Proper 20C (Pentecost 15 2025)

Text:   “13 No servant can serve two masters, for 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 God and money.” (Luke 16:13)

Last week, we heard Jesus speak of a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine for the one, and of a woman who searches for a lost coin. And everyone nodded—because we thought we knew what those parables were about.

Lost. Found. Rejoicing.

But we had to admit that our grasp of those parables had grown a little thin. The grace was still there—but we were not sure we wanted it extended to everyone. The joy was still there—but we were tempted to withhold it from certain people.

And here was the warning:

If you begrudge God’s grace to others, it is a sign you have not received it yourself.

If you do not rejoice over the sinner who repents, then perhaps you do not yet know what it is to be carried home.

This week, the parable is different.

We do not assume that we understand it.

A dishonest manager? Commended?

A master who praises fraud?

A lesson that starts with scandal and ends with an altar call?

What are we supposed to make of that?

And yet, this parable flows directly from the last. Jesus has not changed the subject. He is still speaking about the mercy of God—but now He presses it further. Now He calls you to live by it.

The lost sheep does not stay lost.

The coin does not remain on the floor.

And the unfaithful steward must learn to act as if the mercy of his master is real.

I. The Sin Jesus Exposes: Not Confusion, but Divided Loyalty

This parable is not about rewarding dishonesty.

It is not about tricking God.

And it is certainly not financial advice.

It is about what happens when judgment is coming—

and your only hope is to bet everything on the mercy of the Master.

That is what the dishonest steward does.

He wastes what was entrusted to him.

He is caught. Judgment is coming.

And in that moment, he does not ask for more time or try to justify himself.

He acts.

And he acts shrewdly—not to protect himself, but to bind himself to the mercy of the one who has power over his future.

“The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.” (Luke 16:8)

Not because he was dishonest, but because he understood what time it was.

And he acted accordingly.

That is the point.

Not to justify his dishonesty—but to highlight his urgency and his trust.

He knew what time it was.

And he banked everything on grace.

And so Jesus asks:

Will you be shrewd like that?

Will you live as though the mercy of God is real?

Will you serve God—or mammon?

You cannot serve both.

You cannot wear two hats, carry two hearts, pledge two allegiances.

You cannot belong to both mercy and mammon.

One will always give way.

The problem is not confusion.

The problem is loyalty.

And when our hearts are claimed by comfort, by status, by indulgence, or by envy—

we are not just disorganized.

We are serving another master.

II. The Warning to the Pharisees—and to Us

The Pharisees heard this parable—and they scoffed.

Luke tells us why: “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed Him.” (Luke 16:14)

They scoffed—not because they misunderstood Jesus, but because they understood Him all too well.

To them, wealth was a sign of God’s favor. If you were rich, it meant God approved of your life. If you were poor, it meant you had fallen short.

Mercy was fine—but only when it was deserved. Generosity was good—but only when it was respectable. And stewardship meant caution, control, and careful calculation.

So when Jesus praises a man who squanders his master’s wealth and then rewrites debts to show mercy, they are offended.

And when He follows it by saying, “Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth,” they are outraged.

Why?

Because it violates their system. If the mercy of God is real—if it is freely given—then their wealth is not a badge of holiness. It is a test.

Their status is not a reward. It may be a stumbling block.

The Pharisees, too, should have realized that judgment was coming. Their wealth, itself, was not a sign that they had been faithful stewards. In fact, it would testify against them on the Last Day—because it revealed whom they truly served.

It was not God they served. It was mammon. “You are those who justify yourselves before men,” Jesus says, “but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15)

They should have realized what He meant. They should have looked at their own treasures—their status, their standing, their property—and trembled. Because it was not God they served. It was mammon.

They, like all men, exalted Wealth. Property. Worldly success. Reputation. But if those things are not joined to charity, love, and faith, they are an abomination in the sight of God. A hollow idol. A glittering counterfeit. A damning lie.

They thought their wealth proved they were right with God. But it only proved who their master really was.

They served mammon, not God. And so do we.

