Sermon(Lk 16:1-13): Make friends by means of wealth

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025256079

 

>> 1 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a steward, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ 3 And the steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship 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 people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewardship.’ 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.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ ... 8 The master commended the dishonest steward 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 mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations. .... ” (Lk 16:1-13) <<

 

Jesus said, "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. (Lk 16:13)" This parable was on the Pharisees who loved money. "The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, ... (Lk 16:14)" There are God and money in front of you. You love God more than money, when? If you love something, you put it near you, and like it. If you don't like something or if it is not an important thing to you, you'll neglect it or put it away. If you love God more than money, you use the money for God's sake in order to love God more. But if you love money more than God, either you will make use of God to make money or you are willing to abandon God if he is a hindrance to your business. However a lot of Christians think they can love both God and money, and they actually live in such mindset. But Jesus says they can't do that!

 

The biblical text tells of a servant (a steward) who is about to be fired because he has squandered his master's riches and was discovered guilty. This steward, a very shrewd man, quickly sought for a way to live, thinking he will be destitute after resignation. He fulfilled his plan as quickly as lightning, making use of his position that will be taken away soon. He summoned the debtors and reduced the debt they owed his master. Of course, the shrewd man must have secured also his lot then. This unrighteous steward believed that he will be graciously dealt with by the debtors in return for the exemption of the debt. By this parable Jesus says that people of this world are more shrewd than the sons of light, or the children of God. Of course, Jesus is not siding with the unrighteous servant here. He is saying that the servant was somewhat wise in a secular point of view, for he used goods to win others' heart in order that they might help him when he came into trouble.

 

By the parable Jesus points out that some Christians are living a very foolish life. Many Christians fail to take an opportunity to go to heaven by means of riches, but serve them as gods or accumulate sins through them on themselves. How many people who earned much money prepare to go to hell, engaging in drugs, gambling, prostitution and bribery? Jesus told us to put our wealth in heaven. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Mt 6:19-21)" >>Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. (Mt 19:21)"<< Just as the unrighteous steward could no more do anything with the goods when he lost his position, or his job, so man, once he dies, can no more do something with the wealth, whether it is his or other's. Jesus teaches us that we are wise if we, while living on earth, use our treasures for the kingdom of God so that we can go to heaven after death.

 

Jesus made it clear by the parable of 'camel and needle' that the matter of wealth could be a decisive factor to the Christian life and to the salvation. In the above text also, Jesus teaches that one's wealth is closely related to his salvation. "He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? (Lk 16:10-11)" We all are sinners. We lied, slandered others, and uttered a lot of profanity. Our mouths and tongues are in iniquity. Nevertheless we can be holy, righteous, and have the tremendous, great, holy heaven if we, with the unrighteous mouths, confess our sins and say, "We receive Jesus as our Savior." And also, what we, sinners, earned is not holy. Our riches are not holy, nor do they make us holy. However if we work hard and make much money, and do holy works of God with it, God will grant us treasure truly holy, righteous and valuable. It is the eternal life with God. The money itself does not make us holy and righteous however honestly we may earn it. Nevertheless, if we use our money righteously, or if we use it in loyalty to God, God will recognize us as righteous ones, give holy occupations, and help us bear the fruits of holiness and righteousness. How to use riches is a small matter while how to do God's work is a big matter. My brethren, he who does not pay tithe should not be in the position of elder. He who uses his money, for which he worked honestly and hard, to support his family, to enrich the church, and to help the poor is faithful to the little matter, therefore he will be able to carry out important holy positions well also.

 

The words of Jesus went on. "And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? (Lk 16:12)" If the unrighteous steward wasted away his master's property, he would be driven out empty-handed, let alone his wages. A worker will receive his wages when he has worked hard where he was hired. In the parable of 'talents', a man who received five talents used it faithfully to earn another five talents. This is a man who is faithful to the work of others. But another man who received one talent didn't use it but buried it in the ground. This man is not faithful to others' assets, and even that one talent was taken away. This parable is a warning to those who are lazy to work but busy to play. Our years of life and talents (abilities) are talents God has entrusted to us. Therefore we are faithful to God when we work hard according to our talents. My brethren, don't go around too much to have fun. Don't be too fond of easy life. It is not only your own work but also God's work entrusted to you, for you, a Christian, to be loyal to the company, to the country, and to the family. In a way, it can be God's work to work hard to make money. Those who are faithful to their job in this world will receive great rewards from God in heaven. Of course, the job is the one given by God. Crime-related work cannot be a Christian job.

 

You can guess that there were quite a few rich people at that time seeing that Jesus talked about rich people and about riches. There must be some rich men in the audience when he was preaching the gospel. The Scripture says that Pharisees loved money and scoffed the words of Jesus (Lk 16:14). They were religious leaders, yet loved money. However a money-loving religioner is more ugly than a woman who, married into a prestigious family, commits adultery. An ugly religious leader fills his stomach in the name of God. The Pharisees and the scribes taught Israelites that they might not spend additional money to support their parents if they offered up the money they had prepared for their parents to God (Mk 7:11-12). As a result, the money for the parents was taken to the religious leaders. It is natural that you work hard for money and spend it for your family and for the kingdom of God, nevertheless some people do not work but steal God's. They are too bold. The teacher of those is Judas Iscariot. From time to time, he embezzled the money of Jesus’ community. How rotten his heart was, so that he stole God's! Truly incorrigible are those who usurp money offered up to God. They will be only used as evil tools.

 

My brethren, don't try to make great wealth in dishonest ways. It's an abomination to God for you to offer up such dirty money. Increase your wealth by honest labor, and use it for good purposes before the end of life. Especially, do not use your wealth to enslave others, but with that make friends. Some rich men become ruthless usurers who lend money at high interest to people, making them their slaves. Some rich men pay some money to poor women, making them sex-slaves. You must not do that! Use your money to set others free from bondage. If you have enough money to live well, you may be able to exempt others from debt. You can, with your money, deliver some people who, being poor, are living as slaves of illness. In fact, money is a good means of freeing many from suffering. Is there anything you can't do with money these days? It is money that can release man from almost all bondages except incurable diseases. If you make up your mind to use your money, for which you've worked very hard, for good purpose, you can help many people have hope for the future and can make them your close friends. When you make good use of your clean wealth like that, that wealth can place you in an honorable position in heaven.

 

So we must love God more than money, and man more than money. If God is your master, money becomes your servant. If money is your master, you become the servant of Devil. If you love man more than money, you truly have achieved the faith that leads you to salvation. If you love money more than man, you are a greedy villain indeed. Usually people say the number one university in the world is Harvard University. It was established by the donation of a man called Harvard. Thinking of Harvard, you can know how a good use of one's wealth made his name honorable. Some Christians do not spare the money to support evangelists. Later they also will receive the same rewards as the evangelists will receive. He who helps God's prophets will receive the prophets' reward. Sometimes a man who has earned a lot of money by God's grace wastes it on sinning. He will be punished severely! Just as the title of pastor is precious, so a Christian who has made much money in God has a precious title 'the Rich'. A clergyman will be commended by God if he fulfills his office well, likewise a rich man will be much commended by God if he bears good fruits by using his wealth well in God.

 

May all of you make good use of wealth and become Christians who are greatly commended by God.

 

Chong Tack Kim

                                    - Dongtoma Sunshine Church -