C, Post-Pentecost 16, Proper 21 - Luke 16:19-31 & 1 Timothy 6:12 "Remember and Repent"

We have all done things in our lives that, the moment we’ve done them, we regret. In a second everything changes. Over and over in our minds we remember with such clarity, bit by bit, blow by blow, what occurred—but now it’s too late. It matters not how much we replay in our head how the events unfolded; we can’t take them back, nor the consequences, which after the fact cause so much torment in our remembrance. If only I hadn’t done this, then that wouldn’t have happened! The remembrance of deeds done wrong, whether deliberately or accidentally, makes the pain all the more hellish.

Jesus tells a parable about a nameless rich man and a remembered poor man, Lazarus—named and remembered by God, the angels, and Abraham. This parable reveals heaven and hades, before and after death; before and after the moment death stops us doing anything. In that second, we give up the fight and everything we once had control over.

Today we hear Saint Paul’s words to young pastor Timothy at the church in Ephesus. This is a church that is being tempted to return to Judaism and the synagogue, to the rigours of the law and circumcision, to put off the Holy Spirit and forget the work and reproach of Jesus Christ—to return and remember human works once again. But it’s also a church aroused by pagan Ephesian society, tempted to rethink the faith in Jesus Christ, to believe it is missing out on something, so it flees to the ways of the Greek goddess Artemis (or the Roman goddess Diana) and the temple priests who encourage female worship and idolatry.

To Timothy, Paul says: “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12 ESV)

One can fight for the faith, or fight against the faith. Similarly, one can flee to the faith, or flee from the faith. This is the plight of all human beings, as God watches to see if we remember and allow ourselves to be daily returned to the way of Jesus Christ and the cross—before that moment or second in time when our body can no longer take a breath and we take our last.

Picture your life as it is today. Now imagine your country, your town, your home being invaded by an aggressor. Everything you have, in the blink of an eye, becomes someone else’s property.

You no longer have control over yourself. You are taken by force and, having lost your identity, you are given a new one. It’s impersonal: a number is tattooed on you for identification. Your identity has no name, no gender—just a number in a vast expanse of other numbers. You’re used for whatever purpose your controller sees fit.

Your life today is gone in the blink of an eye; in an instant it is different. Freedom is gone. No longer rich or poor, you are someone else’s possession.

This very thing has happened throughout history as nations invade nations. It doesn’t even need to be annexation by another country. It has happened within countries where culture convulses and a revolution in ideals changes everything in a second. Last century the Bolsheviks overran Russia, and Fascists overran Germany. People lost everything—their property, their identity, and their freedom. Jews in Germany and Christians in Russia were considered second-class citizens, or worse, lower human lifeforms. Picture this against yourself, your time, and your possessions today. Would you survive?

The rich have a lot to lose. If the thought of loss like this frightens you, then perhaps you might consider yourself to be like the rich man in Jesus’ parable. He was tormented, having lost his riches in hades or hell. He was caused to remember what he had, what he lost, and this caused him to be tortured with torment. In that moment he went from wealth to wanting, from succulence to suffering, from delight to desperate desire—making it all the things hell and hades are: remembering in eternal separation. The eternal, “if only I had done that, then this would not be the reality!”

This is the picture of the rich man in the parable who eternally remembers and cannot repent, nor cross the chasm to comfort.

Opposite the rich man in the parable is Lazarus. Lazarus is known by the rich man, because he names him as he cries out from hell. But the rich man didn’t sustain Lazarus in his sumptuous and succulent lifestyle, even though he knew Lazarus was just outside his gate. Lazarus now stands with Abraham.

Abraham is the rich man of the Old Testament. Yet his wealth was more than his many possessions and people.  Rather, Abraham’s true wealth was his faithfulness towards God.  So, Lazarus stands in richness with Abraham who once was rich towards God but is now in God’s eternal richness. Abraham sought the kingdom of God and received it and more while he was alive.

Abraham calls the rich man to remember everything changes once death is in place. What carried the rich man while alive does not carry him anymore. His aggressive nature bound in human sin and self-centredness was not put aside to trust, give thanks, and supply those in need. Now he has an eternity, to remember the earthly opportunity he had to repent, to remember with regret that he chose not to repent, and to eternally remember his separation from God and God’s word of salvation and peace.

