Proper 20
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook, SERIES II
for use with Common, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
Comments on the Lessons
The Hosea reading pictures God as a loving father, one who disciplines disobedient children. He leads them back to their homes and relationship with him. The Amos reading is an indictment of Israel for oppressing the poor and for her injustice in the market place. The theme of the 1 Timothy reading is regulation of worship. In (C) verse 8 is omitted because it introduces a new thought. Luke is an account of Jesus' parable of the dishonest steward, ending with applications to life.
Commentary
Hosea 11:1-11
The theme of verses 1-11 is the love of God. An outline of the section is as follows:
verses 1-4, training of Israel, God's child
verses 5-7, Israel's hopeless predicament
verses 8-9, God is God, not human
verses 10-11, Israel is brought home and salvation is announced.
The entire oracle is written in the style of a divine saying, except for verse 10. Note that in verses 1-7 there is a report of Israel's past and present, followed by God's speaking directly to Israel with second person singular pronouns. But the report of the future, in verses 10f, reverts to third-person speech. Omitting verse 10, we can take the whole chapter as a unit in spite of its length.
It appears the oracle is from the middle years of Hosea's reign, a period when Israel's king had provoked the retribution of Shalmaneser V by not paying tribute and instead appealing to Egypt for aid. (2 Kings 17:4) This took place around 727-722 B.C. The final end of Israel was obvious. Notice that verse 11 assumes the presence of the refugees in Egypt, and exiles in Assyria. In verse 5 we learn that Assyria is in complete control in Israel. Earlier in the book of Hosea (chapters 2 and 3), we see that judgment brings Israel to repentance, which becomes the basis of restoration. In this passage we find that it is out of the divine nature of God and his love alone that salvation is given. This shift places this passage nearer to 14:4 than any other prophecies of salvation. We may account for this because in verses Sfjudgment is already in progress, without any repentance in Israel being found. (v. 7)
Hosea seems to be the first person to ground God's relation to Israel on his love; "bonds of love," verse 4. The beginning of this concept is probably found in the divine command to Hosea to enact God's situation with faithful Israel by loving an adulteress. (3:1) The symbol of husband and wife for God's covenant with Israel continues this. (chapters 1-3) But Hosea avoids using the analogy of the sexual cult and the religion of the Baals. Israel's faith is founded on the Exodus event and so Hosea goes there for the salvation/history theme: "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son." (v. 1) "Called" in Hebrew is an election verb and means "summon into relation." God is viewed as father of the tribe or people, which is rooted in the earlier history of Israel.
In verse 2 the theme moves from election to rebellion: "The more I called them, the more they went from me; they kept sacrificing to the Baals, and burning incense to idols." Though Israel is God's son, he is a prodigal son, and no longer dwells in God's house, but rather in the sanctuaries of Baa!, making sacrifices there. In doing this, Israel breaks the fundamental ties of sonship: the covenant relationship is imperiled.
The question raised in verse 3 is: How could Israel do this when God cared for him as a father for a child? The father aids, cherishes, and heals his child as he grows to maturity.
In verse 4 the imagery is not clear. Does the image of father-son continue, or is there a shift to that of beast of burden and master? "And I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them." However, the imagery continues the story of God's kind dealing with Israel, from the wilderness wanderings on.
With verse 5 there is a shift from the love and care of God of Israel in his beginnings, to that of the consequence of Israel's apostasy, which is destroying the nation. Assyria is now their real ruler, and Hosea is only a vassal and figurehead. They propose to return to Egypt instead of returning to God, their one hope - the hope which they ignore.
In verse 8 there is a shift in the style from the narrative about Israel's past and present to God's self-questioning: "How can I give you up, O Ephraim!" Here covenant rights are transcended by covenant love! The issue is whether God will deliver Israel over completely to the destruction already taking place, or will instead have compassion. "My compassion grows warm and tender." Compassion wins out.
Three times in verse 9 God declares he will not let his wrath have the final word against Israel. Israel's future rests entirely on the identity of her God, who is the Holy One, not a human being. "Holy" is a synonym for God.
In verses 10f the future of Israel is described. From style, vocabulary and assertions, this appears to be a non-Hoseanic inserted verse. The lion's roar was a signal of hope, the sound of God coming forth to fight the foes of his people. And Israel comes back to follow God instead of other gods.
Finally, in verse 11, there is a completion of the divine saying of verses 1-9. Living in the land is Israel's realization of God's salvation in Hosea's eschatology. Residence is the form of Israel's existence as the covenant people.
Amos 8:4-7 (L) (RC)
The theme of this passage is the oppression of the poor. Notice a similarity with 2:6-8, where Amos indicts Israel. Those denounced in our passage are members of a trading community. The greed and dishonesty of merchants who will stop at nothing are condemned, for they brutalize the weak and helpless in satisfying their ambition to make money.
Our pericope is part of a larger section, verses 4-14, which is an indictment of Israel and tells of the coming day of mourning.
In verse 4 a herald summons his audience and the people to whom he speaks are identified. They are those who trample the poor, and would do away with the land's afflicted.
We are told in verse 5 that the merchants are anxious for the holy days to pass so they can get on with their crooked business of defrauding in the market place and oppressing the poor.
In this verse Amos describes a situation rather new in Israel. In the older peasant life, buying and selling played only a minor role. Practices of clan life continued. Money was not a major factor. But with the rise of an urban culture there developed an economic upper class. As in parts of the United States and the world today, farmers were pressed off the land by economic factors and were forced to work for hire. Their dependence on the market became acute. Those in control of the market were able to sell to landless peasants at a high price. They could stockpile grain and other resources to sell at a higher price later. Avarice ruled the society.
In verse 6 we are told the merchants bought the poor as slaves. The chaff and trash left over after winnowing is mixed with clean grain and sold to the poor. They love the Lord less, and mammon more. (Compare with the pericope from Luke for today.)
God binds himself by oath to act against these merchants. The Lord swears an oath which was a particularly intense form of the announcement of judgment. "Pride of Jacob" may be a divine title. "Surely I will never forget any of their deeds," verse 7, is only the first half of the oath. The following clause would contain the invocation of a curse on the swearer if he or she broke the oath. See what strong reaction God has against the greedy crooks of the market of Samaria!
1 Timothy 2:1-7 (C)
1 Timothy 2:1-8 (L) (RC)
Our pericope is part of a larger section, verses 1-15, which deals with the regulation of worship. In verses 1-7 there is an emphasis on the universality of the Christian faith. Notice the emphasis on the inclusiveness of Christian prayer. The place of Christians and the church in the second century was in many ways precarious. While not yet being persecuted for being Christians, they were looked on with suspicion by those in power in government. Anything that deviated from usual customs would lead to trouble. Therefore Christians are urged to pray "for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way." (vv. 1-2)
Consider another thought set forth here: kings and lesser government officials are also recipients of God's favor. The Christian faith is for all people. The use of "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings" is intended for emphasis. There was no attempt to distinguish between these different terms. Synonyms add to the message of urging prayer for all in high position.
"Godly and respectful in every way" are Hellenic concepts corresponding to the Hebrew "holiness" and "righteousness." These words point up the speech and concept character of the Pastorals, in contrast to Paul's letters.
This passage exemplifies the type of piety found in the Pastorals, concerned with establishing the writer and church firmly in this world. This contrasts with Paul's tension between the two worlds, here and when Christ returned soon. In contrast to Paul, who lived on the brink from which faith alone saves, the tone in the Pastorals is moderation in all things.
In verse 5 Christ is called the mediator. In the New Testament, "mediator" is used of Christ only here and in Hebrews.
Christ gave himself as a ransom for all. (v. 6) The reader is urged to pray for kings and all people, since Christ gave himself for all. This calls to mind Mark 10:45, which says Christ came "to give his life as a ransom for many."
The phrase "the testimony which was borne at the proper time," verse 6, is almost unintelligible in the Greek. But it apparently means that the Christian faith, as summarized in verses 5-6, was revealed and certified by God when and as God's will might determine. To put it another way, the Christian faith is true because God has declared it so, by his own unconditional will.
If this were Paul writing to Timothy, he would not have needed to assure him that he had been appointed an apostle to the Gentiles, nor that he was not lying. (v. 7) The writer seems to be making "Paul" speak in order to get Paul's affirmation for the writer's assertion of the universalism of the Gospel, something which Paul had spent a lifetime in defending.
"Preacher" is one who makes an authoritative public proclamation, one who demands respect, as a herald of news would command.
The word "teacher" is applied to Paul only here and in 2 Timothy 1:11 in the New Testament. Paul is a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth, which means Christianity is the "true faith."
