Grace Mercy and Peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text today is the Gospel lesson (Luke 16:1-15), especially verses 10-13, "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Money." Thus far our text.
Dear friends in Christ. A little boy wanted a pet dog, and so he asked his parents again and again to have a dog. "Having a Dog is a great responsibility," his mother told him. "You have to walk him, feed him, and care for him. Tell you what, if you prove to me that you are responsible enough to keep your room cleaned, get your homework done, and do all your other chores, you can have a dog. You have to prove you can handle these little things before you can handle the big responsibilities of a pet."
"One who is faithful in very little, is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much." So Jesus tells us in our text. Are you faithful, or are you dishonest? The dictionary defines faithful as "True" or "Adhering completely to something". Does that describe you, or not?
It does not describe the steward in our text. He was the head of a rich man's household, in charge of running the daily affairs of the master. But he did not do so according to the master's will. He was not faithful to what the master desired. Instead he squandered what the master had put him in charge of, wasting it. Charges were brought up against the man, and he was out of the job, left to fend for himself. "What shall I do," he says, "I cannot dig and am ashamed to beg." His unfaithfulness had cost him his entire living.
And it is not a surprise that the man in the parable was dishonest in these things. Ever since the creation of the world, man has been unfaithful in their dealings. Even Adam, the very first man was put in charge of the Garden of Eden, and ended up squandering all of the gifts God had given to him. Instead of being faithful to God and his good gifts, Adam chose to eat of the only tree he was forbidden. He wanted to "be like God" in knowing Good and Evil. In doing so every good thing that God had already given to him was corrupted by sin. In response, God cast Adam and his wife out of the garden, saying, "By the sweat of your brow will you eat bread until you return to the dust from which I created you." Unfaithfulness cost Adam his whole life as the reality of death in sin now confronted him.
And what of you and I? We too are unfaithful in our own ways aren't we? Each of us too struggles with this daily. Christ calls us to be faithful even to the point of death, but we fail. Instead often, just like Adam, and just like the steward in our text, our own selfish desires come between us and our Heavenly Father.
God the Father who created you, knows your sin. He knows your unfaithfulness, even in the little things. He knows those times where you have turned your eyes lustfully at the wealth and sin of the world and says, "if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out." He knows those times where your ear has been opened to the words of gossip, or when your tongue complained and spoken words you wouldn't want your mother to hear. He knows when your hands in idleness have not helped your neighbor or even in busyness have caused you to sin. Dear friends do not be fooled, God knows that even in these little things, you have been unfaithful. And Jesus says in our text, "He who is unfaithful in little things, will also be unfaithful in much." Our unfaithfulness infects every inch and atom of our being.
In our unfaithfulness we, like the unfaithful steward, are taken from the company of our master. We, like Adam, are removed from the Eternal presence of God, and left to eat bread by the sweat of our brow. We are left alone and dead in our sin. Each of us is guilty, and in our Old Testament lesson Amos, beyond condemning us for our greed, tells us the following, "The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their deeds." Where do we turn? What can we do? In these worldly things, we have been unfaithful. Our text says, "If then you have not been faithful in the worldly things, who will entrust to you the true riches?" In other words, in your sin, daily turning away from God in thought word and deed, why should you expect heaven and eternity? In the pain and suffering of our unfaithfulness, why should we expect comfort and peace from God?
Because your sin has been answered for. Because your unfaithfulness has been atoned for by one whose very name is called "Faithful and True." (Rev 19:11) The Son of God has come and taken on human flesh and has lived a life of faith and trust in the True God. Jesus has been faithful in the little things. His eyes never gazed lustfully on anything. His ear avoided idle gossip and his tongue never passed on an untrue word. He used his hands to help and serve those around them, even you, as they were pierced by nails outstretched upon a cross. Jesus Christ has done this for you and for your unfaithfulness. Jesus has proved himself in his own life death and resurrection to be faithful in the little things. Now, in his faithfulness, he makes promises to you.
In the waters of holy baptism, he makes the promise that you shall always be his own precious dear child, joined to him in the Name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He promises to never leave you nor forsake you (Deut 31:6), and to be with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matt 28) In his faithfulness he promises to be here with us today, in with and under the very body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 22:19, Matt. 26) given to us sinners to eat and drink for the forgiveness of our sins. There God promises to be, and God is faithful in his promise. He who is faithful in the little thins, is also faithful in much.
Dear friends in Christ, where we have been unfaithful, Jesus has been Faithful. Where we have sinned, Jesus has become sin for us. Where we fall short, Jesus excels in grace and mercy. Yes we are unfaithful people, but Christ still makes faithful promises to you, calling you from your sin and into relationship with him. Your Lord is faithful to you.
The one who is faithful in the small things is faithful in the big things. Jesus is faithful in the small thing, and in his faithfulness promises you ever lasting life and peace in His name. Jesus makes promises to you, and you can expect him to fulfill those promises, because those promises are sealed in the blood of the faithful and true lamb, Jesus will be faithful to you. Amen.
