Sermon Tone Analysis

By Pastor Glenn Pease

Have you ever heard or read of such a unique and perfectly planned crime that you said to yourself, "That was really clever"?

For example, was it not amazing that that group of men in England could steal millions of dollars without firing a shot?

We have to admit it was a bad thing well done.

They knew what they were doing, and were dedicated to their plan.

We do not approve of their crime, but we admire their commitment.

They were willing to sacrifice their life for the goal they have chosen.

Does this sound like blasphemy to be admiring the dedication of clever crooks and their evil schemes?

If it does, it may be because we have forgotten how seldom Jesus used people with halos to illustrate His teachings.

Do you remember the story of the mean old judge who would not help a poor old widow?

But she kept bothering him till he finally gave in, and what Christ was teaching was this: If a stubborn unjust judge will help a widow just to get rid of her, how much more will God help those who call upon Him because He loves them?

Or what of the story of the man wanting bread who goes to his neighbor who is in bed?

He tries to get him to go away, but finally just to get rid of him he gets up and gives him bread.

The point is, if a man will be kind in order to get rid of a nuisance, how much more will God be kind to those who come to Him in need?

We are now considering a parable that has perplexed many people, and has caused some critics to say that Jesus taught it was wise to cheat if you are smart enough to get by with it.

The hero of the story is an outright crook, and Jesus uses him as an example for His disciples.

Jesus was not limited to saints for His illustrations.

Jews could not loan money for interest, so they hired Gentile stewards to do it for them.

The steward was completely in charge, and he kept all the books.

He would loan to farmers to get them going, and they would pay back so much of a percent of their crops.

He was one who made sure they paid back the right percentage.

This particular steward was wasting his master's profits (no doubt in wickedness, for the word is the same as that used of the Prodigal who wasted his substance in riotous living).

When his master heard of it, he called him and told him to give an account.

When he saw that the books were false he fired him.

The steward faced the consequences and pictured the future.

He was not able to dig or beg, so he came up with a clever plan.

He called his lord's debtors and gave them all a big discount so they would be his friends when he lost his job, and in gratitude would take him in.

It was so clever that even his lord, when he heard of it, said that the man was really sharp.

It is a shame to lose a man with such a good head on his shoulders.

Jesus then comments on this story and teaches us some lessons from this unjust steward.

First we see-

I.

A LESSON ON THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD.

v.8

In World War II, Leslie Weatherhead was in a battalion located in a bend of the Tigris River.

They were constantly annoyed by the cleverest thieves in the world-the Arabs.

The men would sleep with revolvers under their pillows and have them stolen in the night.

They even tried to bury their rifles under the surface of the ground and fasten straps to their wrists.

After a night of unbroken slumber they would wake to find them stolen.

Two of his fellow officers were so angry they were determined to shoot any Arab on sight, and so with rifles loaded they laid out in the desert all night to keep watch.

They did not hear or see anything, but when they came back to their tent in the morning, the entire contents had been looted.

They were absolute experts in the field of crime.

'Twas the night before Thanksgiving,

And all through the plane

Not a stewardess was smiling,

Or serving champagne.

The reason was because a skyjacker by the name of Don Copper had flashed a bomb and demanded 200,000 and four parachutes.

In Seattle the demand was me, and the passengers were allowed to leave the plane.

He then ordered the pilot to fly to Mexico.

Somewhere between Seattle and Reno he opened the rear door and bailed out with the money.

Law enforcement agencies combed the area, but no trace of him could be found.

The reaction of the American people was one of amazement at his cleverness.

He was admired as a hero, for he outwitted the system.

The majority of people interviewed hoped he would get away because he was so clever.

Jesus is saying to His disciples that they can learn from non-Christian dedication, even the dedication of crooks.

Look at the world and learn something from their commitment to their evil goals.

Jesus is not approving of their actions.

He is simply pointing out that they are often more devoted to, and consistent with their ungodliness than Christians are with their profession of faith.

In the long run the worldly are fools, but in the short run they are often wiser in attaining their goals than believers are in attaining theirs.

Why should we not be as dedicated to God as the world is to their idols?

They devote their time and money to their idols.

They are not hypocritical saying that they love their idol, and then give only one or two hours a week to it.

What would you think of a man who said his god was sports, and then only went to one sporting event a week.

You would denounce him as a hypocrite.

If sports was his god, he would be into some sort of sport everyday, and when not doing it, he would be reading about it and talking about it.

A truly religious sports fanatic has no limit to his love, for it penetrates into his very being, and he exists for it.

The true sports worshiper will deny himself, his family, his friends and relatives, and give up all other values to be loyal to his first love.

Sure he is a fool, but Jesus would say even his folly shows you what true commitment is to ones highest values.

They are relatively wise and absolutely foolish, but we can learn from them anyway.

An ancient proverb says, "It is lawful to learn from an enemy."

Jesus said, "Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

It is the one characteristic or quality of the serpent we are to learn from, and not be like the serpent in its evil ways.

When Jesus said He would come as a thief in the night He was not identifying Himself with the evil motives of the thief, but just the one quality of suddenness.

He is not saying we should be like crooks, but that we should learn from their commitment to false gods what our commitment ought to be to the true God.

Look at some of the values we see in this unjust steward.

1. FORESIGHT-v.

3.

He pictured the day of judgment for him, and he faced the consequences.

We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and how foolish not to face that fact, and consider the consequences of living a half-hearted Christian life.

We ought to fear to stand before Him with a life as fruitless as an iceberg.

When Jesus said we are to take no thought for the morrow, He meant we are not to worry about where our next meal is coming from.

He did not mean we are not to plan ahead.

Nothing is so strange as people who want to go to heaven but who do not want to learn of Christ now, and serve Him with all their energy.

It is wisdom to see the future and plan, as did this thief, on how to deal with negative consequences in a positive way.

2. DETERMINATION-v.

4. The man of the world says, here is what I want, and here is how to get it.

Jesus would have us learn that success in anything demands determined and concentrated effort.

The safe cracker spends many years training his ears and fingers to be sensitive.

He needs to develop the tools necessary for his trade.

If it takes so much effort and energy to be a good crook, how much more ought you to expect to take to become a good Christian?

Many think it is a snap to be a Christian, but this is not so for those who want to be all that Christ wants them to be.

This calls for everything you've got.

The Christian life is a joy, but also a job.

The Christian life is a feast, but also a fight.

The Christian life is banquet, but also a battle.

You can't expect to be successful in the Christian life if you are not willing to exert the energy necessary.

Alexander Maclaren said to his large congregation, "Why, a boy, will spend more pains in learning to whistle than half of you do in trying to cultivate your Christian character."

A man who spends 6 hours a week on the golf course and only one in pursuit of the things of Christ will likely be a better golfer than he is a Christian.

A man reveals his real hunger and thirst by the way he spends his time.

If he seldom considers God and His Word, and is always involved with other things, he is a worldly Christian.

No one is as unhappy as a half-hearted Christian.