9th Sunday after TRINITY: Homily

"THE JUST STEWARD"

Saint Luke 16. 1-9

9^th Sunday after Trinity: 28 July Anno Domini 2013

Fr. Jay Watson SSP

In The Name + of Jesus

   Christ commends the unjust steward, not for being unjust, but for being a steward. The Lord approves of his dealing shrewdly—prudently, with the gifts and skills he had, and with the trust and reliance he still had in his master—the rich man.

   Jesus is clear to Moses when He wrote with His finger on stone: “thou shalt not steal,” “thou shalt not covet,” and that lying, deceiving and using false scales was trespass against the His holy Law!

   But Christ tells you this morning that if even an accused, soon-to-be-fired, disgraced and wasteful steward can be wise in self-preservation; can make to himself friends with the mammon in his hands, so too you as children of light can insure everlasting habitations in heaven and eternal friends of the Heavenly Host! For you have a better Steward!

   For you, as you, can NOT do it, can NOT insure it. You are not faithful stewards but thieves. You constantly fight the urge to even “fess up” to your own pilfering and embezzlement. You waste the goods which have been placed into your un-just hands: you waste the Scriptures by not treasuring them in reading, meditation and prayer; you waste Holy Absolution in not availing yourselves of daily contrition, remembrance of Baptismal regeneration, and private confession; you waste the Lords’ Eucharist by not always attending Blessed Mass.

   “Behold God is mine helper.” Yes He is.

   Jesus feeds His Disciples with His words, His parabolic wisdom which is Righteousness that saves and sustains. Jesus is the rich man, God of very God, being of the same substance with the Father, who for all the damning accusation made against you (which are all true) came down from heaven to rescue you. Jesus knows that you can give no account for your “old-Adam” misfeasance, malfeasance, and mis-stewardship. Jesus knows that you cannot dig—that all your good works are dust in the wind and that all your “righteous deeds” are like filthy rags. Jesus knows that you won’t even beg properly, because to beg would be to admit a need for mercy—a recognition of falleness which your pride eschews.

   Jesus the rich man leaves Heaven’s mansions and descends to your imminent ruin and intervenes. Jesus becomes accused for you and stands convicted off all your crimes. Jesus pays on your accounts, not with gold or silver but with His precious Body nailed to a tree; not with measures of oil and wheat but with His innocent Blood canceling all your debts.

  He Who is Light of Light, the Light of the World, the Life that lightens your own eyes and your now FORGIVEN consciences, became dark unto suffering and death—dark in the burial shroud and cave of Joseph’s tomb. Jesus the Wisdom of God became a foolish scandal and accursed criminal to make you not just “technically not-guilty” but INNOCENT and Righteous once again to the Rich Man of Our Father Who art in heaven.

   Not only then, A.D. 30, but now and forever Jesus is your Good and Godly steward. Jesus the ever Servant-Savior makes you His friends, makes you friends with The Holy Ghost and His beloved Father; makes you friends with the angels and saints in the everlasting habitations.

   Jesus starts with the humble mammon of His creation, now unrighteous in the falleness of sin: water, wine, and bread. Jesus attaches, places His very Word and Self into these elements and His Righteousness is now the Righteousness of the Sacraments, The Word tangible, to give you the tangible God/Man and the tangible Peace and Home.

In The Name of The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost