September 21, 2025 — Pentecost 15

The Wound of Misplaced Trust

Wounds That Heal – Part 6 Text: Luke 16:1–13 Supporting Texts: Ecclesiastes 5:10–20; 1 Timothy 6:6–10, 17–19

Introduction

We are continuing today in our series Wounds That Heal. Week by week we have been hearing Jesus’ words that sting before they comfort, that cut before they bind up. His truth wounds us in order to heal us.

We’ve heard of the wound of division, when loyalty to Christ costs us peace with the world, including our families.

We’ve heard of the wound of exclusion, when some who thought they belonged will find themselves outside.

We’ve heard of the wound of being found, when Christ seeks us in our lostness.

And today, we come to the wound of misplaced trust — when our loyalty is divided, when we try to serve two masters.

Jesus could not be clearer: 

“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”

This is the diagnosis. Jesus uncovers the wound: He reveals that our trust is divided. But then He does what only He can do — He heals us, giving us Himself as the only Master worth serving.

The Shrewd Manager

Jesus tells the story of a manager who squandered his master’s possessions. Word got back, and he was called to give an account. Facing dismissal, the manager acted quickly. He reduced his master’s debtors’ bills so that when he was out of a job, they would receive him into their homes.

Surprisingly, when the master heard about it, he commended the dishonest manager — not for cheating, but because he acted shrewdly and decisively to secure his future.

And Jesus concluded: 

“The people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. No servant can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”

Now, Jesus is not commending dishonesty. What He is highlighting is the steward’s foresight. He saw that a day of reckoning was coming, and he acted with urgency.

And here is the sting: 

“The people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” 

In other words, unbelievers often show more urgency for temporary things of life than believers do for eternal things.

Jesus is saying: Learn something here. If a dishonest manager can act decisively for worldly security, how much more should we, who know the truth of eternity, act decisively for what truly matters?

In other words, what is your #1 priority in this life?

And then comes the line that burns into our souls: 

“You cannot serve two masters.”

Divided Loyalties

This is where the wound is laid open. Because if we are honest, every one of us has tried to do exactly what Jesus says cannot be done. We attempt to serve God on Sunday and mammon on Monday. We cling to the promises of Christ with one hand and to the promises of wealth, reputation, or ideology with the other.

Mammon isn’t just money. It’s anything we treat as ultimate — anything that claims our fear, love, and trust above all else.

For some it is financial security: the retirement account, the dream house, the lifestyle carefully guarded as though it were eternal.

For others it is politics: the belief that if only the right leader or party were in charge, the world would finally be made right.

Still others live for the approval of people, chasing likes, applause, and affirmation, even at the expense of truth.

And so much more…

Here’s the danger: when these things become our masters, they demand our loyalty. They shape our priorities, color our conversations, even bend to the point of twisting our understanding of Scripture. They whisper promises of control, safety, and identity — but they are lying masters. They cannot deliver what they promise.

This is exactly what the First Commandment warns against: “You shall have no other gods.” It is the first for a reason. It is like the first button on a shirt — if you get it wrong, everything else will be crooked.

But what does it mean to “have a god”? We may picture idols as statues of wood or stone, but Luther said it plainly: “Whatever you fear, love, or trust above all things — that is your god.” That definition pierces every heart.

Fear: What do you dread losing most? Your health? Your job? Your financial security? Your reputation? If you fear something more than God, that is your god.

Love: What captures your deepest devotion? What gets your best time, money, and energy? Even good things — family, career, leisure — can become rivals when they push God aside.

Trust: Where do you turn first in trouble? Savings accounts, insurance, politics, your own ingenuity — or God in prayer? Where you put your trust, there lies your god.

Friends we all need to hear this, especially our Confirmands: The is truth, our hearts are idol factories. They are relentlessly efficient at manufacturing false gods. And here is the tragedy: every idol fails. Wealth disappears, reputations collapse, families disappoint, politics shift like sand. Idols are, as Scripture calls them, “nothings.” And yet we chase them as if they could give life.

So when our material possessions, our families, our friends, or our activities — gifts that God intends as blessings — become too important to us, they take His place in our hearts. They become our idols. We love them more than we love God. We trust them more than we trust God. We fear losing them more than we fear Him.

And so we must repent. Because the real issue is priorities. Where does God fit into our lives? Is He truly first, or only when we have nothing better to do?

Our Lord’s diagnosis is clear: divided loyalties destroy us. Trying to serve two masters leaves us restless, anxious, and empty.

Christ Heals Our Divided Loyalties

The good news is that what we could never do, Christ has already done. Where our hearts are fractured and our loyalties divided, His heart was undivided. Jesus kept the First Commandment perfectly — fearing, loving, and trusting His Father above all things. He did not bow to wealth when Satan tempted Him with the kingdoms of the world. He did not live for human approval when crowds cheered or jeered. He did not cling to life itself when the cross was laid upon Him. Instead, with undivided devotion He entrusted Himself completely to His Father, even unto death.

