Sunday September 23, 2001
LUKE 16:1-13

o There was once a very sweet lady
o She was the widow of
o A well-known Baptist minister
o She was just a little old-fashioned
o Once she was planning a week's vacation
o At a church campground
o Near Yosemite National Park
o Before she booked her room, however,
o She wanted to be sure of
o The accommodations
o So she wrote a letter
o To the campground
o Her primary concern was
o The bathroom facilities
o But she just could not bring herself
o To write the word "toilet" in a letter
o After wrestling with this problem
o For some time
o She decided on the phrase
o "Bathroom commode"
o But when she wrote the letter
o Even that sounded far too forward
o So she rewrote the letter
o Using the abbreviation - "BC"
o What she actually wrote was,
o "Does the cabin where I will be staying
o "Have its own BC?"
o "If not, where is the BC located?"
?
o Well, needless to say,
o The folks at the campground
o Had a great deal of difficulty
o Trying to figure out
o What this sweet lady was asking
o But, knowing she was the widow
o Of a prominent Baptist minister
o They decided she must be asking
o About the "Baptist Church" (BC)
o So they sent back the following letter
o "The last time my wife & I went
o "Was 6 years ago
o "& It was so crowded
o "We had to stand up
o "The whole time we were there.
o "It may interest you to know
o "That right now there is
o "A supper planned to raise money
o "To buy more seats."
o "They are going to hold it
o "In the basement of the 'BC'."
o "I would like to say
o "That it pains me very much
o "Not to be able to go
o "More regularly.
o "But it is surely no lack of desire
o "On my part.
o "As we grow older,
o "It seems to be more of an effort,
o "Particularly in cold weather.
?
o "If you decide to come down
o "To our campground
o "Perhaps I could go with you
o "The 1st time
o "Sit with you
o "& Introduce you to all the folks.
o "Remember,
o "This is a friendly community

o Now, I have a hunch
o That sweet little old lady was thinking
o That community may be
o Just a little too friendly
o The problem is, things are not always
o What they seem to be
o Sometimes we really need to dig
o If we are going to understand
o Just what is going on in a situation
o & That is certainly true
o With this parable of Jesus
o This has been called by some
o The most difficult passage
o In the Bible to preach on
o Even Luke himself
o Seems to have trouble with it
o If you look closely, you will notice
o He gives us 2 or 3
o Different interpretations
o Of what Jesus said
o In verses 8 & 9 he tells us
?
o We are to be wise in our dealings
o With our worldly resources
o In verses 10 through 12
o Luke seems to be talking
o About stewardship
o As he tells us we cannot be trusted
o With heavenly treasures
o If we are untrustworthy with
o The treasures of this world
o Then in verse 13 Luke says
o We need to be careful to worship
o Only God, & not our money
o Now, we could possibly
o Combine all this & talk about
o The dangers of money
o & Our relationships with money
o But that really does not seem to be
o The thrust of what Jesus is saying
o In this parable
o So, let's look a little more closely
o At this parable
o Maybe a "BC" is not a "BC"
o Maybe we need to dig a little

o A rich man has hired a person
o To act as the manager
o Of all his property & estate
o The manager would have
o Complete control
o Over his employer's property
o But he would not own the property?
o The property & the estate
o Were owned by his employer
o Now, that is not out of the ordinary
o That sort of arrangement
o Happens all the time
o For example, I own some mutual funds
o I am the owner
o But I rely on the fund's manager
o To manage those funds
o In such a way
o That they make money
o Although I have to admit
o That has not gone too well
o Over the last year or so

o But there is a problem in the parable
o You see, the manager who has been hired
o Is a thief
o Instead of just managing
o His employer's property
o He has been stealing it
o Well the boss gets wind
o Of what has been going on
o & Calls this manager
o Into his office
o He tells him to get his books ready
o Because he is going to fire him
o Again, there is nothing
o Out of the ordinary with this
o I would like to tell you that everyone
o In the world is honest?
o But we both know that is not true
o We live in a sinful world
o & There are sinners out there
o There are people all around us
o Who are looking for some way
o To take our property
o & To steal our money
o I wish it were not true
o But it is