"Lifting up holy hands" (verse 8) was a common posture for prayer. (Recall the father praying in "Fiddler on the Roof".) I visited the Christian catacombs of Rome, and the art of the catacombs shows the position of prayer to be "with uplifted arms," rather than kneeling.
The author desires prayer in every place, and that it be without anger or quarreling, indicating prayer is efficacious only if the one praying is at peace with brothers and sisters. Only those who forgive can know forgiveness. (See Matthew 5:23-24; 6:14.)
Luke 16:1-13
There are a number of interpretations of this passage, dealing with the dishonest manager, and its application. The source is the "L" document. This is a puzzling parable and the reader is referred to the commentaries on Luke by Joseph A. Fitzmyer and by C. G. Caird for a detailed discussion of various interpretations. In the commentary which follows, several points of view will be set forth. Be aware that there are other ways of interpreting the passage.
This parable follows that of the prodigal son, and the audience now is the disciples (rather than the crowd including tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees and scribes). The passage is a composite, composed of the parable of the clever or dishonest manager, verses 1-8, followed by an exhortation in verses 9-13. Notice that the exhortation centers around two words: mammon and unrighteous.
An outline of the movement in the passage is as follows:
(1) A wasteful manager receives a notice of dismissal, verses 1-2
(2) He turns his limited talents to work for his self-interest, verses 3-7
(3) The master commends him for this astute business deal
Notice that this is a parable and not a teaching which offers an example to follow. This manager, like a contemporary person concerned about "getting his" and "the bottom line," gives first priority to himself and his worldly security.
When the steward or manager is told he must close out his books and give up his position, he figures out a way to provide for his needs when he is out of a job. He says he is not strong enough to dig, and is ashamed to beg. So he decides on a scheme to get people to receive him into their houses (offer him hospitality) when he is out of a job. (This reference to digging and begging appears to be from a proverb.) The manager is called dishonest or unrighteous, which is probably a technical theological expression. The Greek word does not refer to individual ethics but to the universal character of this age. The term for "dishonest" does not mean the person is better or worse than other people of this "world." The point is that such people belong to this age and live their lives according to its principles.
The reductions in the debts owed the master represent the steward's profits, in accord with the customs of agency and usury in Palestine. Thus the steward gives up his own profit in order to ingratiate himself with the debtors and gain their hospitality when he is out of a job.
The "friends" and "they" in verse 9 probably refer to God or the angels who distribute God's punishment or reward. The rabbis used "they" often, in order to avoid mentioning the name of God (which was considered too sacred to mention).
The unrighteous mammon is not tainted money but worldly possessions, or possessions of this unrighteous age. Mammon seems to have originally meant "that in which one puts trust" and then came to mean "money, possessions." The "eternal habitations" are mentioned elsewhere in reference to the reality of the coming age which inheres in the corporate life of the resurrected Messiah. Thus it may have this connotation here.
The true riches in verse 11 points to the realities of the coming age.
The only verse in this passage which occurs elsewhere is verse 13, which came from the Q tradition and is found in Matthew 6:24.
A summary of some interpretations of the parable includes:
(1) Jesus is only commending prudence, urging the disciples to practice it in regard to the matters of the kingdom.
(2) It is an argument "from the lesser to the greater": since the unrighteous steward knew how to deal with matters of this world, in order to ensure his future, how much more ought not the sons of light know how to respond to God?
(3) It may be interpreted in context, meaning that just as the steward faces a crisis, so does the disciple. A time of crisis calls for a radical decision!
A final note: in verse 13 the Greek word for "serve," when used of God, means an honcrable dependence and devotion; when used of mammon it means enslavement to procure it and all that this entails. In the parable of Dives and Lazarus, which comes next Sunday, the enslavement of a rich man is spelled out.
Theological Reflections
The theology of the Hosea passage is God's love and patience (as a father with a disobedient son) with Israel. God restrains his anger and his compassion wins out. Amos speaks God's indictment against Israel, for injustice and oppression toward the poor. The 1 Timothy 2 passage stresses the inclusiveness of Christian prayer and the fact that God desires all people to be saved. The reading from Luke points up the radical decision a disciple must make: for either God or mammon. This passage is illustrated by the Amos reading, which describes the greedy merchants who have put their trust in money.
