Subversive Sacrifice

Introduction

We are continuing our series this morning, called Kingdom Stories, on the Parables of Jesus. I was reading a book by Jared Wilson this week; he calls the parables “postcards from the world of eternal glory.” Jesus tells stories that sound familiar, look familiar, share common ground with the people of earth, and yet for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, these stories upend life as you know it. They are spiritually discombobulating, Wilson says, and yet the give great comfort. They are windows to hope, visions of dawning light. They turn life inside out. Rich men are shown to be poor, and the poor are rich. Lost sons are found, and the found sons are lost. Those who foolishly give up everything they have, gain more than they could ever dream. The self-sufficient, self-serving are left to themselves; those who need a master are given one. Postcards from eternal glory.

In Luke 16:1-13, we find another upside down tale. Jesus tells a story about a dishonest manager who uses his position to secure his future. He is praised for his shrewdness, but Jesus uses the story to challenge His followers.

PRAY

Shrewd, but Selfish (v. 1-7)

Luke 16:1–7 CSB

Now he said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who received an accusation that his manager was squandering his possessions. So he called the manager in and asked, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you can no longer be my manager.’ “Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do since my master is taking the management away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig; I’m ashamed to beg. I know what I’ll do so that when I’m removed from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’ “So he summoned each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first one. “ ‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he said. “ ‘Take your invoice,’ he told him, ‘sit down quickly, and write fifty.’ “Next he asked another, ‘How much do you owe?’ “ ‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he said. “ ‘Take your invoice,’ he told him, ‘and write eighty.’

Let’s do our best to see this story from the manager’s perspective. He runs the estate of a wealthy man, who has holdings and investments around the region. And when it comes to light that he’s beens skimming off the top for himself and that the numbers aren’t adding up, he’s called in to the office to get fired. He’s supposed to turn in his account books so that he can held accountable to what he’s done.

The manager is concerned. But he does not look to what he has done with remorse. He does not regret how his master has been cheated, or the losses that have come at his expense. His only concern is his own well being—his next gig. He sits down and thinks. Hard labor is out—weak arms and all. Begging is obviously beneath him—he says that would be shameful thing indeed (not giving any thought to his own pretty shameful actions). So this is what he decides. He’ll give himself an out. He goes privately, one-by-one, to each of the masters debtors, and writes off enormous debt.

Jesus doesn’t mince words here. The “hero” of our story is a scumbag. Jesus calls him adikia, an unrighteous, unjust man. This estate manager is a man of low moral character. He will lie, steal, and cheat to advance his own ends. He cooked the books to line his pockets, and now he must cook the books once more to curry favor with potential future employers. He’s not strong, he’s not courageousness, and he will not own his faults.

That’s not the point. We are not called to model his scumminess. We are asked to consider his prudence. His critical thinking skills. His cunning intelligence.

Why does the man show kindness and generosity? To save his own skin. He hopes that by defrauding his employer even more, he will ingratiate himself to the townsfolk and they will welcome him into their homes—meaning, he can become their estate manager!

It’s terrible. But it’s not that surprising. It’s hard to find true altruism in our society today. Everyone’s working the angle somehow. People often show kindness and generosity when it benefits them.

Jesus does not justify the dishonesty here. But in verse 8, we find the twist, and the key to unlocking this whole upside-down story.

The Bar has Been Raised (v. 8)

Luke 16:8 CSB

“The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the children of this age are more shrewd than the children of light in dealing with their own people.

The first debtor gets fifty measures of olive oil written off. That’s a year and half’s worth of salary. The second debtor gets twenty measures of wheat written off. The percentage is different, but the wage amount is about the same. That’s huge. That’s like if someone from my home loan company sat down with me and cancelled half of my mortgage. I don’t know about you, but I would be shocked by that level of generosity. It would change my life in many ways.

So it is with the people in town. News travels that the wealthy investor is the most generous, gracious, compassionate man in town. And business starts booming. It’s a clever scheme, no doubt. At this point, the rich man has a choice. He’s lost tons of money, but he’s gained a ton of business and notoriety. He can either condemn the man for his insolence and thievery, or he can praise the man for his cleverness. At this point, the rich man has to hand it to him. He gave kindness and compassion, and in return, he gained long-lasting partnerships and trust with the community. His shrew dealings paid off.

