Sermon 9-21-25

Pastor Ray Lorthioir

Trinity Lutheran Church

W. Hempstead, NY

Utilizing the Gospel lesson for the 15th Sunday after Pentecost. Luke 16:1-15.

The Skillful Manager

The technical definition of a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Another way to put it would be a story common to earthly life that is analogous to things in the unseen realm — things that will directly impact our eternal lives beyond death and beyond the resurrection of the dead.

When Jesus taught the large crowds that followed Him, He constantly explained things to them in parables. This puzzled His disciples. So, they asked Jesus about it. He told them in Luke 8:10, “. . . ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that “seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.”’”

What were the crowds seeing and hearing? Their Creator God in their midst, incarnate of the Virgin Mary in human flesh. Through Jesus’ miracles and teaching, Yahweh was hiding Himself in plain sight. You would think that the miracles and the teaching would have been enough to convince everyone. But that was absolutely not so. Jesus’ enemies eventually had Him crucified for His miracles and teaching. They refused to recognize Him.

And to this day, Yahweh, Creator of the universe, remains hidden in Jesus. No one can see and hear who Jesus is unless Lord Holy Spirit graciously reveals Jesus’ divinity to that person. Only by Lord Holy Spirit can anyone know who they are seeing and who they are hearing when they read the Gospels. For otherwise, Yahweh remains hidden to sinners.

You can think of it this way. By using parables, Jesus explained how the Kingdom of God works in secret code talk. He broke the code for His disciples so they could understand more plainly. For the rest, the code remained a mystery.

When Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote their biographies of Jesus, they did not include Jesus’ explanations of His parables — just His explanation of a few of them. Therefore, it’s left to the readers of all time to discern what each parable means. And Jesus’ code is not that easy to break. Only those educated by Lord Holy Spirit can do it. Hopefully, that is all of you.

Now, those of you who have sat with me in bible studies know that I’m competent in breaking Jesus’ parable code. But I have to confess to you this morning that there is one parable that completely baffles me. And it’s the parable we just read about the business manager being removed from his position.

However, I was comforted when research revealed that scholars far superior to me also have had trouble interpreting this parable. Thus, it has been interpreted in different ways over the centuries — with most of the interpretations having to do with money.

I needed help with this parable. Therefore, I turned to a study bible I received as a gift forty years ago. It was then a new study bible published by Greek scholar, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, in 1984. Therefore, using Dr. Zodhiates’ study notes, I’m going to attempt an explanation of this parable.

The parable begins in Luke 16:1-2, “1 . . . ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’” 

Dr. Zodhiates says that a correct translation should read that false charges were brought against the manager — false charges. Therefore, the manager was not necessarily wasting the possessions of the rich man. But an accusation that he was doing so had been leveled against the manager by unknown individuals.

As Dr. Zodhiates points out, the rich man doesn’t really give the manager an opportunity to defend himself. He asks, “what’s this I hear,” but then promptly goes on to give the manager notice of termination. Thus, it’s really the rich man who is being unjust by not giving the manager an opportunity to defend himself.

We then read in Luke 16: 3-4, “3 ‘And the manager said to himself, “What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.”’” 

Dr. Zodhiates points out that the Greek verb translated “when I am removed,” is commonly used to refer to leaving this life — in other words, dying. So, this verb gives a double meaning to the parable story. It’s clear that whatever actions the manager takes while he is still manager will influence his life once he is fired. But, it’s also clear from the verb that this is not just about actions taken on earth. This parable is about actions taken here that will influence life beyond the grave. So, what actions?

We read in Luke 16:5-7, “5 ‘So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, “How much do you owe my master?” 6 He said, “A hundred measures of oil.” He said to him, “Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.” 7 Then he said to another, “And how much do you owe?” He said, “A hundred measures of wheat.” He said to him, “Take your bill, and write eighty.”’”

Certainly, it looks here like the manager is cheating his employer. However, commentators on the parable say that the manager is giving account of his management by bringing in all the outstanding bad loans that have been under his supervision. This becomes clear in the next verse. Luke 16:8, “‘The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.’” Commended!

