St. Luke 16:1-9 — Trinity 9 — 2014

St. Luke 16:1-9 — Trinity 9 — 2014
Zion Ev. Lutheran Church, McHenry, IL
August 16-17, 2014
Watch Here

In the name of Jesus. Amen. The guy is accused of squandering His master’s possessions and He’s about to be fired. Then, like his life depends on it, He just gives his master’s stuff away.

That Guy should be put in jail or fired or both! Then, unthinkably, when He finds out what the steward has been doing, the Master actually COMMENDS the unrighteous steward for his shrewdness. Whaaaat??

“Pastor, what does the Greek say? Surely it doesn’t say ‘commend.’ Surely, the Lord doesn’t commend this unrighteous steward for giving His Lord’s stuff away!”

Well, I guess I could have translated it instead, “The Lord gave the unrighteous steward a giant hug; a pat on the back; a very hearty fist bump.” 

But the world understands what’s going on here. These accounts are in collections. The master isn’t going to be repaid anything on these debts. So the steward goes and gets His Lord something — 50 measures of oil instead of none, 80 measures of wheat instead of zero.

And there is the added bonus: the steward makes friends with the people who owe the master money by doing them the favor discounting their debt.  That’ll help when the master fires him. Present tense investment for future tense gain.

But this parable isn’t about money.  It’s about Jesus.  He is accused by the Pharisees of mismanaging His Father’s kingdom, of giving His Father’s salvation away to people who don’t deserve it. 

Sinners should pay the whole price for their sins. They should change.  They should pay God what they owe Him — every last bit. Or they should get what’s coming to them.

Oh, but not only them. You too. You should pay every penny back that you owe God. You should pay the price your sins deserve. No excuses, no blaming someone else for what you’ve done. You should pay it all back, in full, or suffer the hell for it.

But to save you, the Steward doesn’t protest the charge of unrighteousness.  He doesn’t defend Himself. He takes upon Himself your unrighteousness. He is treated unjustly for you.  Called a sinner.  Like a Lamb before its shearers is silent, so He opens not His mouth. He suffers. He dies.

And what you owe God dies with Him! Take your bill and write on it, “Forgiven.” Your idolatry, your misuse of His Name, your despising of His preaching and teaching, your disobedience to the authorities around you, your hate, your murder, your lust, your adultery, your stealing, your gossip and slander, your coveting…it’s all forgiven. All absolved in the suffering and death of Jesus.  Paid in full by Jesus.

The Father would have nothing, but thanks to Unjust-Steward-Jesus, He has you. Jesus has gained you as a friend — paying the check you owe God with His life. 

Now as surely as He has been raised from the dead, you live in Him. Bought, paid for. Righteous in Him.

You see, we mess this up because we think of unrighteous stuff when hear this parable. We think of the steward cheating, giving away things He shouldn’t give away. We think of how tightly we hold our stuff. Tighter than we hold God.

But, Christ. He’s the righteous mammon. His is the Holy stuff that you have been entrusted with. His Body given for you on the Cross. His blood shed for you. His Baptism washing your sins away. His words enlivening you.

And Jesus is back at it again! Today, the Unjust Steward is giving away forgiveness and mercy and God’s love yet again. He’s giving you life and salvation — for free! Splashing it on you, filling your ears with it, and putting it into your mouth. With this heavenly mammon, you are righteous. You are forgiven.

And not only you, but others too. Make friends with others with Jesus’ forgiveness and mercy and love. Where they have sinned, cover it in His Blood. Where they have done wrong, mercy it with His mercy. And where they have done harm, raise them from the dead with Jesus.

“Take your bill, friend, and write eighty on it, fifty on it, or zero. For my bill has been paid by Jesus. Yours is too.” It’s no harm to you to give it away for nothing, it’s all your Lord’s stuff anyway!

Christ!  He’s the money that doesn’t pass away. He’s what you have been entrusted with — His righteousness, His mercy, His love.  He’s what you have been given.

And the Lord commended the Unjust steward for having acted shrewdly. He commended Jesus for saving you. It makes no sense. But that…that’s what the unjust steward did to save you. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.