How to Invest into Eternal Life

The Vicar Ron Spangenburg (submitted by Rick in Va)

a homily based on Luke 16:1-13

Jesus also illustrates the economic laws of God with this story of the rich man who permitted a servant to be the steward of a portion of his wealth. However, one day the master called the steward in and announced that soon his stewardship would end. As the man thought over his situation, three definite facts became clear to him and to each of us.

(1) The wealth he had been using was not his own. That is a principle a lot of people overlook. Everything we have was put here in the creation by God. He retained title to it but allows us to use what we can possess. But possession does not mean ownership. There is the story of the little boy who was given two quarters – one for Sunday school and the other for himself. As he was running down the street he dropped one of them and watched it roll into the storm sewer. “Well” he muttered “there goes God’s quarter.” But the truth is all the quarters are God’s.

(2) Though the steward had complete possession of the wealth and could do with it as he pleased, his possession was temporary. Just a little while ago, someone else possessed it , and in a short time it will pass on into other hands. These possessions we have may be here as long as the world exists, but we won’t be here.

(3) How I use my possession now, determines my wealth tomorrow. There are people who think that tithing is merely a scheme to raise money. Such is not the case. Tithing is God’s plan for the financing of the work of His kingdom. It is also His program to develop within people a sense of partnership with God. Tithing does something for your soul. The tragedy of material things is that it has the power to make a person forget they have a soul.

Some Christians have had problems because the lead character is morally challenged – Jesus calls him dishonest. They would try to tell us that Jesus would never have told this story – but he did. The real issue is our money and possessions.

The point of the parable is that even crooks know how to use the present to ensure a happy future. How much more do we as Christians have at stake in an eternal future. We must serve God no matter what the cost. We must spend earthly wealth for eternal values. Praise God for all that He has given us, and we ask Him to show us how we should invest it in eternal life. Amen.