Now, here’s the twist. Pay attention, church! Jesus pops out of story-mode to talk straight with you.

For the children of this age are more shrewd than the children of light in dealing with their own people.

Think about the context for a moment. Jesus has been telling stories all night about money and wealth, it says in chapter 15, within earshot of two groups. There are the “tax collectors and sinners;” these are the everyday people, the “children of this age.” Jesus says, yeah, there’s selfish gain and dishonesty, but people are being treated well. Yes, there are ulterior motives going on, but they still show generosity and grace to the poor and hurting and helpless. Now, nearby, hearing everything, The gospel writer Luke says there is another group, the “Pharisees and scribes.” These are the holiest of holy rollers around. They serve the church, they run the services, they lead the fasting and the praying and the giving, they care for the temple, they write the spiritual books. They are type of people that would likely be revered in the church today. In this day and age, they would be the “good guys.” These are the people Jesus calls “the children of light.”

And Jesus says they have something to learn about how to deal with people. They could learn a thing or two about being generosity and kindness.

They could stand to be more shrewd.

I need you to see what Jesus is hinting at. If even the dishonest manager can use his resources to benefit himself, how much more should the children of light use their resources for Kingdom purposes.

The world’s shrewdness is motivated by self-interest, but the followers of Jesus are called to something greater—sacrificial kindness and generosity that point to God’s abundant love.

Every Sunday, we gather to sing praises to our God, YWHW. We celebrate the Son, YHWH in flesh and blood. Today we have four songs that praise the name of Jesus. We speak of his love, his sacrifice, his humility, his constant grace. We sang a verse today about how Jesus lifts the head of the weary, gives hope to the hopeless, adopts the fatherless.

Is that a promise to the children of light, or to the children of this age? It is a declaration to the entire world that the ultimate source of generosity, grace, compassion, love, hospitality, and hope is none of then Jesus Christ, the son of God. And as his children, we have been reborn into the same Spirit and Image of Christ, made to resemble his character and nature more and more everyday.

We claim to be children of light. Do we live it? Is it seen? Does our kindness and compassion extend beyond the four walls of this building? Is it plain to see? Church, if we truly believe we have been changed, that we are adopted as sons and daughters of the King of Glory, that we are no longer citizens of any kingdom of this world, but are citizens of the kingdom of light, of the great and glorious, gracious and generous King Jesus, do we not have every resource at our disposal to affect the world? Or have we become spiritual misers, inflating our personal assets, serving our egos, digging holes and burying our master’s wealth? (I’m mixing my parables now! That’s a story for another time.)

The point here church, is that our spiritual pomp and circumstance are not the sign of our regal adoptions. It is good to come and worship and sing and bear the name of Jesus. But to truly live it out means laying our spiritual robes and tassels aside at some point and thinking creatively, expansively, dare I say, shrewdly about how we might give so that God’s kingdom may gain. Do we dare to dream, to explore the possibility of the type of subversive sacrifice that opens doors to the children of this age and welcomes them to join us as children of light?

We could stand to be more shrewd.

Cling to Christ (v. 9-11)

Luke 16:9–11 CSB

And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of worldly wealth so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings. Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will trust you with what is genuine?

Church, this is a profound thing that Jesus says here. He says, consider how you might use wealth, prosperity, possessions, anything you have, to make friends who have eternal dwellings. Whatever worldly wealth you have, do not be unrighteous with it, be faithful with it. In other words, use it like Jesus would.

Go back to the parable for a moment. The shrewd manager goes around to the people of the community and starts showing the master’s mercy. He cuts debts in half. He gives financial freedom. He relieves burdens and restores economic favor. That’s great! Who pays for all of this? The master. The wealthy investor. He decides in the end that the loss of his own fortune is worth the gain of favor in the community, future partnerships, trusted friends.

The manager’s generosity ultimately reflects his master’s true sacrifice. Jesus teaches that our resources, though temporary, should point to God’s eternal kindness.

