Christ the King Epiphany Church, Wilbraham

The Rev Michael Hamilton, Deacon

September 21, 2025

Luke 16: 1-13

Please pray that the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts are pleasing, and acceptable, to God. Amen (pbs)

I understand Pastor Martha is very disappointed that she does not have this parable to preach on this morning, because what could be easier than the dishonest steward?

This parable is frequently a head-scratcher because it seems as if Jesus is encouraging people to foster dishonest practices to get ahead. When read alone like this morning’s Gospel, it is hard to figure out a different story until you stand back and realize that this parable is wedged between two others and it’s fuller meaning and lesson was not really meant to stand alone.

If we can take a larger view, we would see that Jesus is having a teaching moment with his disciples, and there are Pharisees in the audience as well. Knowing that the religious elite are amongst the group, we now realize that there are larger teaching points to be made. Teaching points that will probably up-end the current social structure and also call the established religious leaders to reconsider their practices.

The trifecta of parables include;

First, The Prodigal Son, which we are well aware of.

Second, The Dishonest Steward, which we just heard.

Third, the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus- just for clarity and possibly a refresher, this parable, tells the story of a wealthy man who ignored the suffering beggar Lazarus and later ended up in torment after death. It highlights the dangers of greed, indifference to suffering, and ultimately teaches that one's earthly life determines their eternal fate, with no chance for reversal after death. At one point, the rich man asks if Lazarus can deliver a message of warning to his brothers to amend their ways and avoid this eternal torment, and the response is, ‘that if people don't listen to the teachings of Moses and the prophets, they won't be persuaded even by someone rising from the dead.’

Now that we have the sandwich of parables, the prodigal son, the dishonest steward, and the rich man and Lazarus, we have a different backdrop to talk about. All three parables are dealing with how we relate to money and possessions. The prodigal son takes what is given to him (interestingly, at that time, legally the younger son would not inherit half of the father’s wealth because the entire estate would have gone to the eldest son alone). So, the father gives the younger son the riches and this son squanders his wealth and eventually returns, dejected and contrite, and the father welcomes the profligate with open arms. In contrast, the older son clinging tightly to what he has, is unable to join in the celebration.

The dishonest steward has been mismanaging the master’s wealth and before being dismissed, devises a way to cheat the master of what is owed thereby being able to ingratiate himself to the debtors who agree to assist him in cooking the books. The master sees this and finds it admirable that the steward was able to use ill-gotten gains in order to build relationships. Albeit temporal relationships of the here and now, and not necessarily ones that will assist him in the eternal.

Finally, the rich man learns that the use and hoarding of riches in life without being generous or having the willingness to be aware of other peoples’ difficulties in life, cannot be altered once we die. As they say, you never see a U-Haul following a hearse, because you can’t take it with you.

If we consider ourselves as the son, the steward, and the rich man, we have to think about what our relationship to wealth and prosperity is and I imagine we are all surprised that in our lives, we have been, or still are, all three characters. I can recall times in my life that I have squandered a blessing or two and I know that more than once, I have come before God and asked for forgiveness and assistance in doing better the next time, and each time that I have turned, there God is with open, loving, and compassionate arms rejoicing that I have returned. Each time, I have been forgiven, loved, and celebrated. I also know there have been times when I have refused to acknowledge or celebrate someone else’s change in heart and possibly held a grudge that wasn’t even mine to have. These situations might sound familiar to you too.

Have I ever benefited from less than 100% honorable, or legal, or even moral situations? I don’t believe I live my life waiting for ill-gotten gains, but I would be a fool to think that I haven’t participated in some way. In our Confession of Sin, I often feel a pang of guilt when I confess; “Most merciful God, I confess that I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone”. Done and left undone, I know that I have overlooked things at time and allowed something to slide here and there which contributes to mismanagement of blessings, wealth, or favor. There is another version of confession that prays, “We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf”. In all matters, we are responsible to act honorably and to not be the beneficiary of someone else’s shady behavior with the excuse of, “I didn’t do it”, or. “it wasn’t me….” Which we then hope exonerates us from any responsibility.

· "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.”

Life is difficult sometimes. I worked hard, went to school and became a professional. I have a new car, I eat at least 3 meals a day, I own a home, have clothes for the different seasons and proper footwear, and I frequently have some money left over for a movie and an ice cream. You know, ‘a basic and typical life’. I worked hard and earned it. But have I? “Yes and No”. In our society I have had advantages, I had the ability to go to school, I was lucky enough to select a job/ profession that paid well and was valued in this society at this time, I looked like the right type/ favorable type of person to apply for loans. I do not have to work two jobs in a week-to-week paycheck situation that is one payment away from financial ruin. People living on the edge work hard too. Many of them are performing jobs that I would not want to do, they endure labor that is physically taxing, perform jobs that are precarious, or endanger their health. Many of these people are toiling in grueling or underappreciated jobs, or worse yet, in settings tha t take advantage of a person’s legal status to pay them slave-like wages without the benefit of those 3 meals a day or reliable transportation… working hard is not the magic differential in life especially when some labor, some gender, some race, or some level of education makes an individual ‘more valued’ over others in society.

I readily acknowledge that I have those benefits, and my lifestyle is supported on the backs of others because of those advantages. I believe my responsibility is in acknowledging those privileges and “blessings” which require me to act. I know that I am responsible for responding to the Lazarus’ that I meet along the way. I cannot ignore, walk past, or believe that I have some greater intrinsic value, or that I am more deserving of ‘the good life’ than anyone picking vegetables, caring for nursing home patients, cleaning my house or living on the street.

Where we share our blessings, where we spend our money, how we respond to people in need is all tied to our understanding that the blessings and benefits that we have in life are ultimately given to us by God along with our daily bread. We are the stewards of the gifts that we receive and how we dole those blessings out speaks to whether our treasure is built here on earth with the idea that the one that dies with the most toys wins or whether our gifts and talents, on loan to us from God, are shared in building relationships that reflect our desire to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, mind, and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves.

As always God allows us to make our decisions, and we have choices. We are the prodigal children. We are the stewards. We are the blessed rich people who have options. Do we live for the chock-full U-Haul that will remain here, or do we build a relationship with the Lazarus’s that we meet so we have someone to sit next to in eternity. Where do you want your treasure, blessings, and relationships to be stored? Amen.