Homiletical Moves
Hosea 11:1-11 (C)
God's Compassion Grows Warm and Tender
1. God nurtured Israel as a father nurtures and disciplines a child
2. Israel rebelled and went after the Baals
3. God's wrath is expressed toward Israel as her destruction is predicted
4. But God's compassion grows warm and wins out over his fierce anger
5. God promises to return the Israelites in exile to their homes and to salvation
6. We can put our trust in God who loves us and has nurtured us, just as a parent nurtures a child
Amos 8:4-47 (L) (RC)
God's Indictment of Israel
1. God swears he will never forget any of the injustices and oppression of Israel toward the poor and needy
2. God has judged injustice in Christ's death on the Cross, breaking the power of greed, love of mammon, and evil of all kinds
3. God in Christ calls us to do justice and care for the oppressed, to empower the powerless, and to free the "slaves," and reverse what greed causes the "natural" person to do
1 Timothy 2:1-7 (C)
1 Timothy 2:1-8 (L) (RC)
Pray for All People, Kings and Those in High Places!
1. God desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth
2. There is one God, and one mediator between humans and God, Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all
3. Offer supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions
4. Seek to lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way
5. Lift holy hands to God in prayer without anger or quarreling but in peace and love for all
This Preacher's Preference
Luke 16:1-13
Make Friends by Means of Unrighteous Mammon!
1. The wasteful manager made use of his limited talents to ensure his future security and was commended by his master for his shrewdness
2. Jesus commands us to make friends for ourselves by means of unrighteous mammon so that God will receive us into the eternal habitations
3. Jesus says that the person who is faithful in very little is faithful also in much
4. Jesus says that no servant can serve two masters; therefore a disciple must decide between God and mammon
5. Choose God for your security now and in the age to come, and use the things of this world as honest stewards
Hymn for Proper 20: O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go
Prayer
O God, who has loved us as aparent loves a child, we thank you that you have not executed your fierce anger against us for our many sins. We thank you for your compassion, which grows warm and tender. Enable us to turn from love of money, which is the root of all evils, to love you our God. Enable us by your Spirit to pray for all people, especially for those in power in government. Grant that we may live quiet, peaceable lives, godly and respectful in every way. May we be found faithful in using the things of this world to relieve the needs of the poor, to defend the oppressed, to work for justice for all. We pray in Christ's holy name. Amen
The Hosea reading pictures God as a loving father, one who disciplines disobedient children. He leads them back to their homes and relationship with him. The Amos reading is an indictment of Israel for oppressing the poor and for her injustice in the market place. The theme of the 1 Timothy reading is regulation of worship. In (C) verse 8 is omitted because it introduces a new thought. Luke is an account of Jesus' parable of the dishonest steward, ending with applications to life.
Commentary
Hosea 11:1-11
The theme of verses 1-11 is the love of God. An outline of the section is as follows:
verses 1-4, training of Israel, God's child
verses 5-7, Israel's hopeless predicament
verses 8-9, God is God, not human
verses 10-11, Israel is brought home and salvation is announced.
The entire oracle is written in the style of a divine saying, except for verse 10. Note that in verses 1-7 there is a report of Israel's past and present, followed by God's speaking directly to Israel with second person singular pronouns. But the report of the future, in verses 10f, reverts to third-person speech. Omitting verse 10, we can take the whole chapter as a unit in spite of its length.
It appears the oracle is from the middle years of Hosea's reign, a period when Israel's king had provoked the retribution of Shalmaneser V by not paying tribute and instead appealing to Egypt for aid. (2 Kings 17:4) This took place around 727-722 B.C. The final end of Israel was obvious. Notice that verse 11 assumes the presence of the refugees in Egypt, and exiles in Assyria. In verse 5 we learn that Assyria is in complete control in Israel. Earlier in the book of Hosea (chapters 2 and 3), we see that judgment brings Israel to repentance, which becomes the basis of restoration. In this passage we find that it is out of the divine nature of God and his love alone that salvation is given. This shift places this passage nearer to 14:4 than any other prophecies of salvation. We may account for this because in verses Sfjudgment is already in progress, without any repentance in Israel being found. (v. 7)
Hosea seems to be the first person to ground God's relation to Israel on his love; "bonds of love," verse 4. The beginning of this concept is probably found in the divine command to Hosea to enact God's situation with faithful Israel by loving an adulteress. (3:1) The symbol of husband and wife for God's covenant with Israel continues this. (chapters 1-3) But Hosea avoids using the analogy of the sexual cult and the religion of the Baals. Israel's faith is founded on the Exodus event and so Hosea goes there for the salvation/history theme: "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son." (v. 1) "Called" in Hebrew is an election verb and means "summon into relation." God is viewed as father of the tribe or people, which is rooted in the earlier history of Israel.
