Intro Jesus tells us a parable about a useless, money manager. We call this parable, “The Parable of the Unjust Steward.” We’re not exactly sure how this steward managed his master’s money. But this we know: Everything he did as a steward was a failure. So much that his master fired him and told him to turn over the books.
Main Body Now realizing that he was a dead man walking, the steward got a hold of those who owed his master the most money and started refinancing their loans. But he had to work fast, while he still had time. The unjust steward had but a narrow window of opportunity. So, he negotiated new, discounted loans. He cashed in on his master’s reputation. And He won friends for his new life to come. That’s risky--but cunning! The unjust steward worked for his master long enough to know his master’s character, even though his master’s character had never changed how he lived or how he did business. He knew his master would honor the loans. But why would that be? Why would the unjust steward, who ruined what his master had given him, know that his master would honor these new loans? He knew in his mind what his master was like. His master was odd, different. He was like that eccentric vineyard owner that Jesus also liked to mention. Do you remember that parable of Jesus? The vineyard owner paid out according to his generosity and love--not according to the labor that each worker had done. The vineyard owner paid everyone equally, whether they worked a full day in the field or only for an hour. The steward’s master wasn’t a vineyard owner specializing in production and profit. He wasn’t a shepherd who was an expert in profitable shepherding. He was the type who would leave of a flock of 99 on the hillside to rescue the one, lost sheep. That’s not smart business; that’s madness. But that’s the master of the unjust steward! The Parable of the Unjust Steward makes no sense if we understand it through earthly eyes. That’s because the parable is about the Kingdom of God, not the kingdom of men! If we understand the parable in worldly ways, we’ll get it wrong. We’ll think Jesus is somehow praising deception and thievery. He’s not! He’s telling a parable to bring us into a new reality. He’s painting a picture of the Christian life, of what it’s like to be in the Kingdom of God. Before the unjust steward was turned from his old way of life into the new, everything he did would only get him fired. The unjust steward deserved to die to his job. He was a disaster when it came to managing his master’s money. No matter what he did, it wasn’t enough to make his master smile. That pictures the life of someone before he is brought to faith, before he dies to the ways of the world. But once the unjust steward knew that he was already dead--not just in his intellect, but in his heart--what did he have to lose? His master already fired him. He was dead to his job--and he knew it. So why not go all out? Go for broke! And now, for the first time, he did business in a way that would finally delight his master. He wheeled and dealed like he never had before. When the unjust steward finally realized that he was a living, dead man, he shows us a picture of the Christian life. How so? It’s as the Apostle Paul tells us. He writes in the book of Romans, “[All Christians] have died to sin. How then can we still live in sin? Don’t you know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (Romans 6:1-2). In baptism, you died to sin. In baptism, you became the unjust steward who realized that’s he already dead. For in baptism, the Holy Spirit joined you into Jesus’ death on the cross. You don’t just have a relationship with Christ; you are joined to Him in baptism! You are one with Christ, not simply in some relationship with Him. So, like the unjust steward, you now have nothing to lose! That’s the point Jesus makes. The dead have nothing to lose, but everything to gain! Yet, there’s more to being dead than just being dead. As the Apostle Paul also writes, “So count yourselves dead to sin--but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). Yes, you are dead to yourself, dead to the world, and dead to sin, but alive in Christ Jesus! That frees you to be a wheeling-and-dealing steward. You are a now a steward of Christ, for you’ve been baptized into His death. Like the unjust steward, you now have nothing to lose. Like the unjust steward, you can now risk doing business, for like him, you are a living, dead man. But also like the unjust steward, you have only a short time-window in which to act. This short time-window is your life now, before you physically die. Like the unjust steward, you are now to wheel and deal like never before. Like the unjust steward, your wheeling and dealing is not for the life of your past, but for the life that is to come. For it is as Jesus says, “you are not of the world” (John 15:19). That’s why Jesus says, “Make friends for yourselves using unrighteous money, so when it’s gone [and it will be, because you can’t take it with you], you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Do you now get it? “Unrighteous money” is the wealth of this world. Being dead to sin in your baptism, you are now to use the wealth of this world for things eternal. That is your life to come. You are to wheel and deal using the wealth of this world, so “you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” So don’t waste what God has given you. Don’t waste it to build a kingdom here, for that is your past. Invest in the future, where you have a permanent home. Indeed, is it as Jesus tells you, “First, seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness,” and the rest will fall into place (Matthew 6:33). Everything you have is a gift from God. It’s all a trust given to you by the Giver Himself. You are a steward of that trust, just like the unjust steward when he realized he was a dead man walking, who finally was freed to use his master’s wealth. Use it like God wants you to use it. For you can’t lose, because you have died in Christ Jesus. You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. “No condemnation exists for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). The only way you can lose is if you live your life as the unjust steward had done before he became a living, dead man. Then, he managed the money he had for this life, not for the life to come. When that happens, you are again living like someone who has everything to lose, not as a dead man who has nothing to lose! Invest--not in this world--but in eternity. That’s why Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” If you love your money, you’ll wind up hating God. If you devote yourself to your money, you’ll wind up despising God. But the sinner in each of us protests. We shake our heads and cry out, “Get real! I have bills to pay and a mortgage. If you haven’t noticed, food and gas keep going up in cost.” And so the battle over money takes place. You are tempted to use the money you have like the unjust steward before he died and changed. Don’t you get it? You’ve already died! You’ve already died to sin and the rule of money over you. Besides, it’s not your money anyway. You’re the steward, not the master. Invest your money for eternity like you are already dead and have nothing to lose! Repent, from letting money control your life. Repent, for living your life in the past, instead of for the life to come! Repent, for using the money you have to build up treasure here, instead of in eternity. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Your old, sinful nature in you needs to return to your baptism. Every day, it needs to drown and die. God is your master, not money. You are the steward, not the master. Live like you’re already dead, as if you have nothing to lose. Learn from the unjust steward. Invest in the life to come. For in the end, when God closes the books and parcels out the property, you will have an eternal dwelling. You will have a permanent home. It became yours when you died to sin in baptism. Jesus, the Son of God, fully paid your mortgage when He died to give you His life. That’s the outrageous master you have. Like the master of the unjust steward, your master has an incomprehensible love for you. Jesus, in His suffering, death, and resurrection, has canceled your debts. He has sealed you in this Love in the waters of baptism. He feeds you in this Love with His risen Body and Blood. He encourages and teaches you in this Love by His holy Word. These are the treasures that moth and vermin cannot destroy and where thieves cannot break in to steal (Matthew 6:20). These are the treasures of heaven--even Christ Himself! And He is the One who guards and protects them for you, and who continues to give them to you. He is the lavish master who cancels your debt. Conclusion Dear saints of God, that’s freedom, eternal freedom! Christ has freed you to live in this freedom. Live like that with all that God has given you, even your money. Invest in the eternity that Christ has won for you. Amen. -- Rich Futrell, Pastor Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Kimberling City, MO http://sothl.com Where we receive and confess the faith of the Church (in and with the Augsburg Confession): The faith once delivered to the saints, the faith of Christ Jesus, His Word of the Gospel, His full forgiveness of sins, His flesh and blood given and poured out for us, and His gracious gift of life for body, soul, and spirit. ___________________________________________________________________ 'CAT 41 Sermons & Devotions' consists of works that are, unless otherwise noted, the copyrighted property of the various authors; posting of such gives members of this list implied consent for redistribution _with_attribution_ unless otherwise specified by the author (as long as no charge is made for the work and it is not made part of a compilation), as well as for quoting or use in a congregational setting _with_or_without_attribution_. 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