t have to bust his you know what to earn a good living.
Sure he didn’t always give 100%, sometimes not even 50%, but come on, who does? Anyway the boss man or woman confirmed the report that this middle manager had gotten quite lazy, so she/he fires him. “You’ve got till the end of the day to clean out your desk.”
Oh my goodness says the middle manager. I never in a million years thought she would fire me! What am I going to do? How am I going to tell my wife? She’ll kill me! At my age who’s going to hire me? I make a lot of money. How can I find the same pay job especially after being fired? I can’t do physical labor because of my bad back. This the worse day of my life! What am I going to do? What am I going to do?
So the brain goes into overtime and the middle manager says, “I know. I’ll call up a few clients whose accounts with Inland are overdue. I’ll write off part if they will pay right away. This way, maybe, just maybe they will remember me and perhaps I can find another nice paying job.
To the manager’s delight just about everyone went along with plan. And why not? It saved these other companies a ton of money.
In a last desperate attempt the middle manager approaches the boss in the final hours of the day and shares with him how he had gotten these accounts to pay up. In a shocking turn of events, the boss shakes his hand and actually compliments him on his craftiness or shrewdness.
We could stop in the middle of the story and try to explain or justify the man behavior. After all, we sort of root for the underdog. Right?
A few years back I was introduced to a Grocery Store Tycoon.
The town of Jasper was so proud of what one of theirs had accomplished. I heard over and over again how this rich man had started out at the bottom, bagging groceries. Along the way he filled bankruptcy three times and now look where he was. What a great man they all claim, except the poor people he stiffed while working his way to the top.
Yes, we could stop in the middle of the story, but how do we teach our youth to be honest when this part of the parable seems to commend dishonesty? How do teach others to be thrifty, hard working, when the original text up to this point, might seem to some to promote laziness and waste. But it not the end of the story. Is it?
Jesus goes on with the parable by saying, “The people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with everyday life issues, plotting how to overcome a crisis, than in dealing with eternal life issues. So go ahead make friends for yourselves by means craftiness and shrewd behavior, so that when all is said and done, let these people these things you rely upon give you eternal life.
I remember when I was young. I got into more trouble than I desired. Not because I felt bad, but because I got caught. My dad made me pay for my mistakes. Young people, you are fortunate, because dad made me pay with a belt to my backside.
What was odd was that before he would whip me, he would sometimes say, “Son this is going to hurt me, more than it hurts you.” Man, I could never figure that one out. I felt like saying, which I never did, “Dad if it’s going to hurt you more than me, then why don’t you let me spank you, so I can truly get the proper punishment.”
But folks, isn’t that how the human mind works. Very crafty and very shrewd when it comes to earthly crisis, as the manger in today’s story finds himself in, as each of finds ourselves in at many times in our life.
We will use our wits, our minds, our imagination to come up with a solution, sometimes even if it crosses the boundaries of shrewd and crafty behavior. If we succeed, guess what? The world commends us.
We will sit down and plot a well thought out plan how we desire to advance our career, how to send our kids to college, or be able to retire before I’m 80.
Not only do we plot and plan how these earthly things are going to fall in place, we spend many of our waking, and sometimes sleepless hours worrying and re-planning how am I going to pay these double mortgages, fix my broken down air-conditioner. Have I done all that I can, is there maybe something I could do different.
These are everyday and real concerns. And if anybody understands human nature, I think it might be God, after all he/she made us this way.
That’s why, I believe someone named Jesus, who also understand human nature, comes to me, comes to you in this short story and says, “Folks if you could take some of that planning, worry, thought, effort, desire—
David if you could use some of your craftiness and shrewdness that you use for gaining earthly desires, wealth, things that I have given you in the first place, and focus as much of that time and energy in gaining heavenly wealth, then I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome and what lies in the future.
I believe that Jesus is calling you and I in this time and place, a time where this lampstand called Gloria Dei is struggling with identity and purpose, in a place where the gospel of Jesus Christ needs to be heard loud and clear.
Jesus is calling us to start using more of our wits, our brains, our craftiness, our shrewdness that we use to secure our position on earth, and start using these same gifts to the glory of God.
We could stop right here in the story and perhaps have a better understanding. But it’s still not the end of the story. Is it?
Jesus finishes today’s parable with a surprise ending that keeps me thinking about it well into the night. Because he does say, “You cannot serve both God and Money.”
I afraid if I ignore the teachings of Christ Jesus it will be like that spanking I received as a young fellow. It will hurt both parties.
Especially me!
Amen.