In verse 2 the theme moves from election to rebellion: "The more I called them, the more they went from me; they kept sacrificing to the Baals, and burning incense to idols." Though Israel is God's son, he is a prodigal son, and no longer dwells in God's house, but rather in the sanctuaries of Baa!, making sacrifices there. In doing this, Israel breaks the fundamental ties of sonship: the covenant relationship is imperiled.
The question raised in verse 3 is: How could Israel do this when God cared for him as a father for a child? The father aids, cherishes, and heals his child as he grows to maturity.
In verse 4 the imagery is not clear. Does the image of father-son continue, or is there a shift to that of beast of burden and master? "And I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them." However, the imagery continues the story of God's kind dealing with Israel, from the wilderness wanderings on.
With verse 5 there is a shift from the love and care of God of Israel in his beginnings, to that of the consequence of Israel's apostasy, which is destroying the nation. Assyria is now their real ruler, and Hosea is only a vassal and figurehead. They propose to return to Egypt instead of returning to God, their one hope - the hope which they ignore.
In verse 8 there is a shift in the style from the narrative about Israel's past and present to God's self-questioning: "How can I give you up, O Ephraim!" Here covenant rights are transcended by covenant love! The issue is whether God will deliver Israel over completely to the destruction already taking place, or will instead have compassion. "My compassion grows warm and tender." Compassion wins out.
Three times in verse 9 God declares he will not let his wrath have the final word against Israel. Israel's future rests entirely on the identity of her God, who is the Holy One, not a human being. "Holy" is a synonym for God.
In verses 10f the future of Israel is described. From style, vocabulary and assertions, this appears to be a non-Hoseanic inserted verse. The lion's roar was a signal of hope, the sound of God coming forth to fight the foes of his people. And Israel comes back to follow God instead of other gods.
Finally, in verse 11, there is a completion of the divine saying of verses 1-9. Living in the land is Israel's realization of God's salvation in Hosea's eschatology. Residence is the form of Israel's existence as the covenant people.
Amos 8:4-7 (L) (RC)
The theme of this passage is the oppression of the poor. Notice a similarity with 2:6-8, where Amos indicts Israel. Those denounced in our passage are members of a trading community. The greed and dishonesty of merchants who will stop at nothing are condemned, for they brutalize the weak and helpless in satisfying their ambition to make money.
Our pericope is part of a larger section, verses 4-14, which is an indictment of Israel and tells of the coming day of mourning.
In verse 4 a herald summons his audience and the people to whom he speaks are identified. They are those who trample the poor, and would do away with the land's afflicted.
We are told in verse 5 that the merchants are anxious for the holy days to pass so they can get on with their crooked business of defrauding in the market place and oppressing the poor.
In this verse Amos describes a situation rather new in Israel. In the older peasant life, buying and selling played only a minor role. Practices of clan life continued. Money was not a major factor. But with the rise of an urban culture there developed an economic upper class. As in parts of the United States and the world today, farmers were pressed off the land by economic factors and were forced to work for hire. Their dependence on the market became acute. Those in control of the market were able to sell to landless peasants at a high price. They could stockpile grain and other resources to sell at a higher price later. Avarice ruled the society.
In verse 6 we are told the merchants bought the poor as slaves. The chaff and trash left over after winnowing is mixed with clean grain and sold to the poor. They love the Lord less, and mammon more. (Compare with the pericope from Luke for today.)
God binds himself by oath to act against these merchants. The Lord swears an oath which was a particularly intense form of the announcement of judgment. "Pride of Jacob" may be a divine title. "Surely I will never forget any of their deeds," verse 7, is only the first half of the oath. The following clause would contain the invocation of a curse on the swearer if he or she broke the oath. See what strong reaction God has against the greedy crooks of the market of Samaria!
