Date: October 6, 2024

Scripture: Luke 16:1-13

Sermon Title: “Money – the Excellent Gift”

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Bob Jon

Some years ago, there was a cartoon on Christian newspaper that showed a pastor baptizing someone at the river. As the person was being lowered in the water, the pastor says, “I baptize your whole being in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. My friend, all that you are and all that you have belong to God.” While the pastor says those words, this person’s hand is outside the water, holding the wallet in his hand. 

I interpret the message of the cartoon in two ways. One is that in American culture, whatever is in my wallet is my business. I have worked hard to earn what I have in my wallet, pulse, or bank account. And I do not need to hear other people tell me how I spend it. The other message is that in Christianity, money is often regarded as taboo because we get a negative impression of money. For example, when Paul instructs Timothy to elect certain church leaders, he exhorts him not to choose someone who loves money or is greedy for money. 

According to recent news, a woman in England won the lottery, which was about $600,000. She could not believe she won the lottery and immediately called her boyfriend, James. They were hugging each other, wondering what they could do with the money. But her boyfriend started acting differently. He made plans for the money without consulting with her. He wanted to quit his job and buy a luxury car. Her relationship with her parents had been strained in the past. But now they started telling her about their financial struggles and asking for help. Her sister, who was always jealous of her, demanded her share of the money. So, she says in her interview, “Winning the lottery was supposed to be a blessing, but it turned into a curse. I wish I could go back to the way things were before.” 

Of course, most people do not win the lottery. They just work hard and enjoy what they earn from their work. If you are like me, when I get my paycheck, the payroll company withholds the tax, pension, and co-pay for health insurance. I also set aside the money for cell phone bills, car insurance, car payments, and education for my two boys. I am not sure how many of us here have a goal to be a rich person. My younger son recently told me he plans to be a millionaire. I asked him, “How?” He answered, “I am going to get an ice cream truck and sell ice creams. I already know some spots where children gather in this town. And I want you to be my driver, Dad.” Well, I was not thinking about retiring from my work as a pastor early, but I thought that could be my retirement plan. So, I asked him, “If I help you, will you give me some money?” “Of course, Daddy. I am going to give you a really big money.” “Oh, how much?” With a big smile, he said proudly, “20 dollars!” 

Honestly, I have never considered being a millionaire and do not think it is going to happen. But if any other people want to be one, what would God say? Here is what John Wesley says about money in his sermon titled “The Use of Money” – “Money is an excellent gift from God, working toward the most elevated purposes.” As Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:10, “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” But money can be used in a way that we can honor and glorify God who gives us the talents and capability to be productive, to contribute, and hopefully to serve the needs of our neighbors. 

In our reading today, Jesus gave a parable to his disciples. A rich man had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So, he called his manager and fired him. How many of you have been fired for squandering your company’s property? I have. Back in 2002, I was visiting my uncle’s family in Baltimore. Within one week of arrival in America, my uncle’s friend, who owned a grocery store in Baltimore, asked me to come and work for him. I did not even know how to distinguish between nickel and dime, but I started working as a cashier. One of my jobs was to scoop the ice cream and give it to the customers. The owner showed me how to scrape on the surface of the ice cream to make it look big. Some children walked in, asking for one scoop of ice cream. When I saw the eyes of these children, I just gave them the biggest one scoop of ice cream. As you can imagine, I was fired within one month because I was squandering the property of my grocery owner. 

Well, the case of this dishonest manager is more serious. He is thinking hard to save his own neck. So, he thinks, “I am going to be fired anyway. So, why not squander my master’s property more and give relief to my master’s debtors? If I can befriend them, they will probably welcome me into their houses.” So, he goes around the town and meets the debtors one by one. “How much do you owe my master?” “Oh, I still owe him a hundred jugs of olive oil.” “Ok. Sit down and scratch the number and write down 50 instead of 100.” “How about you? How much do you owe my master?” “I owe him 100 containers of wheat.” “Write down 80.” If I were the manager, I would probably be more upset to hear what he is doing. But Jesus says the master commended this dishonest manager because he “acted shrewdly.” 

