" The Little Red Toy Syndrome"

                               "THE POWER OF MATERIALISM LEARNED EARLY"

Sept 18, 2016  Readings:  Luke 16: 1-13, Psalm 79 and 1 Tim 2: 1-7

Let me begin with a modern day parable to ponder.  A young boy of 7 years approaches a sand box where some other children are playing and asks if he can join in with them.  After hearing a “no” the boy wanders off feeling slightly rejected.  He returns the next day to the same sand box and tries again.  The quick answer is “no” but as the boy turns to walk away someone in the crowd notices the bright red dinky toy in the boys hand.  “Just a minute”, said a voice from the crowd , “come here”,  what’s that in your hand, you can play with me.  Now I ask you who or what holds the power of persuasion here.  The boy, the voice from the crowd, or that little bright red dinky toy. 

  Today’s reading is all about the proper and improper use of money friends and material possessions.  

As strange as it may seem to us in the parable of the shrewd Manager Jesus actually commends the dishonest man for his cleaver thinking because the manager has realized the power he holds in his hand, this man is not stupid.    He knows that by offering to ease the burden of others, others will find favor in him and he believes that his actions will at least secure his future in this life, because it is the right thing to do, to ease the burden of others,   but you and I know that this dishonest method of doing so will eventually bring the shrewd manager nothing but heart ache and condemnation.   

Here in lies the first point for today lesson.  Jesus explains for us “ the wise use of worldly wealth”.    In verse 9 of the parable Jesus says “ I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when your worldly wealth is gone, you will be welcomed into the eternal home.  Jesus is telling his listeners that goodness, good work, and generosity have their place not only in this life but also in the next.   Jesus points out that the managers shrewd thinking is not wrong, the use of money or material wealth to lighten the burdens of others is the right thing to do,  but illustrates in the next few verses that the use of a dishonest method to achieve favor in the eyes of others will eventually crush and condemn the man.  Have you heard the modern day proverb, what goes around comes around.  This is also illustrated in the writings of Paul as found in Galatians 6:7  Here we need to pay attention to use of material wealth in our own lives. 

Then Jesus goes on to make the second point in today’s lesson “Trustworthiness is measured by Character”:  Verse 10 tells us “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.  So if you have not been trustworthy in worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?  And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own”  The true riches of life are not about money, position, or power for the real riches of live can be found in peace of mind, contentment, and a good reputation, 1 Timothy 3: 7.   This person can be trusted by all.  Here we need to pay attention to who and what attracts our adoration in this life.  Take a moment to reflect upon the beginning story, a modern day parable. 

The third point in today’s lesson is “Our Service Must Be Singular”.  No servant can serve two masters.  Verse 13 tells us: either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  We cannot server God and satisfy the world.  We can either be a slave to our money, the economy, material possessions, or we can we serve God in all we have and in all we do.   Putting God first frees us from worldly entanglement, but not from serving as, we are called to serve both God and one another in the world.  It is there and only there that you will find true peace and contentment.  Contentment will not live in the house of wanting, greed or self-centredness, nor will peace live in the house of lies, kayos or war, it is impossible to serve both masters at the same time.  Just look at our world today.  Here we need to pay attention to how content, selfless, and at peace our lives or the lives of our families are today. 

Many continue to be deceived by the lure of power, wealth and worldly possessions in their lives.  These masters of disguise can lead us to make very unwise decisions, as illustrated in the parable {Luke 16: 1-13}.  They can become fertile ground for greed and self-centeredness, for kayos and war.   We all have the potential within us to feed the spirit of fortune and self-preservation.  It has an unquenchable thirst for power and control usually at great cost to others.  As a footnote I would also like to add, I think that we can use personal knowledge or cleverness to get out of life what we want, but it should never be at the cost of anyone.  God wants us to enjoy life.   We were given dominion over all things for our use and everything was meant for our pleasure, but not at the cost of others or of creation itself.  We were meant to be responsible stewards over all this wonderful planet and its natural environment.  As I mention earlier in the modern day parable, generally we learn very early on in life, the manipulative power material possession and money can give us over others.   Lord help us to be good stewards of creation and our material world.  Help us to share what we have to lighten the burdens of others around us.