“TRINITY NINE”
Saint Luke 16: 1-9
9th Sunday after Trinity: 6 August Anno Domini 2023
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
Hear now Jesus speak to you, His disciples, through His recorded word—spoken in your ears by His 21st century apostles—this apostle, called and ordained.
“There was a certain rich man.” The only true riches are found in The Lord and in His Righteousness. The “rich man” is God; more specifically is Christ. “Which had a steward.” The steward or the “oikonomous” (literally the house manager) in the parable was the manager of household and field possessions: crops such as olives and wheat. Augsburgers! The steward is your very own pastor and all pastors who are called upon to be stewards. As The Apostle writes to the Corinthians: “let a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God” [1 Cor. 4.1]. And as our Evangelist records 2 chapters earlier, The Lord Jesus speaks: “who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season” [Lk. 14. 42]?
But now, as you have been taught, The Lord’s parables do not, nor do they need to, “line up” on all points with perfect parallelism. I am not tasked with the conservation and distribution of olive oil or silos of grain. Nor have I been “accused…of wast[ing] [Christ’s] goods.” It is true that I am to old and feeble to dig, and yes, too ashamed to beg (maybe).
A few important truths from He Who is THE Truth! Stealing is a damnable sin. Fraud, deceit, and embezzlement our damnable sins. Cheating your superior (boss, master, Lord, employer) out of the full receipt of what is justly owed them—is a damnable sin. Christ is not commending the “steward” of the parable for being a crook—which is sure is, at least according to Scripture standards (Jesus’ own standards). No. Jesus has the “certain rich man” in the story commend his soon-to-be fired manager for being shrewd, i.e., “he had done wisely.” Here the wisdom of the world, of the steward who knew “the jig was up,” is NOT the wisdom of The Kingdom of God. The accused steward simply used what little authority he had left to make some friends who would take care of him—show him some pay-back sustenance for reducing their debts. That unjust steward was indeed “wiser” then (many) “children of light,” i.e., Christians.
“Mammon” is stuff, just things that are normal, corporeal, everyday goods. Yes, mammon can mean money, but also all the things The Reformer lists in his explanation to the 1st Article of The Creed: house, home, food, shoes, fields, etc. Mammon is unrighteous only insofar as everyone has some, uses some, and seeks to have more—Buddhists, Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, Atheists, and Christians. Your bank account, your home, your new car, your vacation cabin and all your toys—the do not save and thus they are not “part and parcel” of righteousness.
Jesus is The Righteous ONE.
The reason the steward in the parable is like unto the pastor in the parish is this: that man trusted so much in his master’s goodness, and ability to forgive, that even if he himself was not going to be forgiven for his embezzlement, he was not going to be punished for this “fire-sale” tactics on behalf of his master’s debtors. That “certain rich man” had his own esteem and reputation increase and multiply throughout the community. His generosity, though he did not plan on this, made him beloved. And yes, he forgave.
It is all about forgiveness. Jesus is all about forgiveness. Jesus is forgiveness: Holy Absolution in the flesh.
You are all sinful debtors. You owe The Lord a debt you cannot pay. You are supposed to fear and love God perfectly. You don’t and your bill is death. You are demanded to love your neighbor as yourself—perfectly. You don’t and your tab is unpayable.
But God The “certain rich man” has sent His son to pay the bill to redeem you from the slave auction and free you from the debtor’s jail. Jesus did so by becoming the ultimate sinner, the ultimate thief and embezzler, and cheat—He Who knew no sin became sin in your place, and suffered in your stead, dying on the Cross to pay the bill. Christ did not slash your bill, He paid it in full with 100% of His Body given and Blood shed—with interest for all the sins that you will continue to do.
And the “certain rich man,” Christ has here a unworthy steward (as all men are) who weekly “call[s] every one of His Lord’s debtors (all parishioners) unto him,” and forgives you all your debt—all trespasses.
You are free from these onerous obligations and crippling impediments. You leap like a hart; you sing with a new song; and you repent, believe, and joyfully do good works.
Your trespasses being forgiven, you forgive all those who have trespassed against you.
And Jesus receives you into His “everlasting habitations.”
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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