In the world, wealth is often seen as a source of status, security, and comfort. But for Jesus’ followers, it’s meant to be used in service to others—to bring kindness, grace, and compassion into the world. Jesus reframes wealth as a resource we steward, not an end in itself.

Unlike the world’s fleeting riches, the true wealth we cling to is found in Christ. His life, death, and resurrection have given us an inheritance that can’t be measured by material standards. This spiritual abundance frees us from needing to hold tightly to money, and instead allows us to live with an open hand, confident in God’s ongoing provision

What is your view of money? Do you clinging to it for comfort, or do you treat it as a tool for Kingdom purposes?

Because your true abundance is in Christ, you are empowered to live generously, knowing you are eternally secure. You no longer need to cling to money as if it’s our life source because Christ Himself is your source.

Financial institutions will pass away. Political parties will pass away. Partisan policies will pass away. The stock market will pass away. The only thing God that promises will not pass away is the Kingdom of God, and with it, Faith, Hope, and Love.

Our legacy is not the building, but the people who are loved and cultivated and matured and multiplied.

So then, what does it look like to be “shrewd” as a follower of Jesus? It means to forgive debts owed to us—financial, physical, emotional. It means practicing radical hospitality, opening your home, opening your pantry, opening your wallet, in order to philoxenos, love the strangers and outsiders and, yes, even the enemies. It means practicing kindness and mercy when anger and judgment are in vogue. It looks like Jesus’ command in Luke 12:33, to sell what you have give to the poor. It looks like Peter’s command in 1 Peter 4:10, as you receive a gift, use it to serve people, as a good stewards of the diverse grace of God.

John Wesley: Gain all you can; save all you can; give all you can.

The first statement, “Gain all you can,” is shocking until you understand what he had in mind. Wesley had the good sense to realize that we are put here on earth as stewards, and in that role we should strive to get all that we can. But as we gain, as we save, we give.

Use all you can for your health and well-being and for the glory of God. Take possession of property and use it for the glory of God, as well as for your own enjoyment of life. God guides us to take responsibility over the goods of this world. God wants it in the hands of the redeemed.

When we use all we can, all of our monetary decisions (houses, cars, helping those in need, stocks, tithing, clothing, entertainment, etc.) flow out of our discipleship to God in a way that exercises our stewardship under him. This comes from understanding our place in God’s presence and in his kingdom and remembering that the outcomes are safely in his hands.

The Call: Subversive Sacrifice (v. 12-13)

Luke 16:12–13 CSB

And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own? No servant can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Jesus makes it clear—no one can serve two masters. In a world obsessed with wealth, following Jesus means a life of open-handed, sacrificial generosity.

To serve God alone is subversive because it undermines the cultural pull to hoard, accumulate, and compete. Following Jesus’ call to be “children of light” means living with open hands, giving sacrificially even when it doesn’t make sense to the world. Our security, reputation, and success become secondary to our calling to love and serve.

This sacrifice isn’t just about money; it’s about offering time, skills, and compassion, seeking to bless others even when there’s no tangible benefit to ourselves. This is a generosity that points others to God’s Kingdom. It’s a generosity that counts all gain as loss, and all loss as gain.

Once, when Thomas Aquinas was in Rome and in the presence of the pope, before whom a large sum of money was spread out, the pope observed, “You see, the Church can no longer say, Silver and gold I have none.” “True, holy father,” replied Aquinas, “but neither can she now say, Rise and walk.”

Conclusion

DISCOVER: When you look at the world around you, where do you see examples of people showing kindness or generosity for selfish reasons, expecting something in return? How does this contrast with what we know about true generosity in the Kingdom of God?

NURTURE: Why do you think it can be difficult to live with the kind of sacrificial generosity that Jesus calls for in Luke 16:1-13? What fears or desires might hold us back from giving without expecting anything in return?

ACT: How can we, both individually and as a church, start practicing a generosity that looks more like the Kingdom of God—sacrificial and subversive? What specific steps can we take to give freely of our time, resources, and love, even when it doesn't benefit us directly?

Jesus challenges us to use our resources to reflect God’s kindness. Are we serving wealth or using it to reflect the abundance of Christ?

PRAY

Ask God to help the congregation let go of worldly attachments and live generously, pointing others to His kindness and love.