God’s Proper Perspective on Possessions

Luke 16:1 Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.' 3 "The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg-- 4 I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.' 5 "So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6 "'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied. "The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.' 7 "Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?' "'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he replied. "He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.' 8 "The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? 13 "No servant can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money."

In New York City there are eight million cats and eleven million dogs. That’s a whole lot of animals for a city the size of New York and this profusion of pets presents some unique problems to the Big Apple. For example, New York City is basically just concrete and steel, so when your pet dies, you can’t just go out and bury it in the backyard unless you have an air hammer, which I’m sure some New Yorkers might have but not the majority of them. So New York City authorities decided that for $50 they would dispose of your deceased pet.

One enterprising lady thought she could render a service to her fellow New Yorkers, while at the same time saving them money and making a bit for herself. She placed an ad in the newspaper that said, “When your pet dies, I will come and take care of the remains for you for $25.”

This lady goes to the Salvation Army and buys the best suitcase she can find … for under $5. When someone calls about his or her pet, she goes to the home and puts the deceased pet in the suitcase and collects her $25. Then she takes a ride on the subway. She sets her suitcase in the aisle next to her on the subway and after a little while she doses off. This has happened a few times where a thief inevitably runs by and steals her suitcase. Sometimes she even stands and screams, “Stop! Thief!” … but not too hard. No one ever stops anyhow. When the thief finally does stop running long enough to open the suitcase, he is pretty surprised about what is inside and is little less than satisfied.

I sometimes spend a good amount of time running through life trying to snatch Suitcases of Happiness. How about you? Sometimes when I think I’ve found one and open it up, it is usually less than satisfying.

How often don’t we run through life trying to snatch suitcases of happiness? We look for this happiness by cramming our lives full of children’s sports and weekend vacations. Or we try to find satisfaction in working long hours or improper relationships. We fill up our homes, garages and storage units with stuff – so much stuff we could properly be called “hoarders.”

Whether walking around in the malls, the big box stores or flea markets, I often think, “You know, I’m impressed. I never imagined that there could be so many things I can do without.” Yet if we all look into our homes, they are filled with stuff we could do without. They are luxuries. But as Americans we have confused luxuries with necessities.

I want you to take a mental test. Are these items in your life a luxury or a necessity? TV with HD, smart phone with data package, laptop, vehicle, fabric softener, indoor plumbing, a closet full of clothes, or a pantry filled with Lucky Charms, Mac ‘n Cheese and Doritos? They are all “niceties,” but none of them are truly “necessities.” All of them can be thrown away, lost, given away, burned, blown away, but we will survive.

Yes, there are so many things we can do without. But there is one thing in our homes that we cannot do without – and that is the love of the Lord. That love is the first thing we need in the morning and the last thing we need at the end of the day.

Today Jesus is giving us God’s proper perspective on possessions. It is so very different from the world’s perspectives – from our perspectives. That’s why we need to hear Him today – hear, listen and change our perspective.

Jesus began teaching His disciples God’s proper perspective on possessions with a parable. Mr. Richards was a rich man and Chet was his chief financial officer. But Chet wasn’t doing a good job so his boss gave him his two-week notice.

Chet calls in all the people who owe Mr. Richard’s company money. He cuts the Italian restaurant’s olive oil bill in half. He cuts the bakery’s wheat receipt by a quarter. Maybe Chet will get hired on in the restaurant or bakery after he’s fired by Mr. Richard’s. Or maybe he’ll at least get some free meals out of the deal. Very smart. Not honest, but shrewd.

What’s the lesson here? Jesus comes right out and explains. “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” There is a time coming when God will take all your possessions away, every last nickel and knick-knack. That’s when you die. As that day approaches, be like Chet, the shrewd financial officer. Jesus is certainly not telling you to be dishonest, but to have a proper perspective on your possessions. He’s teaching you to use worldly wealth to gain eternal friends, people who will welcome you into eternal dwellings.

Give to gain eternal friends. Use your money to share the gospel with those who don’t yet know Jesus as Savior. Share your possessions with believers who are in need. Someday they will all thank you as you reunite in heaven’s glory. Though you may be anonymous to them now, you won’t remain anonymous to them for eternity. They will meet you to thank you for your gifts, which helped usher them through heaven’s gates. Give to gain eternal friends.

