Need Help with Sermon

[Ibeleive]

Hi,
I'm new to these forums and I'm enjoying this forum very much. Next Sunday I'm taking Morning Prayer and I'm having trouble with the Lectionary Gospel passage. Luke 16: 1- 10. If you have any thoughts or know of any good sermons on this passage I'd really appreciate your help.
Blessings,
Pat

 

[CSMR]

Difficult passage indeed! Almost gave up with this post. Up to 8 is fine - we're shown a cunning steward attains his end and the "children of light" are not as cunning in attaining theirs. (Or alternatively, should be as cunning.) Verse 9 mystifies me. Does it mean: if the "children of light" were as cunning, they would be faithful with money (dirty or small though it be) rather than covetous, knowing that since their master will deprive them of their existing station (this life) like the steward, they should do whatever it takes to gain habitation in the next?
Not a perfect fit, and also I don't know why Jesus would have wanted to say this.
Good luck: hope you have better luck than me!

 

[Karl - Liberal Backslider]

This is an odd one, isn't it?

Is it actually a little bit more allegorical than some parables? Is there any mileage in asking what the individual elements are?

I'm using the NIV here.

We have the manager first of all. He's facing losing his current source of security - the master, and needs to set up something else.

Now, later, Jesus talks about us buying friends with worldly wealth so that we'll be welcomed beyond this earth.

Can I suggest, therefore, that the master represents sources of worldly wealth and security, and the 'friends' he's buying are actually those who can help beyond this world - God.

So what the manager is doing is using the resources of this life to buy friendship with God.

Lets be clear:

Manager - Christian
Master - the World
Friends - God

Given that Jesus then goes on about being trustworthy in small things and therefore being trusted with big ones later, could it be that He means that we should shrewdly use worldly wealth to buy favour with God (crudely put) so that (a) He will welcome us into His kingdom when this earthly one has bit the dust, and (b) He will trust us with big things having shown ourselves canny with little things, like worldly wealth?

Just a thought.

 

[Father Rick]

A great resource is www.crosswalk.com. It has the Bible in multiple translations, plus several commentaries-- so you can read other's interpretations of the passage.

I will look for some other resources specifically for this passage for you as well.

 

[Father Rick]

Ok.. here's a couple more resources for you...

http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/bul/trin-09.html

http://www.enc.edu/org/wollynaz/rmetcalfe/dad.servant_named_shrewd

I think the first one will probably me more help than the 2nd...

May God give you wisdom and insight as you prepare to speak His word!

Pax Christi!

 

[Ibeleive]

Thanks all for your help - the links were useful. I'd appreciate your prayers for Sunday, I minister (with the Bishop's permission) at a small non denominational country church near here and I'm reasonably comfortable there. Sunday I'm taking the service at the Anglican Church in our community and it makes me much more nervous. If you think about please say a prayer that all will go well Sunday and thanks again for your help