Would the master have commended the manager for stealing from him? Certainly not. Therefore, Dr. Zodhiates points out that the word translated “dishonest” should not refer to the manager. In the Greek it can read “the manager of what is unrighteous.” Dr. Zodhiates points out that the Greek word translated here as “dishonest” or “unrighteous” is often used to refer to money itself for obvious reasons. You know, money is unrighteous. So, a proper understanding is not that the manager was a dishonest manager but that he is the manager of what is unrighteous — namely money. 

Therefore, if this manager of money was managing to get partial payment of bad loans for his master — pennies on the dollar — his master was still getting part of the bad loan back. That’s why the master commended the manager. 

Dr. Zodhiates also points out that the word translated “shrewdness” actually means “he who knows how to regulate his affairs with his fellow humans.” So, this manager had real skills. On the one hand, he was able to get partial payment for his master on bad loans. At the same time he ingratiated himself with those who couldn’t pay the full amount. The manager did this by forgiving part of the loan. It was for the skill the manager had in getting people to pay up that the master commended the manager. And obviously those who were able to pay off their debt this way were also happy.

OK. Based on this analysis, I’m going to take a stab at the heavenly meaning of the parable. The rich man is not Yahweh. Rather he represents the entire religious setup of Second Temple Era Judaism — the rabbis, the synagogues, the priests, the pharisees, the temple and the sacrificial system. The rich man is the entire Jewish system of the time — the Jewish “establishment.”

The manager is a disciple of Jesus — especially someone with position in the Jewish establishment, for instance, a rabbi. Like the manager falsely accused in the parable, the disciple of Jesus will be falsely accused by the Jewish establishment of betraying Judaism and will have no opportunity to defend himself. Unjustly he will be put out of the synagogue and put out of the mainstream of Jewish life. It will be unjust because he’s only been preaching the suffering and victorious Messiah Jesus actually prophesied in Moses and the Prophets. Being put out will be especially tough on a rabbi who comes to faith in Jesus. For a rabbi’s life is devoted to study and teaching. He’s not strong enough to dig and doesn’t want to beg.

But wait. All is not lost for this rabbi or any other Christian preacher. The Gospel he has preached is a Gospel of reconciliation between God and man. It’s a reunion of God and man through the forgiveness of the debt owed to God — accomplished through the forgiveness of sins. The Gospel he has preached is the Gospel of Messiah Jesus — the one sent by Yahweh to atone for all sin through His sacrificial death on the cross and to make it possible for sinners to be born again into righteousness so as to dwell forever in righteousness with their righteous Creator.

All those who have believed the Gospel through this preacher, or any true preacher, will gladly welcome that preacher into the eternal places mentioned in the parable. For that preacher is the one whose work got them into the blessed eternal places.

Ok. Then. By preaching forgiveness in the Name of Jesus, the preacher wins a congregation who will support him. The Jewish establishment even grudgingly commends the outcome of the preacher’s work. 

So, let’s go on to the end of the parable. Jesus continued in Luke 16:8-9, “8 ‘The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.’”

What to make of this? First, I think Jesus wanted his disciples to take note of the abilities that the people of the world have in regulating their affairs with other people. For, His disciples are the sons of light. Therefore, I think Jesus was urging His disciples to consider it their duty to become better skilled at proclaiming the Gospel, as well as properly regulating their affairs in this world.

But then, we have the problem of verse 9. For Jesus purposely mixes the earthly story of the parable with its heavenly meaning. In the earthly story, the shrewd manager ingratiated himself with the people who had bad debts by reducing their debt. He made friends for himself by means of money.

Well, if that’s so, then the preacher of the Gospel is not to worry. For in a way similar to the shrewd manager, a preacher of the Gospel will make many grateful friends, not by money, but by preaching the way of eternal righteous life to them, namely Jesus. And Jesus is far more valuable than all the diamonds, gold and silver of this earth.

Therefore, a true preacher will be welcomed and taken care of here by those who believe. And he will be especially welcomed in the eternal dwellings by all those who believed the Gospel that he brought to them.