So how do I not become like the rich man with all the gifts God has given me? How do I become like Abraham, who trusted more the richness of God than the possessions he had? How can I be eternally comforted like Lazarus?

Notice the reality of Lazarus! Lazarus lay at the rich man’s gate. He could do nothing for himself. He desired what fell from the rich man’s table but lay outside without access. He was covered in sores, and they were licked by dogs.  He was doubly unclean. This poor Jew had no way of working his way into the richness of the rich man.

But not only notice Lazarus—notice you have need like Lazarus too. Despite the many riches you have, using them for security in this life or the next makes you doubly unclean. Like the rich man in the parable, trusting your earthly riches and not remembering from whom they came makes you poor.

Remembering and repenting now is better than remembering with regret in hades that “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” And “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:3,6 ESV)

Today we all have many possessions, choices of identity, and ways to spend our time. All of them tempt us to build our own kingdoms, full of unclean idols leading to eternal death. How does one prepare themselves so there is no regret once death comes and our earthly choices are translated into an eternal and holy reality?

We return to what Paul instructed the Ephesians to do before Timothy was sent to be their pastor. He says: “Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:11–13 ESV)

Like Lazarus, who lay at the gate unable to do anything, Paul calls the church to stand in the active victory of Christ, in God’s armour. He continues: “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:14–18 ESV)

God gives you the privilege to remember, reflect in his richness, repent, and stand in his armour before death comes and all is eternally set. Instead of failing in your poverty for eternal sustenance, allow the Holy Spirit to dress you with armour, allowing Christ’s victory to do its work. We stand in the good fight already fought and won at the cross.

With the active sword of the Spirit—the word of God—let the Holy Spirit help you see, like Lazarus, your helplessness, so you remember Jesus Christ now; so now you remember his victory for you; so in these days before death you allow the Holy Spirit to put you in good standing with God for peace through repentance.

There are no eternal regrets remembering and repenting this side of death. Amen.

Lord God, Heavenly Father, together with your Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, you are the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. Therefore, to you, Lord God, let us give honour and eternal dominion. Amen. 

C, Post-Pentecost 15, Proper 20 - Luke 16:1-13 "Management Mastery"

Luke 16:1–2 (ESV) Jesus also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 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.’”

We hear about mismanagement every day. We experience mismanagement in every facet of life. We see mismanagement occurring everywhere around us.

Fraudsters seem to have their fingers in every pie these days—Internet scams, overpricing, double-dipping, half-truths, con artists painting false pictures of the real situation, and political pork-barrelling to get votes and seize power.

We only have to look at our roads, the debt governments have incurred, and the increasing profits of multinational companies, executives, and politicians. We don’t have to look too hard to hear, see, and experience mismanagement in the Western world.  Managers not managing to manage!

Occasionally, we have the power to remove managers from their positions—at the polls, through motions of no confidence at meetings, or via legal proceedings. Despite this, there still seems to be a golden handshake for those who’ve mismanaged their responsibilities. So, in the scheme of it all, there’s a growing sense of helplessness in our society as “the rich get richer, and the poor get the picture.”

Today and next week, we hear about two rich men from Luke chapter sixteen. Today, the rich man is the master who removes his manager from management. Next week, we will hear about the rich man and Lazarus, who die and stand accountable before God.

So, I put this question to you: “What is being rich?” Or, “How much does one need to have to be considered wealthy?” “Do you consider yourself to be a rich person, a person of wealth?” In my experience, most people look to someone else who is rich—or richer than them. Often, we think of wealth in monetary terms or in one’s number of possessions.

Although we might consider someone else richer or wealthier than ourselves, that doesn’t necessarily mean we see ourselves as poor. This says much about the reality of our riches and how proud we have become of our wealth and possessions.

But whose possessions are they? We only need to be reminded of the rich fool and Jesus’ warning to us: “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15 ESV)

I don’t believe anyone would enjoy hearing God say to you, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” Jesus concludes, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20–21 ESV)

This rich fool mismanaged the possessions and life given to him. And when God required him to return the management of his life, he was found foolishly short in being rich toward God.

In the parable before us today, the manager is not the rich man, but only the manager of his master’s riches.

