Ninth Sunday after Trinity (2025)

Luke 16:1-13 (Stewardship)

Now my Brothers and sisters in Christ we find in this passage a strange parable which seems to praise dishonesty in business and confuses us when we know from the 10 Commandments that we are not to steal. What does that mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possession or get them in any dishonesty way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income. Here is this manager who is about to be cast out, and robs his master and the Master praises him, isn’t stealing against the commandments? What is going on???

Understanding the Parable

The manager is wasting what belongs to his master.

As a manager of his master’s possessions, he was entrusted with their care. Now the greek here refers to him as a manager and steward of the house, and who would set all the rules and guidelines for how things were to be spent and divided and look after the affairs of his master. However, he has been a horrible manager and so the plan is to get rid of him.

When threatened, he becomes clever.

He figures out how to make sure that things will work out alright with him even though he is going to lose everything he has, and he is not strong enough, and has too much pride to beg, and so he concocts this plan by which he will let each person think they got the best deal, and will have good will and favor for this man who helped them out. Now of course the master finds out about this, and then

The Master praises his shrewdness.

Not his theft, or the wasting of his possessions, but this man acted shrewdly and for that he receives praise. That is the key thing to help us understand the teaching found in this parable. Shrewdness is praised, but what does it mean to be shrewd and

Why is that Praiseworthy?

Another meaning for this word is prudent.

It means to be Wise, discerning, act with reason and intelligence, there is much that is meant by shrewdness, but we typically associate with a negative in english of a person who is sneaky or underhanded, or perhaps a bit miserly. But that he acts shrewdly and with wisdom demonstrates that this

This is a reversal of the man’s actions.

Before this he had not thought of using it wisely, but threw the money away and wasted it not caring one wit about how it was being distributed. Would you or I want a person like that in charge of our home? Our finances or any part of our lives that had no regard for how the day was spent, and what needed to be done with the time or possessions that we had? No. You would remove them from that position and entrust it to another who would treat it with decency and understand its importance. But then, the master does something else surprising,

Then he praises the sons of the world.

For they act shrewdly when dealing with others. He is not praising them for being sons of this world instead of the kingdom of God, but once again praises their wisdom, cleverness, and discernment as they act with one another lest they be made into fools.

What is this about?

God is the rich man, and all people are managers.

For God doesn’t just provide for those who worship and abide by His Word. God sends rain on the Just and the Unjust for their aid, and provides daily bread even for evil people. This is why we say He is good and gracious, for that is not who we would deal with or treat our enemies. It is entrusted to each of us a certain measure of possessions that are to use not for our sake, but rather for the sake of God’s kingdom.

We often fall into coveting riches.

We say its not fair, that they have more than I do? Weren’t all men created equal, and given the same rights? Why is it that my neighbor is given more than me? We all come from Adam who was created in God’s image and given dominion over the earth, and charged with responsibility of taking care of it.

Or we reason, they already have enough, what would they do with that much money, why can’t they spread it and share it with others. We then begin to mutter and reason, that they only reason they had it is because they stole it from someone else, and thats how they got rich, if they hadn’t cheated, stolen, lied, then they wouldn’t have so much money, and its not far from that to reason, that if they have stolen property, then is it wrong for me to steal it from them? Some band together and reason that all property should be in the hand of the government, but these are all examples of sin.

God divided and protected property.

If you have a problem with what your neighbor possesses, then you have an issue with God himself, who entrusted that to your neighbor. If you think that it this inequality between rich and poor, the proud and the lowly, and between governments and their subjects is a state of injustice, you are speaking against God himself who gave those things to each group to make use of for his purposes. For have you been faithful with what God has given, do you not see the poor who look at your possessions and wonder why you don’t help them out more?

Our Daily Bread

What isn’t daily bread?

When we learn the Small Catechism, and we are to reflect and meditate upon what is meant by and included in daily bread, the list is huge, we learn that it has everything to do with the needs and support of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, workers, and it goes on, and it wrap it up by saying and the like, for our daily bread is not just food, it what God in his grace, his love, and his providence has provided. This is a radical shift in our thinking because if God is the source, and the one who determined what you will have in this life, then

We can’t boast of anything we have.

