Good Morning Friends,
Today we look at the story of the unjust steward which is often called the story of the shrewd steward. The scripture compares the children of light and the children of the world. We also look at some encouraging last words of Paul about having a missionary heart, the great commission from Matthew and a passage from Amos about social justice. And the scripture selections got me to thinking about how we prepare financially and spiritually to use the gifts we have been given to glorify God. But then thinking about the story of the Good Samaritan, which has been on my mind, I had to face up to the fact that I am often too busy to help others and instead focus on my own comfort levels and in the process often not risk enough to even share the Gospel. The message here is a bit messy but so are the relationships of this world. The Bible is filled with the life stories of people and their wealth. Regardless it is clear that there is a proper and improper use of wealth beyond tithing. For God’s sake it all belongs to God anyway and we cannot take it with us. So, How Many Of Us Are Investing In A Legacy Assignment From God?
Scripture: Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, “When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and selling the sweepings of the wheat.” The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.
Amos 8:4-7 (NRSV)
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 (NRSV)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all—this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument;
1 Timothy 2:1-8 (NRSV)
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Luke 16:1-13 (NRSV)
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Luke 10:29 (NRSV)
Message: Every person must someday give account of the life they have lived. Death is the judgement of life and when we do die, all the money in the world will be of no value to us at all. Therefore, as stewards now we should use wealth and talent and influence for our Lord’s good and not solely for our own pleasure and comfort. Really, complete comfort is a bit boring. That is why God wants us to risk using the gifts we have been given and moreover, God wants us to use them wisely for the Kingdom purpose of making disciples of the next generation as well as people around the world. And that means risking in ways that are not comfortable. We are to embrace the mess and realize that people can be a burden but also a great joy. So, if we are honest, we will admit that even though we are struggling with this generational transition of the faith, if we invest some money wisely it might just make a difference. So, do not withhold the Good News when it is in your power to share it. Do not be selfish. Be helpful. Be honest. Be truthful. Be humble. Be a good neighbor to the next generation. Invest in relationships.
And So, the Lord is not commending a crook in today’s passage. We are given a good lesson though a bad example. The contrast is given so we might better understand how to be transformed in our mind for that day of ultimate judgement and not conformed to the ways of the world. You see, as Christian stewards we are to be prepared for that day of accountability by taking seriously our responsibilities including that we are stewards of many things but especially the Gospel. We are to discover true riches in a life in Christ shared in relationship with other believers and focused on the Kingdom. Whether the managed resource is time, talent, or money, the steward should try to avoid waste, maximize return, and, above all, assure that the investment is pleasing to God. Our lives and talents should be shared to build up others and glorify God. Money should be spent ethically, carefully, and wisely. Our desire to carry out these requirements faithfully comes from having an intense awareness of our personal accountability to God in how we invest our time, money, and talents. The Legacy we each leave needs to live on in love shared.
Pray we realize that we are stewards of all that we receive. Pray therefor that we commit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Pray we devote ourselves to a pursuit of the Great Commission both near and far. Pray we have an active dialogue with those who need to hear the Gospel. Pray we be advocates. Pray we not be apathetic toward helping those in need. Pray we not be so busy that we fail to have time for Jesus. Pray we serve the common good within the will of God. Pray we use our money for a righteous purpose. Pray we invest in relationships that make a difference for the Kingdom.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 