1 Timothy 2:1-7 (C)
1 Timothy 2:1-8 (L) (RC)
Our pericope is part of a larger section, verses 1-15, which deals with the regulation of worship. In verses 1-7 there is an emphasis on the universality of the Christian faith. Notice the emphasis on the inclusiveness of Christian prayer. The place of Christians and the church in the second century was in many ways precarious. While not yet being persecuted for being Christians, they were looked on with suspicion by those in power in government. Anything that deviated from usual customs would lead to trouble. Therefore Christians are urged to pray "for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way." (vv. 1-2)
Consider another thought set forth here: kings and lesser government officials are also recipients of God's favor. The Christian faith is for all people. The use of "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings" is intended for emphasis. There was no attempt to distinguish between these different terms. Synonyms add to the message of urging prayer for all in high position.
"Godly and respectful in every way" are Hellenic concepts corresponding to the Hebrew "holiness" and "righteousness." These words point up the speech and concept character of the Pastorals, in contrast to Paul's letters.
This passage exemplifies the type of piety found in the Pastorals, concerned with establishing the writer and church firmly in this world. This contrasts with Paul's tension between the two worlds, here and when Christ returned soon. In contrast to Paul, who lived on the brink from which faith alone saves, the tone in the Pastorals is moderation in all things.
In verse 5 Christ is called the mediator. In the New Testament, "mediator" is used of Christ only here and in Hebrews.
Christ gave himself as a ransom for all. (v. 6) The reader is urged to pray for kings and all people, since Christ gave himself for all. This calls to mind Mark 10:45, which says Christ came "to give his life as a ransom for many."
The phrase "the testimony which was borne at the proper time," verse 6, is almost unintelligible in the Greek. But it apparently means that the Christian faith, as summarized in verses 5-6, was revealed and certified by God when and as God's will might determine. To put it another way, the Christian faith is true because God has declared it so, by his own unconditional will.
If this were Paul writing to Timothy, he would not have needed to assure him that he had been appointed an apostle to the Gentiles, nor that he was not lying. (v. 7) The writer seems to be making "Paul" speak in order to get Paul's affirmation for the writer's assertion of the universalism of the Gospel, something which Paul had spent a lifetime in defending.
"Preacher" is one who makes an authoritative public proclamation, one who demands respect, as a herald of news would command.
The word "teacher" is applied to Paul only here and in 2 Timothy 1:11 in the New Testament. Paul is a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth, which means Christianity is the "true faith."
"Lifting up holy hands" (verse 8) was a common posture for prayer. (Recall the father praying in "Fiddler on the Roof".) I visited the Christian catacombs of Rome, and the art of the catacombs shows the position of prayer to be "with uplifted arms," rather than kneeling.
The author desires prayer in every place, and that it be without anger or quarreling, indicating prayer is efficacious only if the one praying is at peace with brothers and sisters. Only those who forgive can know forgiveness. (See Matthew 5:23-24; 6:14.)
Luke 16:1-13
There are a number of interpretations of this passage, dealing with the dishonest manager, and its application. The source is the "L" document. This is a puzzling parable and the reader is referred to the commentaries on Luke by Joseph A. Fitzmyer and by C. G. Caird for a detailed discussion of various interpretations. In the commentary which follows, several points of view will be set forth. Be aware that there are other ways of interpreting the passage.
This parable follows that of the prodigal son, and the audience now is the disciples (rather than the crowd including tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees and scribes). The passage is a composite, composed of the parable of the clever or dishonest manager, verses 1-8, followed by an exhortation in verses 9-13. Notice that the exhortation centers around two words: mammon and unrighteous.
An outline of the movement in the passage is as follows:
(1) A wasteful manager receives a notice of dismissal, verses 1-2
(2) He turns his limited talents to work for his self-interest, verses 3-7
(3) The master commends him for this astute business deal
Notice that this is a parable and not a teaching which offers an example to follow. This manager, like a contemporary person concerned about "getting his" and "the bottom line," gives first priority to himself and his worldly security.
When the steward or manager is told he must close out his books and give up his position, he figures out a way to provide for his needs when he is out of a job. He says he is not strong enough to dig, and is ashamed to beg. So he decides on a scheme to get people to receive him into their houses (offer him hospitality) when he is out of a job. (This reference to digging and begging appears to be from a proverb.) The manager is called dishonest or unrighteous, which is probably a technical theological expression. The Greek word does not refer to individual ethics but to the universal character of this age. The term for "dishonest" does not mean the person is better or worse than other people of this "world." The point is that such people belong to this age and live their lives according to its principles.
The reductions in the debts owed the master represent the steward's profits, in accord with the customs of agency and usury in Palestine. Thus the steward gives up his own profit in order to ingratiate himself with the debtors and gain their hospitality when he is out of a job.
