Ninth Sunday after Trinity (2026)

Luke 16:10-13

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we have in our Gospel lesson, an encouragement for us that we would make good and right use of the possessions that God has entrusted to us in this life, and to guard our hearts from the love of money for we cannot serve two masters. We will spend some time talking about this issue for it is good and proper, for Christ had much to say about money, and it’s proper use.

What is Mammon?

It is translated as wealth.

But half the time it is translated as money. Mammon includes what pertains to worldly wealth that our hearts seek. So Mammon expands to include all the desires and treasures in this life that we chase after, but often to get those things we require money. Now when it comes to this matter, we have to admit, that

This is a taboo topic.

We know not to talk about religion and politics, but money. Do you ask your friend what they make and what their debts look like? How they spend their money? Suddenly we will start talking about Religion and Politics to get out of that situation. We even get nervous talking about our own debts and what our money situation looks like. It makes us all uncomfortable, however,

We’re disciples of Christ.

Jesus gave the command to his disciples that they were to make disciples teaching them to observe all that He commanded them. The Spirit had them write these teachings down that we might know them, and learn them, and that they might be passed on to us. So we who are the disciples of Christ, that is Christians,

Can we ignore Jesus?

Do we get to say “I don’t like this part of His teaching” or “I don’t want to talk about it.” “Churches shouldn’t discuss it, let’s focus on other more important things". Jesus warns us that this issue is one that we have to be on guard about because it is a matter of which master we are serving, and he does so multiply times warning that it can faith, and lead us into death. How can we ignore that as His disciples? So which God do we cling to, and so we must be able to identify this golden and call it what it is, Mammon.

A Golden Idol

It’s an idol that tempts all.

Who amongst us has not looked to our finances to determine how good or bad life is. Instead of looking to our creator, who fashioned us together and gave us all our days. We prioritize and our moods and our feelings and perspective change based upon what is in that account, and what we have. Quite often our problem is tied to the fact that we

We’re certain that the problem is our lack.

If we just had more wealth, more money than everything would be ok, and so we double down convinced that will fix all of our problems, and yet we fall victim to the same trap over and over again, for quite often this sin is linked to something a bit more sinister, and what is driving it is another sin.

This is tied to coveting.

Why don’t we have enough with what God has given us? When we chase after worldly wealth, it doesn’t ask us to consider what we need, but what we want, and what our neighbor has, and we want that for ourselves. We are convinced that if we just work a bit harder and do these things then we wil be satisfied. I’ve been working through this issue in preparing for Ecclesiastes, and do know what it says there in Eccl 4:4-6  

Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. 5 The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. 6 Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

I am really looking forward to going through this Bible Study in the Fall, we will be starting in September. I would encourage ya to come. Because if we listen to Scripture we find the answers we have been searching for.

Learning from Scripture

There was a wealthy king, solomon.

He brought in 666 talents of gold in a single year. Now what is a talent? It is a unit of measurement. 75 lbs. You can do the math, it was insane. He had everything his heart desired, and he didn’t hold himself back from any of it, but you know what he found?

He found that mammon doesn’t satisfy.

It didn’t solve any of the problems, it didn’t cure his issues, it didn’t make him happier, in fact he realized it was all vanity, for what happened to the king happened to the peasant, both end up in the ground and have to stand before the holy and righteous God. The reason that mammon fails is because

We’re not masters, we’re managers.

That’s what the parable emphasizes the man who did all of these things wasn’t the owner, he was the steward, the house manager who tended to his master’s accounts. He had been unfaithful, and in so doing lost his position, because he was treating it as though it was his own and not for his master.

That is why coveting is deadly and mammon such a plague, instead of appreciating the good that God has given us, we envision what life would be like if only he had given us more, how can God be so stingy to make me poor, and this other person rich? Well have you been faithful with what He has given you?

Faithfulness in our Service

What does it mean to be faithful?

For if we are managers and not owners, that means its not my life, my money, my job, etc. These are all things that belong to God and have been given to you. Be they house or apartment, husband or wife, parents or children, your neighbor, etc. When God said you shall not Covet, and He does it twice, that emphasizes that what God has given to you is proper, and that you aren’t to desire what God’s other servants have.

God trusted us with treasures.

All of us have been given a great and wonderful gifts by God, they differ but let us not treat what He gave us lightly like unworthy stewards. For if the God of all creation gave this to you, He has entrusted you to use it with a purpose. This is same for all of us. Now these treasures

How often are they misused?

Where do we spend our time? How much is spent staring a screen? There is time for recreation, we are not automatons, but does our recreation interfere with our other responsibilities, our duties, that we have to our neighbors? What about our work and our labor, do we faithful do our jobs? What about our finances do we use them wisely and responsibly as God intended, do we give first fruits out of thanks to Him, or do we say we can’t afford it while wasting money on frivolities or buying more than we need? That’s a very real struggle because we are consumer driven, and to be a good consumer means you buy lots, especially on sale, that way you save money on that which you didn’t need.

I’m not saying that I am any better at this, the Law is to condemn us all, and bring us to that point of repentance. To look at our lives and realize that mammon has got its hooks in us, but contrition, that is feeling sorry won’t save us or set right the fact that we misused what belonged to our master, God himself. That’s why we fix our eyes on

The Faithful Servant

Look at Jesus, who gave up much.

You might say, well he had everything going for Him it was easy street. Don’t you understand the life of Jesus? He wasn’t even born in a barn, it was just a stable, and his first bed, was a feeding trough. When the time came to give an offering, Mary and Joseph brought the offering for the poor. Yes the wisemen brought gold, riches to him, which was then spent as they fled to egypt as men sought to take his life. Who is that men upon the Cross? It is the Son of God whom Angels adore, and He went from the glory of heaven to be born in lowly means. Why?

He loved the Father and you.

He submitted to the Will of His father even though it was to crush him, that the perfect righteousness that He had brought from heaven by his divinity, that He kept perfect fulfilling all of the commandments that we could not keep, He kept it because there upon Calvary the good and faithful servant would finish the task that you and I could not. What happens there is that Jesus

He set aside His glory and took our shame.

Being sorry for our sins means nothing if the debt that we owed to our master was not paid in full. Since we could not pay the debt, Christ used everything He had to save you. That’s why he was born in such lowly estate, that’s why He is condemned though he was innocent, He did not covet the wealth of the world, but fulfilled the Law that he might save you and me.

Now my brothers and sisters in Christ, our sins have been forgiven, our failure as stewards has been credited to Christ, but let not this golden idol, this mammon continue to dominate your hearts, for you cannot serve two masters, and while gold is pretty, it will fade away to nothing. Do not exchanges the heavenly treasures that Christ won for you upon Calvary, for that which moth and rust destroy, and you cannot take with you into death. For Jesus has won for you something far better, that is forgiveness, and peace with God the Father. In jesus name Amen.