Luke 16:1-15

Dishonestly Holy?

            Today, the Church commemorates the feast of St. Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector prior to his calling by our Lord. A position that never earned him much favor before his fellow Jews. Quite the opposite, he was seen as a traitor because being a tax collector meant he worked for the Romans specifically. But our Lord saw Matthew not as a traitor, but as someone worthy of grace and mercy, just as he sees all of us. For Jesus called Matthew away from his tax booth in order that Matthew may follow him. And without any hesitation, Matthew does just that. He abandons his tax booth, his comfy life, his riches, just to follow Jesus. Now, with all that said, I think you’ll notice that our paraments are still green. That means, even though today is the feast of St. Matthew, that’s not our actual focus today. Rather, we have a parable before us that confuses us more than any other. It’s for this reason that I have chosen not to fully celebrate the feast of St. Matthew. While there would be much benefit in considering one of our Lord’s disciples, I find it to be of greater value to dig into such passages as these that not only cause us to scratch our heads, but also to doubt the clarity of Scripture. But understand that it’s for this reason that I think St. Matthew will be of great benefit to us even still. For Matthew helps illustrate the point which Jesus makes here. 

            Today, in our Gospel lesson, Jesus tells us the parable of the dishonest manager. While we expect one type of outcome, Jesus surprises us with the opposite. But let us not be confused. Jesus isn’t promoting dishonesty or sin. Rather, he’s telling us more about who God is. For a parable need not be overstretched. Rather, the single point that Jesus is making to us is what we’re supposed to learn today:

LET US TRUST NOT IN MAMMON BUT IN THE MERCY OF GOD!

I.

              What makes something a parable? Some of you have probably heard it explained as “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning”. But the real question is, how many points of comparison are necessary for it to be called a parable? Honestly... just one. So, just because Jesus gives us extra details doesn’t mean it’s important to the point. For as we read our parable before us, we need not fret about the less than holy example which Jesus gives us because that’s not the main point. Let us start from the beginning, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions,” Luke 16:1. Right away, we should notice that the premise of this parable is a dishonest manager receiving the just consequence of his actions. He’s been wasting his master’s money and people have noticed and told the master. Hence, this manger is put on notice that he’s being fired... and rightly so. Yet, there’s this time between when he finds out and when he officially turns over the records of his management. In this short span, this manager contemplates what to do to protect his future. 

            When the floor collapses beneath you, where do you put your trust? That’s really the question Jesus is posing here. For the manager has trusted up to this point in his master providing all that he needed. His food, clothing, shelter, money was given him by his master... for managers would live in the house with the one they served or worked for. Likewise, we know that everything we have was given us by our master, God. God provides for us food, clothing, shelter, and all that we have. But just as this manager does, we too sin against God. We waste the precious resources of our master... our time, talents, and gifts for our own pleasure. Yet, when we’re called to account for our wastefulness and sins, where do we turn for our future? As the manager says, “What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg,” Luke 16:3. Yes, we must come to realize that these idols we worship offer us no security and no future. For as Jesus will say, it’s not a matter of if they fail, but when they do. 

II.

            Let us not believe that Jesus is here commending some sort of dishonesty or saying that we can find a loophole into heaven. Jesus doesn’t undo the ten commandments which speaks against everything this manager does. Rather, it’s one calculation or observation which this manger makes for which he’s commended... that he knows what type of man his master is. He’s generous and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love! His whole plan banks on the master’s reputation for being a generous and merciful man. One by one, he brings the debtors to him and has them write a new amount (Luke 16:5-7). This was first, to earn the debtor’s appreciation; and second, to have the master know that the debtors knew of the change by their own handwriting. Hence, the master, who is known already as a generous man, cannot simply undo the change without changing his reputation with the community. As Jesus says, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light,” Luke 16:9. What Jesus is saying here is that as Christians, if our world is able to put their trust in and take advantage of their circumstances, then how much more should we as Christians stake our life on the mercy and grace of God?

            For let us understand our circumstance... let us be shrewd in this instance. Here we are as debtors before God, those who owe a great amount because of our sin. We’re too weak to “dig” up our salvation, and what good is it to beg from idols that give us empty promises? No, we know what to do... let us stake our whole lives on the graciousness and generous mercy of God! We have a manager who cancels not just part of our debt, but ALL of our debt. Jesus has paid back all that you owe by going to the cross for us! Yes, it’s in Jesus’ death that God shows us exactly who he is... a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love! 

So, dear Christians, when your idols fail you. When you’re called to account for your books before our master in heaven, let us put our trust firmly and wholly on God’s mercy and grace in Jesus so that he may receive us into his eternal dwellings! In Jesus’ name! Amen!