Of course, Jesus is not telling us to be like this dishonest manager in his manner of handling the assets of our family or our company. Instead, Jesus is telling us that if people of the present age who do not know God are wise in using money and possessions to redeem their own situations, why not we, the children of God, also become wise in using them to please God whom we praise as the source of all our gifts and blessing and using them to serve our neighbors in need? Therefore, Wesley gives three principles regarding faithful stewardship. “Gain all you can. Save all you can. And give all you can.” In other words, Wesley encouraged Methodists to be diligent in making money so that they could use it to serve God and their neighbors. 

One of my former churches helped with a ministry in New Bedford called Mobile Loaves and Fishes, a ministry that serves the homeless and poor in the city. The Methodist Church in downtown New Bedford owned a truck that was used to serve food on one side and clothing on the other side. On the back of the truck was the coffee and hot tea. I used to bring our youth group to serve there every month. One year, a young girl came to the church with her piggy bank. Her mother said, “My daughter had been saving her coins to buy the gift for her 9^th birthday. When she heard about your work, she wanted to bring this to you.” As I was so touched by the generous heart of this little child, I was reminded of Jesus’ words, “If you want to enter the kingdom of God, you must be like these little children.” 

Sometimes, we can have so much in our bank account but still feel so poor, vulnerable, and insecure. Sometimes, we can have so little in our possession and yet feel so rich, gracious, and generous. I know many of us are concerned with providing for our own family. Wesley also affirmed that we need to provide for our basic needs and care for our family. But he encouraged people to go further. He said, “Money is an excellent gift from God. In the hands of God’s children, money is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, and clothing for the naked. For the pilgrim and stranger, money gives a place to rest. Money can supply protection for the oppressed, a means of health for the sick, and comfort for those in pain.” 

Martin Luther believed that everyone is called to minister to others, as he called it, the priesthood of all believers. In other words, it is not just the pastor who is called to serve in their vocation. God has gifted you all with diverse talents and a passion for service. As I know, some of us here include teachers, nurses, realtors, researchers, counselors, construction workers, accountants, and, of course, engineers. God has equipped you with the talents, wisdom, and desire to be better in what you do or what you have done. As Jesus called Peter to follow him, transforming his old job with a bigger purpose for God’s work, Christ also calls us to see the bigger purpose in our professions, which is much bigger than just supporting our own needs and families. 

Last year, as I was preparing for Ash Wednesday, I learned that our combined worship service with West Chelmsford usually gave our collective offering to a group we designated each year. As we committed ourselves to humbly walking with Christ during the Lenten season, I thought it would be good to support our local students at Middlesex Community College. After Peter and I met with the staff members at the school, we came to realize there was much need for help for the black, Indigenous, and people of color students. Our men’s group was generous in giving $7,000 they had raised from the golf tournament in the past years. Last year, our council approved adding $13,000 from the endowment so that the interest earned from our scholarship fund, $1,000 would go to help a student of color in need of this financial support.

This year, they selected a student named Adesuwa Onyekwena. She recently wrote a letter to us. 

“I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for being selected as a scholarship recipient. Your generous support holds immense value for me, and I am genuinely thankful for this opportunity. This scholarship will significantly ease my financial burden and serve as a tremendous source of motivation. My career goal is to work as an environmental health specialist while I transition to UMass to pursue my bachelor’s degree in public health.  Thank you for having faith in my potential and for investing in my future. May God continue to bless you and your entire family. Amen.”

Again, Wesley calls money “an excellent gift from God, working toward the most elevated purposes.” Whether it is money or something else, God, who created us all in God’s image, continues to pour God’s generous gifts to us as God’s beloved children today. Let us not bury them. Let us not waste them. But let us be open to the Holy Spirit, who calls us to be shrewd, wise, and faithful in how God calls us to use our possession in ways that we may reflect our love for God and our neighbors. 

Amen.