Many years ago a woman was preparing a box of supplies to be sent to some missionaries in India. A child gave her a penny, which she used to purchase a Christian pamphlet for the box. Eventually, this pamphlet reached a Burmese chief and was used to lead him to saving faith in Jesus Christ. The chief then told the story of his conversion to his friends and tribe members, many of whom believed. Eventually, a church was established there and over 1500 natives were converted to Christianity. And one day that little child was welcomed into eternal life by over 1500 saints from India.

No gift is too small for God to use. It doesn’t matter how much you have, Jesus says, as long as you use what you have to glorify God. “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Be trustworthy, Jesus says, with whatever you have. Use it to gain eternal friends who will welcome you into heaven when you die.

But there is a certain part of us that balks at this idea. We really don’t want to spend our money on other people. We work. We earn. We buy. We gather. We collect. We hoard. Like Smeagol in “Lord of the Rings, “It’s mine, all mine!” Our selfish flesh wants everything all to ourselves. We are like little children. We don’t want to share. Or even worse – give up. Whatever we have is not enough. We always crave more. More work; more money, more possessions. We worship wealth.

That’s why Jesus warns, “No servant can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.” But that’s exactly what we try to do, isn’t it? Love God. And love Money. But Jesus says that doesn’t work. It’s either or. Not both and. You cannot serve both. Your sinful nature will set up an altar in your heart to the god of Mammon (money) and crowd God and His Word into the background.

Martin Luther wrote in his Large Catechism on the First Commandment some very powerful, soul-piercing words: “Many a person thinks that he has money and possessions. He trusts in them and boasts about them with such firmness and assurance as to care for no one. Such a person has a god by the name of “Mammon” (i.e., money and possessions); (Matthew 6:24), on which he sets all his heart. This is the most common idol on earth. He who has money and possessions feels secure (Luke 12:16-21) and is joyful and undismayed as though he were sitting in the midst of Paradise. On the other hand, he who has no money doubts and is despondent, as though he knew of no God. For very few people can be found who are of good cheer and who neither mourn nor complain if they lack Mammon. This care and desire for money sticks and clings to our nature, right up to the grave.” (Luther’s Large Catechism, The First Commandment, Paragraphs 5-9).

This care and desire for money is such a common disease that infects Christians that Paul warns, “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:10)

A number of years ago, on the main business street of Yokohama, Japan, there was an antique store that had this sign in the window: “The wealth that cannot perish with time. Put your money into antiques.” The sign was still there even after the shop had closed. The problem? A giant earthquake hit the city leaving the shop, with all its shelved treasures in total ruins and rubbish. I wonder how many people are investing their lives into all kinds of items they think will bring lasting pleasure and security. The number is a large one, I think.

Some of you place your confidence in your closets, computers and Facebook friends. Others of you invest everything into bank accounts, portfolios and in the stability of your job. Sadly, the unpredictable earthquakes of life often destroy these things, just as they can smash the antiques of a Yokohama antique store.

Far better for you to invest in family and friends. Invest in your church, school and synod. Put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything on this earth is temporary; only what is in heaven will last. Possessing cash is like playing a temporary board game – you have a little fun and then its over.

The Bible tells us the marvelous story of how God’s Son, the Lord of the Universe is the perfect Steward – always giving, always investing in what’s important to Him – you. He is a God of gifts, not wages; of grace, not works; of promises, not demands; of empty crosses and open graves, not suitcases of happiness. He gives and we receive. That is the only way with our God.

“Getting” is the diversion of the devil. “Giving” is the investment of our God.

Giving is what makes God happy. And so God gives – He gives His Son. His Son to take our sins. His Son to die our death. His Son to grant us life. His Son to win our salvation. Salvation to stop what we’ve been up to with our possessions and give us a new life – a life of giving – giving to God, giving to others, giving to make eternal friends. To save us not only from our sins, but to save us from ourselves. That in Christ we might be set free from the endless cycle of getting and wanting, wanting and getting. That futile cycle that causes us to chase after suitcases of happiness.

So now that God has given you the proper perspective on your possessions, there is a group of saints in heaven who can’t wait to welcome you. So now you will use your time for God’s purposes, not just your own. Now you see your paycheck isn’t just yours to pay bills, its God’s way of using you to support His Gospel ministries. You understand that your workday isn’t a way of finding fulfillment, but a way to fill the lives of others with God’s blessings. And your new eternal friends can’t wait to say “thank you.” Amen.

18th Sunday after Pentecost at Epiphany on September 26, 2010