For it has all been given to us by God, and some will say well I worked hard for this, using what God? The intelligence, the strength, the abilities that God gave you? The outcome is in God’s hands, be it success or failure, for look at history how often have those with more failed to remind them that the victory does not come from our abilities, but from God above.

This is why we give thanks.

And return thanks to Him who has given us all of these things, things that we have neither earned nor deserved, but have been entrusted to us as a gift, and we are to make right use of them. For quite often we end up wasting them instead of using them shrewdly. We live in a great country, and in an age that is incredibly blessed, and we forget that the same complaints that might leveled against those who are considered rich in our country could be leveled even against our poor, who have welfare programs, and many blessings that other countries and peoples live without.

In Service to Whom?

Christ has won for you true riches.

Jesus has given to you the gift of forgiveness, life, and salvation, and He paid the price for you. He secured it for you there upon the Cross, and has made sure that you may not doubt, but know that salvation is yours as you are born of water, and the spirit, and receive the body and blood of Christ for your salvation. This is how you know that

You belong to the kingdom of god.

Not on the basis of your works, but rather that God has claimed you and made you a citizen of Heaven. That you might enjoy these great treasures, and go about your life, with joy, not fearing death and hell, and actually going about the work that God had created you to do, for you are God’s workmanship created with a purpose. The tricky thing is that He does give you the freedom to leave, but

We must not go back to our old master.

Who would have us take everything that God has given us and use it not for his glory, and not use it for our neighbor with thankful hearts, but would rather have us continue to waste and abuse the good things that God has given you. For just as you can abuse money, time, family, and the like, you can also abuse grace. We were not set free from sin, that we might continue in it. God will let you choose hell, and many do when they choose the world and walk away from the forgiveness of sins and salvation.

How Do We Manage?

Consider the commandments.

We can learn from here what God has entrusted to our care and how we are to watch over it. That we might not waste teh good things that God has provided and be reminded that they are given to us that we might learn to serve our neighbor, children, learn to honor and respect their parents and other authorities. We also learn that we are to watch over the bodies of our neighbors. We should not seek to harm them because they have wronged us, and we should also defend them against those who would do them harm. Spouses are to love and cherish one another, and the gift God has given in their union ought to be held in high regard and we keep the marriage bed undefiled. Just as God gave you, your possessions do not scheme or cheat your neighbor out of what they have. You have also been entrusted with guarding the good name of your neighbor. You might be angry, they might have mistreated you, but you are not tell lies about them, slander them or hurt their reputation, but defend speak well of them and explain everything in the kindest way. So

Have you been wasteful?

Have you wasted not just the physical possessions that God has given you on selfish purposes or just through thoughtlessness? Rather let us be shrewd, not just for our own benefit but for the benefit of others. Furthermore have wasted these opportunities to show others the grace, mercy, kindness and, forgiveness that Christ has shown to you?

How can you serve your neighbor?

Quite often we are good at pointing out how others can use their money, their gifts, and their abilities to help others, but we do not have control over our neighbors. It is easier to spend time doing that, then asking how can I use my money, my gifts, and my abilities to help those nearest me. We will talk a bit more about this next week as it is a another good passage from 1 Corinthians 12. Which reminds us as Christians especially in the church that we aren’t alone, and we shouldn’t expect one person to do every thing, but each has an important role and purpose, and make use of all these gifts to the Glory of God.

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we have been richly blessed by our Father in heaven who has showered down upon us numerous blessings, do we have everything our heart desires? No. But let us learn to be faithful in what has been entrusted to us, for regardless of how the world values these things, they are each treasures from the God of all Creation and should not be treated lightly as He gives to us poor miserable sinners our daily bread. Rather let us learn to give thanks for what He has provided and make use of them as our master desires, not solely for our benefit, but for the help of our neighbor that they might not go to waste. The first step to doing that is to consider what God has given you. So I would encourage you this week reflect on those gifts, for if we don’t recognize them, it is hard to make right use of them. We will discuss this a bit more next week. In Jesus name. Amen.