The "friends" and "they" in verse 9 probably refer to God or the angels who distribute God's punishment or reward. The rabbis used "they" often, in order to avoid mentioning the name of God (which was considered too sacred to mention).
The unrighteous mammon is not tainted money but worldly possessions, or possessions of this unrighteous age. Mammon seems to have originally meant "that in which one puts trust" and then came to mean "money, possessions." The "eternal habitations" are mentioned elsewhere in reference to the reality of the coming age which inheres in the corporate life of the resurrected Messiah. Thus it may have this connotation here.
The true riches in verse 11 points to the realities of the coming age.
The only verse in this passage which occurs elsewhere is verse 13, which came from the Q tradition and is found in Matthew 6:24.
A summary of some interpretations of the parable includes:
(1) Jesus is only commending prudence, urging the disciples to practice it in regard to the matters of the kingdom.
(2) It is an argument "from the lesser to the greater": since the unrighteous steward knew how to deal with matters of this world, in order to ensure his future, how much more ought not the sons of light know how to respond to God?
(3) It may be interpreted in context, meaning that just as the steward faces a crisis, so does the disciple. A time of crisis calls for a radical decision!
A final note: in verse 13 the Greek word for "serve," when used of God, means an honcrable dependence and devotion; when used of mammon it means enslavement to procure it and all that this entails. In the parable of Dives and Lazarus, which comes next Sunday, the enslavement of a rich man is spelled out.
Theological Reflections
The theology of the Hosea passage is God's love and patience (as a father with a disobedient son) with Israel. God restrains his anger and his compassion wins out. Amos speaks God's indictment against Israel, for injustice and oppression toward the poor. The 1 Timothy 2 passage stresses the inclusiveness of Christian prayer and the fact that God desires all people to be saved. The reading from Luke points up the radical decision a disciple must make: for either God or mammon. This passage is illustrated by the Amos reading, which describes the greedy merchants who have put their trust in money.
Homiletical Moves
Hosea 11:1-11 (C)
God's Compassion Grows Warm and Tender
1. God nurtured Israel as a father nurtures and disciplines a child
2. Israel rebelled and went after the Baals
3. God's wrath is expressed toward Israel as her destruction is predicted
4. But God's compassion grows warm and wins out over his fierce anger
5. God promises to return the Israelites in exile to their homes and to salvation
6. We can put our trust in God who loves us and has nurtured us, just as a parent nurtures a child
Amos 8:4-47 (L) (RC)
God's Indictment of Israel
1. God swears he will never forget any of the injustices and oppression of Israel toward the poor and needy
2. God has judged injustice in Christ's death on the Cross, breaking the power of greed, love of mammon, and evil of all kinds
3. God in Christ calls us to do justice and care for the oppressed, to empower the powerless, and to free the "slaves," and reverse what greed causes the "natural" person to do
1 Timothy 2:1-7 (C)
1 Timothy 2:1-8 (L) (RC)
Pray for All People, Kings and Those in High Places!
1. God desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth
2. There is one God, and one mediator between humans and God, Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all
3. Offer supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions
4. Seek to lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way
5. Lift holy hands to God in prayer without anger or quarreling but in peace and love for all
This Preacher's Preference
Luke 16:1-13
Make Friends by Means of Unrighteous Mammon!
1. The wasteful manager made use of his limited talents to ensure his future security and was commended by his master for his shrewdness
2. Jesus commands us to make friends for ourselves by means of unrighteous mammon so that God will receive us into the eternal habitations
3. Jesus says that the person who is faithful in very little is faithful also in much
4. Jesus says that no servant can serve two masters; therefore a disciple must decide between God and mammon
5. Choose God for your security now and in the age to come, and use the things of this world as honest stewards
Hymn for Proper 20: O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go
Prayer
O God, who has loved us as aparent loves a child, we thank you that you have not executed your fierce anger against us for our many sins. We thank you for your compassion, which grows warm and tender. Enable us to turn from love of money, which is the root of all evils, to love you our God. Enable us by your Spirit to pray for all people, especially for those in power in government. Grant that we may live quiet, peaceable lives, godly and respectful in every way. May we be found faithful in using the things of this world to relieve the needs of the poor, to defend the oppressed, to work for justice for all. We pray in Christ's holy name. Amen