Not always with our words. But with our hearts. With our assumptions. With our way of life.

We scoff when we measure our worth by what we have—or by what we do not have.

We scoff when we envy what others have, or hoard what we have been given.

We scoff when we treat generosity as optional and spending on ourselves as essential.

We scoff when we ignore the judgment that is coming—and cling to mammon instead of mercy.

And if you do not repent, you too will hear on the Last Day: “Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.” (James 5:3)

“Their god is their belly… they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” (Philippians 3:19)

You cannot serve two masters. Not God and mammon. Not mercy and self-preservation. Not judgment and justification.

The time is short.

This is not a moment for excuses or extensions. It is a time to act—decisively. To entrust yourself to the mercy of the Master. To believe that grace is real—and to live accordingly.

“The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.” Not because he was dishonest, but because he understood what time it was. And he acted accordingly.

So must you.

III. Christ the Faithful Steward

You and I have not been faithful stewards. We have wasted what God has given. We have trusted in mammon instead of mercy. And for that, we are worthy only of judgment.

But where we have failed, Christ has been faithful.

He is the true Steward—the one who manages all things for the good of the Father’s household. He does not waste or withhold. He does not hoard or misuse. He gives.“Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)

Jesus emptied Himself. He made Himself nothing. He gave all that He had—His obedience, His body, His blood.

“He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:5) He entrusted Himself to the mercy of the Father. And the Father vindicated Him. “After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3) “He had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest.” (Hebrews 2:17)

And now He entrusts His riches to you. He forgives your waste. He covers your greed. He breaks the power of mammon. And He teaches you to live by grace.

He gives you His Spirit. He gives you His name. He calls you to walk in newness of life—not to earn His favor, but because you already have it.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” (Ephesians 2:10)

You are not your own. You were bought with a price. And now you are stewards of mercy.

IV. A New Relationship to Money—and to Grace

You are no longer a slave to mammon.

Your worth is not measured by what you have—or by what you lack.

“One’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

“Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation.” (James 1:9–10)

You are not worthless because you have little. You are not worthy because you have much. You are redeemed—because Jesus paid the full price.

“You were ransomed… not with silver or gold… but with the precious blood of Christ.” (1 Peter 1:18–19)

And now you are entrusted with “true riches.” “If then you have not been faithful in unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?” (Luke 16:11)

So your hands are free. You are a steward, not an owner. Everything you have is given—for the good of others.

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” (Psalm 24:1) “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another.” (1 Peter 4:10)

Almsgiving is not a transaction. It is a confession. “If mammon is your god, you cannot be generous” (Tertullian, paraphrased). It is faith in action.

“Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old…” (Luke 12:33)

This is the mark of a true steward. Not careful hoarding, but courageous generosity. Not a love for money, but a love for mercy.

The early church Fathers said that riches are a test—and an opportunity. Use them to store up treasure in heaven. Give to the poor to proclaim the mercy of your Master.

 “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2–3)

V. Conclusion: Be Shrewd—in Mercy

The steward in Jesus’ parable was shrewd. He saw the crisis. He acted decisively. He used what he had—not to save himself, but to cast himself on the mercy of his master.

That is what Jesus calls you to do. “Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9)

Be shrewd—not in deceit, but in faith. Use worldly goods for eternal purposes. Be faithful in little—because you have been given much.

I don’t know about you, but the readings recently have made me think about how we are preparing to celebrate 150 years of God’s faithfulness to this congregation. A few weeks ago, you heard Jesus’ words: “When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you” (Luke 14:13–14). Today, Jesus exhorts us to make friends for ourselves using unrighteous mammon so that we might receive the greater wealth. How can we shape our celebration not only by gratitude—but by mercy. Who are we inviting to the feast? Whom are we welcoming in Christ’s name?

This is what it means to be shrewd in the kingdom. Not a gimmick. Not a program. Not a strategy. But a stewarding of the mercy that we ourselves have received.

“Fear not, little flock,” Jesus says, “for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

So serve Him.

Not mammon.

Not self.

Not fear.

But Christ.

And be found faithful—because He is.