Luke 16:10-18
10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?
13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
16 “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.
18 “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.
Jesus speaks about faithful and just stewards — about unfaithful and unjust stewards — and about serving only one master. He says we cannot serve both God and the ‘things’ of this world (or mammon). If we were honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that we usually serve the wrong master —we serve ourselves and our desires. But we are never honest with ourselves. Our flesh is fallen and deceitful. In fact, that’s why the first tenet of Christianity is that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Of ourselves we do not have it in us to be faithful to God — of ourselves we want to be our own master. “My will be done!” is ever the cry of man’s flesh.
As believing/baptized Christians, however, we have been brought to know that God Himself stepped in and did something about our lost state. Through His beloved Word of Law and Gospel He introduced us to the original master—the Holy Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! By His grace we now serve Him.
The battle between the flesh and the Spirit begins in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, through which God washes us from our sins and makes us His disciples. In Luther’s explanation he asks: “What does such baptizing with water indicate?” He answers: “It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.” Thank God that He brought us into His Kingdom, gave us a new master, and sustains us into eternity.
Let us pray: O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
