PENTECOST 27, A – November 16, 2008

SCRIPTURES – Psalm 143; Zephaniah 1:7-16; 1 Thess. 5:1-11; Matt. 25:14-30

We all know that our economy is struggling right now. How’s your 401-K? How’s your retirement account? Most of us have lost money; some, a great deal. Some of you may be nervous about your job. It’s tough right now, here and around the world.

We also know that our government is trying to help. Recently congress set aside a great deal of money – at least 700 billion – to stabilize our financial institutions and strengthen our economy. This money from our government comes, of course, with strings attached:

q   It is not to be used for “golden parachutes,” great retirement packages for CEO’s.

q   Banks are not to deposit it and hold onto the money, thereby improving their own financial situation, but are to give the money out in loans.

The government will oversee this money as it is given out – as well it should! Only a fool lends huge sums without oversight.

Is Jesus a fool? He says: "[The kingdom of heaven] is like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.”  He’s speaking about Himself. He’s the man who entrusts His property to His servants and then goes away. He gives each of them a tremendous amount – just one talent was a huge sum of money, millions of dollars – and then simply leaves and allows them to use it as they see fit. There is no oversight, it seems, no instructions or rules governing what they can and can’t do with his property. We hear of no micromanaging of their decisions from a distance. The master goes away, and his servants are free to do as they please with his property. This is incredible! Is it foolish? Is Jesus a fool?

That depends upon your viewpoint. How the master was viewed made all the difference in how the men used the talents he gave them. Two of his servants apparently considered him a good and kind man, for they immediately went and began trading with the property he had entrusted to them. What if they made bad decisions, traded poorly and lost money? They didn’t seem to be worried about this, for they went out and began trading right away. Their master would take care of them. Their seeing him as good and kind is also evident in what they did when he returned. Each gladly brought his talents to him and said, “Master, you delivered to me [these] talents; here I have made [as many] talents more.” They didn’t hold anything back or try to claim a portion as their own because they had earned it. No, they gave it all to him. They were simply glad to serve such a good master! For their joyful service each received the commendation: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Now it was not just one or two or five talents that he gave them. “Enter into the joy of your master.” They now shared in all that was his.

How different it was with the other servant. Why? Because he had quite a different view of his master: “I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” His view shaped his service. He considered his master to be harsh, and so he did nothing with the abundance his master had entrusted to him. What he believed about his master he therefore received: “You wicked and slothful servant!” the master said. “Take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” His sad end was the result of his sad attitude, his lack of love for his master.

How do you view your Lord? He is so good to you. When we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” Martin Luther in the Small Catechism teaches us that daily bread includes “food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.” Even if you have lost money in recent months, you are still incredibly well off, greatly blessed by God! And, not only has our Lord given us all that we need in this life; He has given us eternal life in Christ and heaven itself! God has entrusted to us the kingdom of His Son, the victory over sin, death and hell which He won for us by His death and resurrection for us. Week after week, by His Word and Sacraments:

q   God forgives our sins, retaining not one of them, holding not one of them against us;

q   He crushes Satan and his hosts under our feet; and

q   He gives us eternal life as He fills us with Christ.

What a good and kind and generous Master we have. How greatly we are blessed!

Do you believe this? Do you love and trust your God and consider Him to be good and kind and generous? Do you believe that He loves you and will take care of you always? I know that at times, and especially during difficult times in our lives, it can be hard to believe this. It may seem as if God has gone away and left us alone. Here we are, 2,000 years later, still awaiting the return of our Master! When evil prospers and people suffer we are tempted to look at God as if He were an uncaring and hard Master. Instead of using what He gives us freely and generously, we are tempted to hunker down, hold onto what he gives us, and take care of self and family as best as we can.

When you are so tempted, when God seems to be uncaring or distant or harsh, you must look upon the cross. When you are tempted to hold on to what you have, to hold back and hold tight and not be generous in giving and using the property of your Master that He has entrusted to you, you must look upon the cross. “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich,” says 2 Cor. 8:9. Jesus gave up the riches of heaven to come down and endure the suffering that comes with the poverty of your sins: namely, God’s anger and punishment and hell itself. In coming down He brings you the riches of His relationship with God. In Jesus, you enter into the joy of God and heaven, for God is your Father! You are so very, very rich in Christ!

Jesus is teaching us about stewardship today. Now, I know what you think: stewardship is all about money. “Ok, it’s time to prime the pump. What are you going to hit us up for?” Stewardship is not about money. It is about attitude. It is about faith. It is about seeing your God as good and kind and generous, a gracious Master who in Christ has entrusted to you all that you are and have. Everything you are and have is His property; you own nothing. But, He gladly gives you all that you are and have for you to freely and generously and gladly use it for the benefit of others. Keep that in mind when you make your pledge of financial support for your church for next year. Keep that in mind when you read in the bulletin the Mission of the Month, or the various and sundry other organizations that we support through things such as Jack’s Box. Do not fear; do not hold on and hold back. Go at once and use what your Master has given you. You need not fear, for your Master cares for you here, and your retirement package with Him is secure. Christ has gained heaven for you and nothing on this earth can take that away!

What joy is ours, then, in Christ! What eternal security and present blessing we have! Rejoice in Him and confidently use what He gives you here, while looking forward eagerly to His return, when you will hear Him say to you: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”