THE NAMING OF THE SHREWD
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20C)
September 22, 2013
Lessons
Amos 8:4-7
Psalm 113 (7)
1 Timothy 2:1-7
St. Luke 16:1-13
Jeremiah 8:18–9:1
Psalm 79:1-9 (9)
Prayer of the Day
Pastor David J. Risendal
www.OneLittleWord.org
[email protected]
facebook | Dave Risendal
Twitter: drisendal
Semicontinuous Series
God among us, we gather in the name of your Son to learn love
for one another. Keep our feet from evil paths. Turn our minds
to your wisdom and our hearts to the grace revealed in your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Saint Peter Lutheran Church
9300 East Belleview Avenue
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
voice: 303/770-9300
fax: 303/770-9301
disturbing story
a dishonest manager
be “shrewd” as the world
Sermon
Grace to you and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Amen.
This is an interesting device, isn’t it? I’ve been using this iPad for a couple of years now on Sunday
mornings. I load my sermon, my worship folder, my announcements and a copy of the weekly
newsletter on it for every Sunday morning. I have a study Bible on it that I find very useful, and almost
always have it with me when I am leading a Bible study, or participating in a Pastor’s text study. It’s
also handy if I want to do some research on the internet or catch up on my e-mail while I’m watching
television or sitting on the back porch. I understand there is also something to do with Angry Birds on
an iPad, but I’ve never tried that.
The story of the iPad is a classic Apple / Steve Jobs story isn’t it? Just three-and-a-half years ago,
very few people had ever seen a tablet computer, and almost nobody thought they needed one. But
1
Romans 1:7, 1st Corinthians 1:3, 2nd Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians 1:2, Colossians 1:2, 1st
Thessalonians 1:1, 2nd Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 3; New Revised Version Bible (© 1989, Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America).
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost — Proper 20C (September 22, 2013)!
2
Jobs and Apple Computers knew better, right? They knew that this is was what we really wanted, even
if we didn’t realize it. So on April 3, 2010, with the kind of fanfare that Apple seems committed to
generate, the first iPad was released. By the end of 2012, just two-and-a-half years later, 100 million of
these had been sold — a half-billion units if you include sales of the iPhone and the iPod.
Now I tell you that, not to begin today’s sermon with an advertisement for Apple Computers. I tell
you that because it seems to be an extraordinary example of shrewd marketing. Here you have a
device that nobody had asked for, was arguably over-priced, and under other circumstances might have
sat on the shelf for months, but it was built shrewdly enough and marketed shrewdly enough that
millions and millions of people were willing to spend more for it than they would have had to spend for
similar tablets created by other companies.
Shrewd. It’s an interesting word. It feels a bit sinister, doesn’t it? “He’s an awfully shrewd
character.” That kind of statement starts edging pretty close to an insult. But Merriam Webster defines
shrewd as someone who, “has or shows an ability to understand things and to make good judgments;”
someone who is, “mentally sharp or clever.” 2 (I looked that up with my iPad…) Whatever you think of
Apple Computers, or Steve Jobs, you have to admit that they have understood the markets; they have
made some good judgments; there is a sharpness and a cleverness about what they’ve done. They
have, indeed, been shrewd.
In this morning’s Gospel lesson Jesus describes a shrewd manager. He is not shrewd at first, of
course. He is careless enough about his responsibilities that others draw some conclusions about him
and decide to bring charges to the rich man who employs him. A shrewd thief might not have been
caught — but that’s not what this story is about. It is about how he responds once he is in trouble.
With his back against the wall, he understands how dire his situation is. He makes some good
judgments about the influence he has. He comes up with a plan that is both sharp and clever. He
manipulates the rich man’s books, and creates a situation where a number of influential members of
the community are indebted to him. In fact, he is so shrewd in laying this all out, that the rich man
who employs him has to admire what he has done.
There is something offensive about this parable. It is troubling that Jesus lifts up this dishonest
crook as an example for us. But Jesus isn’t commending his dishonesty. He is commending the fact that
this man was very shrewd in accomplishing what he set out to do. And not only does Jesus commend
him, but he calls us to be just as shrewd. He calls us to understand our situation just as clearly as this
dishonest manager does. He calls us to make judgments that are just as good as this dishonest
manager makes. He calls us to be just as sharp and as clever as this dishonest manager is is.
If he was speaking today, Jesus might even challenge us to be just as shrewd as a successful
computer company in a tough market.
What does it mean to be faithful and shrewd? It means to understand our situation.
We are living in a complicated time to be the church. Social norms that once caused people to be
active members of Christian congregations in the past are eroding. Young people are exposed to many
other schools of thought these days — even many other religious perspectives — and the days of
waiting around for them to come back to their spiritual home are over. Many in the world have come to
view Christians as hypocritical and judgmental (even though that is contrary to Biblical faith and,
frankly, to Lutheran practice) so we are living under a scrutiny that many of our predecessors could
never have imagined. It is so important these days that we be aware of how our words and actions
communicate to others what it means to be a Christian, or a Lutheran, or a member of Saint Peter
Lutheran Church.
Faithful and shrewd Christians are aware of these dynamics, and always stretching themselves to
better understand the world around us.