The master says, “What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.” (Luke 16:2 ESV)

Just as we hear, see, and experience mismanagement by those called to manage our society today, the master’s attention is turned to the mismanagement of his dishonest manager in the parable. The master is about to end his management.

Although the manager may not have thought of himself as wealthy, he feared losing the management of his master’s wealth and becoming poor. Like the rich fool who did not recognize he only managed the riches of a greater master, the manager was about to lose his life and the riches of his master.

Humanity, from the beginning until now, has been called to manage the common wealth of God given to us in His creation. It’s always easy for us to see and point out the potholes in others’ mismanagement. But every one of us will be called upon to turn in our management and give an account.

How have you managed the riches God has given you?

In the parable, the dishonest manager takes the bill of one debtor and cuts it in half. For another, he reduces the debt so that only eighty percent needs repaying. And when Jesus tells us the master commends the dishonest manager for doing this, it’s easy for us to see the injustice and question: How can this be? Does the manager have the right to cut the master’s debt when one hundred percent should be paid back? It’s understandable that our sense of righteousness kicks in over the seeming injustice of the master’s commendation and the dishonest manager’s continued mismanagement.

Again, we can ask ourselves: “How have I managed the riches and wealth that God has given me?”

These are not just the riches of money and possessions, but the wealth of our time and our freedom too. Then there are the riches of ourselves—our talents, our relationships, our communications, our sexuality, our desires, and our deeds. Each of us can measure our management of God’s gifts by looking within to see where the glory of our management is going!

Going by our own sense of justice, shocked by the parable of the dishonest manager, one hundred percent should be given back to God for all the things we’ve mismanaged. That means every mismanaged feeling, desire, interaction with others, false witness, lustful glance, hateful thought, misuse of authority, and failure to submit to authority, requires one hundred percent repayment.

When God recalls your management at the end of this life, He requires an account. And by our own judgment, fifty or eighty percent repayment is not good enough. The debt of mismanagement must be repaid one hundred percent.

We feel the sting of our own justice bite us when we begin to contemplate the truth of our management. The reality that the removal of our management occurs in death is enough to grab our full attention. But having to give account of our management on judgement day, to receive a room in the house of God causes all to cry out over our mismanagement: “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.” (Luke 16:3 ESV) More so, digging or begging our way out of death and judgement is not possible either!

Unlike the dishonest manager who used unrighteous wealth to make friends and be welcomed into their houses, we can also use the righteous riches of God to receive others into his kingdom. We can cut the bill of others by forgiving them their sins. We can take what they owe and clear their debt.

“Clear their debt! How can this be?” you say! The manager in the parable only dropped the debt to eighty or fifty percent—not one hundred percent! However, Jesus tells us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12 ESV) Jesus one hundred percent forgives you your sin as you’re called to forgive other people one hundred percent of theirs.

Again, the sting of our own justice returns to bite us—or better still, the reality of our own dishonest and unrighteous management haunts us. Only having to be half-hearted or fifty percent repentant, or eighty percent forgiving, now sounds not too bad when it is our mismanagement of richness toward God at issue!

The gospel in this parable is not immediately apparent, even though the master commends the dishonest manager. Therefore, the good news for us is that Jesus takes our dishonest management and manages it in the richness of God’s debt removal at the cross. Not fifty percent, not eighty percent—but your management is one hundred percent shrewdly forgiven, despite it being recalled in death.

God the Father commends Jesus as the shrewd manager of your salvation and mine. You and I are received into the rooms of God’s eternal house—one hundred percent guaranteed—only because of Jesus. Our efforts are dishonest at best. Yet trusting in Jesus is the shrewdest thing any human can ever do.

While we are called here to manage God’s riches, we continually cry out to God in our mismanagement: “Forgive me my sins as I forgive those who sin against me!”

If God the Father is great enough to forgive your debt through the shrewdness of Jesus Christ at the cross, and the Holy Spirit rests upon us as He did on Jesus, trust that the Holy Spirit is working the riches of God’s wealth within the forgiven management of yourself—your talents, your time, and your possessions—given by God, for you to shrewdly glorify him, repenting of sin, forgiving others, and shrewdly managing the daily existence he has given, as you wait for him to end this management. Amen.