And He did it for you, for us. At the cross, Jesus bore the punishment of our idolatry — every false love, every misplaced trust, every fear that pushed God aside. He died as the sacrifice for idolaters like us. But in rising from the dead, He shattered the false promises of mammon, showing that wealth, reputation, politics, even death itself, cannot master those who belong to Him.

This is what your Baptism means. You are no longer slaves to false masters. You belong to Christ. His death counts for your sin, His perfect loyalty is credited to your account, and His Spirit now reshapes your heart. The idols that once demanded your fear, love, and trust no longer define you. Christ does. St. Paul reminds us in

Romans 6:11 NASB 2020

So you too, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

And that changes how we live. Money becomes not a god to serve but a tool to use in generosity. Politics is no longer our savior but an arena where we bear witness to Christ. Human approval is no longer our highest good, because in Christ we are already approved by God. Even the ordinary places of life — our families, our homes, our friendships, our recreational activities — are reoriented. They are no longer have first place in our lives, because we see them as potential distractions pulling us from God. At the same time we know they can be opportunities to glorify Him and to bear witness for Christ and His kingdom.

The way we raise our children, care for our spouses, or engage with neighbors at a ball game or community event — all of these become living testimonies that Jesus is our true Master.

This is how Christ heals our divided loyalties. By His cross He removes the guilt of our idolatry. By His resurrection He gives us eternal treasure. By His Spirit He reshapes our hearts. And now, freed by grace, we live with reordered priorities and undivided loyalty. There is only one Master worth following — the One who gave His life and rose again for us.

Living with Undivided Hearts

So what does this look like in daily life?

If money has become your master, repent. Remember that Christ is your true security.

If politics has consumed your heart, repent. Remember that Christ’s kingdom is the only one that endures.

If sports or the approval of people drives your decisions, repent. Remember that Christ’s verdict — “Well done, good and faithful servant” — is the only one that matters.

To serve Christ is not to withdraw from family or from civic life. Quite the opposite. It is to engage them in proper order — not as ends in themselves, but as fruits of faith, ways to love your neighbor because Christ first loved you.

This is why Paul says in 1 Timothy 6: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God… Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves… so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

That is the life Christ gives. That is the treasure that never fails.

Conclusion: The Wound that Heals

So once again, Jesus wounds to heal. He cuts through our illusions and exposes our divided hearts. He names the wound: “You cannot serve two masters.” And then He applies the healing balm: “You are Mine. I bought you with My blood. I gave you My name in Baptism. I am your Master, your Treasure, your Life.”

This is why this series matters. Each week we see wounds we would rather ignore — but in Christ, these wounds lead to healing. The wound of misplaced trust drives us back to the only One who is trustworthy. The false masters fail, but Christ remains.

So let our words, our lives, and even our deaths point to Him. For He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He alone is worthy. He alone saves.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Prayers of the Church

The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost – “The Wound of Misplaced Trust”

P: Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.

For the Church Heavenly Father, strengthen Your Church throughout the world. Give courage to pastors, teachers, and all servants of Your Word, that they may proclaim Christ faithfully and lead Your people in lives of repentance and faith. Guard our congregation and grant that we may serve with undivided hearts. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

For the Sick and Those in Need Gracious Lord, look with compassion upon those who are in need of healing and hope. Grant comfort to the suffering, strength to the weak, and wisdom to all medical workers. Remember especially those among us who are receiving treatment, recovering from surgery, or burdened with illness. According to Your good and gracious will, grant them restoration and peace. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

For Our Nation Almighty God, You order the nations and establish rulers. Bless our land, the United States of America, with leaders who seek justice, pursue peace, and protect all life include the unborn. Grant that we, as citizens, may live quiet and peaceful lives in godliness and dignity. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

For the Persecuted Church Lord Jesus, remember all who are persecuted for bearing Your name. Strengthen them in faith, uphold them in their witness, and remind them of the crown of life that cannot be taken away. Stir in us the courage to confess You boldly in our own sphere of influence. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

For Creation and Daily Bread Creator God, You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. Send rain in due season, provide fruitful harvests, and supply us with daily bread. Teach us contentment with Your gifts and move us to use them wisely. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

For Families and Homes Merciful Father, bless the homes of Your people. Grant husbands and wives faithfulness, parents patience and wisdom, and children respect and obedience. May our families be places where Christ is confessed, and may our daily activities—even our work and recreation—become opportunities to bear witness to Your kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

As We Approach the Lord’s Table Holy Spirit, prepare our hearts as we come to receive our Lord’s body and blood. Heal our divided loyalties, fix our trust firmly in Christ alone, and strengthen us in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

For the Faithful Departed Gracious Lord, we give You thanks for those who have gone before us in the faith and now rest from their labors_______________. Keep us steadfast in Christ until that day when we are reunited with them and see You face to face in the joy of the resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

For Undivided Trust in Christ Lord Jesus Christ, You have taught us that no one can serve two masters. Heal our divided hearts and draw us away from misplaced trust in wealth, power, or human approval. By Your Spirit, fix our eyes on You as the only Master who gives life and treasure that endures forever. Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.

Closing Collect Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. C: Amen.