o Well, this manager now faces
o A real predicament
o He has been caught
o He is going to lose his job
o Along with his home & his income
o People everywhere know he is a thief
o So he is not likely to ever find
o Another job like this one
o He thinks about
o Just doing some manual labor
o Like digging ditches
o Or working as a farm hand
o But after a long life
o In a nice white-collar job
o He does not have
o The strength or the stamina
o For manual labor
o He thinks about
o Just sitting on the street corner
o & Begging for money
o But he is way too proud for that?
o Plus, who would give him money?
o Everybody knows he is a thief
o He is certainly not going to generate
o Much sympathy for himself
o Then he comes up with
o A truly brilliant scheme
o -Even if it is a bit unethical-
o He decides to go to all the people
o Who owe money to his employer
o & Make significant reductions
o In the amount they owe
o That way, they will be indebted to him
o & When he is out of work
o He can use them
o To give him food & shelter
o He can use these folks
o These new "friends"
o To help him out
o & That is just what he does
o Jesus says he reduced one man's debt
o By 50%
o & Another's by 20%
o Now, that was an amazingly bold
o & Exceptionally unethical thing to do
o But again, it is not really
o Out of the ordinary
o There is no surprise when
o This little sleaze adds insult to injury
o By wheeling & dealing
o With his boss's property
o In order to line his own pockets?
o If he stole once
o He will probably steal again, right?
o Nope - this is all pretty routine stuff

o But then we come to verse 8 where
o The master / the employer recognizes
o What this little thief has done
o & Commends him for it
o Now - that IS out of the ordinary!
o That IS surprising!
o He has already fired the guy for stealing
o Then he catches him stealing again
o But, instead of throwing
o This scum-ball into jail
o He commends him for his shrewdness
o What is going on here?
o & Why would Jesus tell us
o A story like this?
o Is this the "BC" in the story?
o The part we just do not
o Quite understand?

[PAUSE]

o You know, it is Sunday
o & We have all come to church again
o The pews are all in nice rows
o The banners are all hanging straight
o The piano & the organ are right where
o They are supposed to be
o Everything is in its place?
o & That may be a major reason
o We have all come to church
o We want to be somewhere
o Where everything is in its place
o Where everything is in order
o Where everything is respectable -
o Like it should be
o You see, in church we can get
o In touch with things that are
o Fixed / eternal / unchanging
o In church we expect to hear stories
o About how people followed the rules
o How they did
o What was expected of them
o & How they got what they deserved
o But then we hear this parable / this story
o Of this miserable little thief
o Who got caught stealing
o Who got fired
o & Who went out & stole again
o & Then his master commends him
o For his savvy
o This story does not fit our expectations
o The ending of this story
o Is too surprising
o It is too disruptive for us
o But - do you suppose that might be
o Precisely what Jesus intended to do?
o To surprise us? / To disrupt us?
o To get us off dead center
o So we will notice something special??
o You see, we cannot take this story
o At face value
o It is not an example
o Of how we ought to behave
o If it were we might end up saying things
o Like the ends justify the means
o Or, our good deeds
o Will get us into heaven
o & None of this is true
o But if we cannot use this story
o As an example
o Of how we ought to behave
o Maybe we can use it as an example
o Of how we do behave
o Maybe this miserable little thief
o Is a lot more like you & me
o Than either of us
o Would every like to admit
o For example, I would love to tell you
o That I have never sinned
o That I have never
o Taken advantage of someone
o Or cut the edges of my tax return
o Just a little too tight
o Or gone a few miles per hour faster
o Than the posted speed limit
o In fact, I would love to tell you
o That those things were
o The worst things I have ever done
o But that is just not true
o I am a sinner?
o & So are you
o Every single one of us is just like
o The manager in this parable
o Every single one of us has sinned
o Every single one of us
o Has fallen short of the glory of God
o & Of His great expectations for us
o Those of us who come into church
o Thinking the K.O.G. is somehow
o A matter of respectability
o Of getting the rules right
o Thinking that all we need to do is
o Obey the rules
o & Do it all with great respectability
o Need to beware
o Because every single one of us
o Has already broken the rules
o Not one of us is worthy
o Of any respect at all
o But then we hear Jesus tell
o This confusing story
o This surprising, disruptive story
o About a fellow
o Who is totally devoid of all respect
o & Jesus commends this fellow
o Even in his lack of respectability
o Do you suppose Jesus is concerned
o About our respectability?
o I don't think so!
o After all, He broke all the rules
o Of respectability of His own day?
o He worked on the Sabbath
o By healing people
o He even seemed to enjoy
o Hanging out with
o Prostitutes & tax collectors
o & Boy, did He get criticized by
o All those religious folks
o You know - by all those folks
o Concerned with respectability
o But you see, Jesus came into this world
o To save sinners
o & To do that
o He had to go where they were
o He had to eat & drink with them
o & He had to care for them
o When they made themselves
o Available to Him
o Jesus had to risk disrespect
o In order to save those
o Who were without respect
o In order to save people
o Who were sinners
o People just like you & me