2
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrewd
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost — Proper 20C (September 22, 2013)!
3
What does it mean to be faithful and shrewd? It means to make good judgments.
We Lutherans know better than most that we are less than perfect. On our own, we are vulnerable
to brokenness and self-centeredness. On our own, our judgement is not always what it could be; not
always what we might want it to be. That’s why we almost always begin our times together here in
confession and forgiveness: acknowledging our shortcomings, remembering those times when our
judgment has been flawed, and then asking God for forgiveness and the opportunity for a new
beginning. Yet in community, with one another, we can help one another to stay more faithful to Christ,
and who he calls us to be.
I have experienced that here at Saint Peter in so many helpful ways. For instance, as a preacher, I
look forward every week to our Wednesday lunchtime Bible study. (If you are free on Wednesdays, you
should join us some time. It’s a great gathering!) Each week I gather with a group that is willing to ask
hard questions, to struggle with these texts, and to help me make good judgments as I prepare to
share God’s word with you. This continues as a number of you respond to sermons and devotional
messages that I’ve posted online. There is even a group of young people who meet regularly for lunch
after worship, and I am encouraging them to spend some time reflecting on my sermons each week,
and to share their responses with me, so that I am more aware of how my preaching hits them.
Faithful and shrewd Christians realize that if we are to make good judgments, we will need each
other.
What does it mean to be faithful and shrewd? It means to be sharp and clever.
Here’s the fun part, right? In calling us to be shrewd, Jesus invites us to use our insight and our
imagination and our creativity, as we seek to connect the world to him. I think of the congregation in
St. Louis that turned their worship center into a coffee house. I think of the congregation in Florida that
riffed on the Chic-fil-A commercials with full size billboards around town. I think of our own
denomination, choosing to tell the world that to be an ELCA Lutheran means, more than anything else,
to roll up our sleeves and to work for the common good of our communities.
Or here at Saint Peter, I think of knitters who make blankets and caps of comfort. I think of cooks
who make meals of encouragement. I think of Stephen ministers who have sacred conversations. I
think of musicians who work hard to offer their very best in praise. I think of adult mentors who take
our young people seriously, and encourage them faithfully.
These kinds of efforts are not easy. They take a lot of investigation, a lot of imagination, a lot of
work and a lot of dedication to pull off. But the cost is worth it because through them, God works
through us to touch hearts and lives.
Faithful and shrewd Christians are sharp, and clever, in the ways they use their gifts for ministry.
So I encourage each of you to be shrewd as you evaluate the gifts God has given to you, and
decide how best to put them to work for God’s purposes. Do what you can to understand the culture
that surrounds us. Use your best judgment to decide how to jump in and make a difference. Be as
shrewd in sharing Christ with the world as you are in any other area of your life. And who knows where
that might lead us? Who knows what the next well considered, sharp, clever ministry might that helps
to move our mission forward in the name of Christ?
(First Service: “You know, our Adult Forum today will be a chance to reflect further on these
themes. I hope you’ll come and join me as we explore what it means to be rooted deeply, and always
making things new.”)
Children of light: this is our calling. Let us pursue it as shrewdly as we possibly can.
Amen.
David J. Risendal, Pastor
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost — Proper 20C (September 22, 2013)!
Gospel Lesson; English Text
4
3
16.1
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. 2 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.’ 3 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. 4 I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people
may welcome me into their homes.’ 5 So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the
first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to
him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ 7 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.’ 8 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. 9 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.
10
“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. 11 If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who
will entrust to you the true riches? 12And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is your own? 13 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.”
[14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him. 15 So he said
to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts;
for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God.] 4
Gospel Lesson; Greek Text:
16:1
Ἔλεγεν δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς µαθητάς· ἄνθρωπος τις ἦν πλούσιος ὃς εἶχεν οἰκονόµον, καὶ οὗτος