The disciples Jesus sent out into the world needed to know this. That’s why Jesus told them the parable. And it’s not just preachers. Anyone who rightly proclaims the Gospel to another so that the other person believes will be welcomed by the person who has believed. The true believer will recognize the value of the gift they have been given by the courage of the one who told them about reconciliation with God through Jesus. 

Now, Jesus connected several corollary teachings to the parable. These corollary teachings apply to all in a general sense. However, several of them apply directly to those called to ministry. First is Luke 16:10, “‘One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.’” This is a general rule for everyone. Being scrupulous about little things means that you will be scrupulous in everything, even very large things. Being unscrupulous about little things means that when the opportunity presents itself, you will be unscrupulous in big things.

Now this applies to those ordained into Word and Sacrament in multiple ways. We’re to be faithful in many things: people, teaching, doctrine, money, sexuality, authority, attitudes, good works, preaching and a lot more. There’s a newsletter I receive in email that among other things chronicles the failings of big time ministries. Almost always its money, sex or a combination of the two that takes down a ministry. Sometimes it’s exercising cult-like authority over people. But usually it’s money and sex. A minister needs to be faithful to His Lord in every area of life and ministry.

Then we go on to Luke 16:11-12, “11 ‘If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?” Again there’s a general application here. Unrighteous wealth refers to everything in this perishing world. On the other hand, true riches are the imperishable things we will have in the resurrection. So, if we don’t properly manage the unrighteous stuff of this world using our Lord’s righteousness, will He find us trustworthy with the holy, perfect stuff we’re to manage in the age to come? 

Also, consider this fact.  We actually don’t own anything in this life. Die and it all belongs to someone else. So, even if the law says we own something, we’re really only renting it from the Lord. It’s all His stuff. We’re here to take care of Yahweh’s stuff, and this includes the earth itself.

Now, Jesus makes it sound like in the age to come we will have “that which is our own.” I’m going to assume here that because eternal life is forever, whatever we can have in eternal life is ours forever. It will never be temporary. We will never have to turn it over to someone else. However, even in eternity everything we have will still belong to our Creator. It’s His creation. But, it’s not to worry. In the resurrection we’ll be as perfect as our Creator. Therefore, there will be no concern on His part that we might misuse what is His. 

Finally, there’s Luke 16:13, “‘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.’”

In the time of Elijah, the prophet of Yahweh, many in Israel were worshiping the false god, Baal. Therefore, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a public contest. The god who answered prayer by sending down fire from heaven would be recognized as the true God. Therefore, all Israel was gathered for the contest on Mount Carmel. Before Elijah prayed, we read this in 1Kings 18:21, “. . . Elijah came near to all the people and said, ‘How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD [Yahweh] is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’ And the people did not answer him a word.”

In His two masters statement Jesus issued the same challenge. If Yahweh is God, follow Him with all your heart. If money is your god, then follow it with all your heart. Don’t limp between two different opinions. Don’t refuse to answer the question.

Indeed, money can be a god. By definition anyone or anything that is a god is worthy of passionate worship, passionate love and committed service. And it’s very easy for us sinners to be passionately committed to money as if it were a god. But there’s absolute proof that money is no god. Die and it’s no longer yours. 

On the other hand, die and Yahweh is there. Our Creator is there. He is our God. He is all goodness and perfect righteousness. He is Love. He is life and existence itself. For this reason, He alone is worthy of our passionate worship, passionate love and committed service. But we’ve got this sin problem. We easily limp between two opinions — two gods.

Now, as we’ve seen, this parable is about those called to ministry in Jesus Christ. Therefore, Jesus’ admonition to choose between Jesus and money falls most heavily on those who are called to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments. Too often recently I’ve been seeing ministries fail because the minister or ministers fell into the trap of worshipping and serving money.

However, the same choice is before everyone. Jesus proved His worthiness to be passionately worshipped, passionately loved and passionately served. He did this by giving Himself up to atone for your sin — and mine. Therefore, come Lord Holy Spirit. Rescue us from things too strong for us. Rescue us from money, ourselves and all other false gods that there might be. Get rid of our limp. Let us serve only one Lord, one Messiah, one God. Amen.

All Bible quotes are from the ESV.