o So, is this parable surprising?
o You bet it is!
o The thief does not get what he deserves
o Instead he receives his master's grace
o Is Jesus surprising?
o You bet He is!
?
o We sinners who believe on Christ
o Do not get what we deserve
o Instead we receive His grace
o Poured out for our salvation
o & God's grace always comes as a gift
o It is always surprising
o & It is always disruptive
o The God of all
o The Creator of the Universe
o Came into our world to be one of us
o He died on the cross naked
o Hanging between 2 thieves
o & Through His life & His death
o He broke down all the barriers
o Between the sinners
o & The righteous
o He reached out His hand to all of us
o & He said, "Father, forgive them,
o "For they know not what they do."
o Is this parable surprising?
o You bet it is!
o Because here we see
o The gracious love of God
o Poured out on the undeserving
o Praise God, that we do not get
o What we deserve
o For by God's love / by His grace
o Even we sinners can have a seat
o At His table in glory

?
o So, let me ask you the question
o John Wesley used to ask of those
o He met & served
o "How is it with your soul?"
o Do you know for sure:
o That you are saved
o That if you should die
o Before you get home today
o You will go to heaven?
o Or, is your soul dry & parched
o Longing for a deep, deep drink from
o Christ's fountain of living water?
o That is what the dishonest manager
o Was feeling
o He was rejected by everyone
o Everyone knew he was a thief
o But then he received grace & mercy
o From his employer / from his master
o Would you like to receive God's grace?
o I read something this week that said
o 50% of all those who attend church
o Have not been saved
o If that statistic is even close to true
o Here in this congregation
o There are a lot of us who cannot say,
o "It is well with my soul."
o It that is you, why not trust Jesus?
o Why not believe
o That He came into this world
o & That He lived & died & rose again
o Just for you??
o Because it is true, you know
o It does not matter how many sins
o You have committed
o Or what kind of sins they were
o All that matters is God's grace
o Available for you right now
o Do not say that you are not good enough
o Or, that you are not respectable enough
o None of us is!
o We are all sinners!
o The only difference is whether or not:
o You have received God's grace
o You have been forgiven
o Friends, that grace is free
o & It is here for you today
o Will you receive it?
o Will you receive this
o Most glorious & surprising gift of all?
o The gift of God's grace
o Will you allow His Spirit
o To enter into your spirit / your soul
o & Make it well?
o If you will, come as we sing
o Our closing hymn
o # 378, "Amazing Grace"

o Let us stand

AMEN.