διεβλήθη αὐτῷ ὡς διασκορπίζων τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ. 2καὶ φωνήσας αὐτὸν εἶπεν αὐτῷ· τί τοῦτο
ἀκούω περὶ σοῦ; ἀπόδος τὸν λόγον τῆς οἰκονοµίας σου, οὐ γὰρ δύνῃ ἔτι οἰκονοµεῖν. 3εἶπεν δὲ ἐν
ἑαυτῷ ὁ οἰκονόµος· τί ποιήσω, ὅτι ὁ κύριος µου ἀφαιρεῖται τὴν οἰκονοµίαν ἀπ̓ ἐµοῦ; σκάπτειν οὐκ
ἰσχύω, ἐπαιτεῖν αἰσχύνοµαι. 4ἔγνων τί ποιήσω, ἵνα ὅταν µετασταθῶ ἐκ τῆς οἰκονοµίας δέξωνται µε
εἰς τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν. 5καὶ προσκαλεσάµενος ἕνα ἕκαστον τῶν χρεοφειλετῶν τοῦ κυρίου ἑαυτοῦ
ἔλεγεν τῷ πρώτῳ· πόσον ὀφείλεις τῷ κυρίῳ µου; 6ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ἑκατὸν βάτους ἐλαίου. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν
αὐτῷ· δέξαι σου τὰ γράµµατα καὶ καθίσας ταχέως γράψον πεντήκοντα. 7ἔπειτα ἑτέρῳ εἶπεν· σὺ δὲ
πόσον ὀφείλεις; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ἑκατὸν κόρους σίτου. λέγει αὐτῷ· δέξαι σου τὰ γράµµατα καὶ γράψον
ὀγδοήκοντα. 8καὶ ἐπῄνεσεν ὁ κύριος τὸν οἰκονόµον τῆς ἀδικίας ὅτι φρονίµως ἐποίησεν· ὅτι οἱ υἱοὶ
τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου φρονιµώτεροι ὑπὲρ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ φωτὸς εἰς τὴν γενεὰν τὴν ἑαυτῶν εἰσιν. 9Καὶ
ἐγὼ ὑµῖν λέγω, ἑαυτοῖς ποιήσατε φίλους ἐκ τοῦ µαµωνᾶ τῆς ἀδικίας, ἵνα ὅταν ἐκλίπῃ δέξωνται ὑµᾶς
εἰς τὰς αἰωνίους σκηνάς. 10Ὁ πιστὸς ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ καὶ ἐν πολλῷ πιστός ἐστιν, καὶ ὁ ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ
ἄδικος καὶ ἐν πολλῷ ἄδικος ἐστιν. 11εἰ οὖν ἐν τῷ ἀδίκῳ µαµωνᾷ πιστοὶ οὐκ ἐγένεσθε, τὸ ἀληθινὸν
τίς ὑµῖν πιστεύσει; 12καὶ εἰ ἐν τῷ ἀλλοτρίῳ πιστοὶ οὐκ ἐγένεσθε, τὸ ὑµέτερον τίς ὑµῖν δώσει;
13
Οὐδεὶς οἰκέτης δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν· ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα µισήσει καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει, ἢ
ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει. οὐ δύνασθε θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ µαµωνᾷ.
3
A list of Bible lessons for the coming weeks is available at http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Worship/Lectionary.aspx.
4
St. Luke 16:1-13, New Revised Standard Version Bible (© 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of
the Churches of Christ in the United States of America).
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost — Proper 20C (September 22, 2013)!
5
[14Ἤκουον δὲ ταῦτα πάντα οἱ Φαρισαῖοι φιλάργυροι ὑπάρχοντες καὶ ἐξεµυκτήριζον αὐτόν. 15καὶ
εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ὑµεῖς ἐστε οἱ δικαιοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὁ δὲ θεὸς γινώσκει τὰς
καρδίας ὑµῶν· ὅτι τὸ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὑψηλὸν βδέλυγµα ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ.] 5
First Lesson; English Text:
8.4
Hear this, you that trample on the needy,
and bring to ruin the poor of the land,
5
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,
6
buying the poor for silver
and the needy for a pair of sandals,
and selling the sweepings of the wheat.”
7
The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
Surely I will never forget any of their deeds. 6
Second Lesson; English Text:
1.2
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made
for everyone, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, 4 who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For
there is one God;
there is also one mediator between God and humankind,
Christ Jesus, himself human,
6
who gave himself a ransom for all
—this was attested at the right time. 7 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. 7
Second Lesson; Greek Text:
2:1
Παρακαλῶ οὖν πρῶτον πάντων ποιεῖσθαι δεήσεις προσευχὰς ἐντεύξεις εὐχαριστίας ὑπὲρ
πάντων ἀνθρώπων, 2ὑπὲρ βασιλέων καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐν ὑπεροχῇ ὄντων, ἵνα ἤρεµον καὶ ἡσύχιον
βίον διάγωµεν ἐν πάσῃ εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ σεµνότητι. 3τοῦτο καλὸν καὶ ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ σωτῆρος
ἡµῶν θεοῦ, 4ὃς πάντας ἀνθρώπους θέλει σωθῆναι καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν. 5εἷς γὰρ θεός,
εἷς καὶ µεσίτης θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἄνθρωπος Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς, 6ὁ δοὺς ἑαυτὸν ἀντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ
πάντων, τὸ µαρτύριον καιροῖς ἰδίοις. 7εἰς ὃ ἐτέθην ἐγὼ κῆρυξ καὶ ἀπόστολος, ἀλήθειαν λέγω οὐ
ψεύδοµαι, διδάσκαλος ἐθνῶν ἐν πίστει καὶ ἀληθείᾳ. 8
5
St. Luke 16:1-13, The Greek New Testament, Aland, Kurt, Black, Matthew, Martini, Carlo M., Metzger, Bruce M., and
Wikgren, Allen, (© 1983, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft Stuttgart).
6
Amos 8:4-7, New Revised Standard Version Bible (© 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the United States of America).
7
1 Timothy 2:1-7, New Revised Standard Version Bible (© 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of
the Churches of Christ in the United States of America).
8
1 Timothy 2:1-7, The Greek New Testament, Aland, Kurt, Black, Matthew, Martini, Carlo M., Metzger, Bruce M., and
Wikgren, Allen, (© 1983, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft Stuttgart).