LUKE 16:1-13 | TO WHOM DO YOU OWE YOUR LIFE?

TO WHOM DO YOU OWE YOUR LIFE?

LUKE 16:1-13

SEPTEMBER 18, 2016

TO WHOM DO YOU OWE YOUR LIFE?

IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE 15^TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 VARIOUS NEWS OUTLETS WERE RETELLING THE STORY OF THE MAN IN THE RED BANDANA.

HIS NAME WAS WELLES CROWTER; 24 YEARS OLD; WORKING FOR AN INVESTMENT FIRM ON THE 104^TH FLOOR OF THE SOUTH TOWER OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.

WHEN THE PLANES STRUCK HE CALLED HOME TO TELL HIS MOM HE WAS OKAY.  IT WAS THE LAST WORDS THEY WOULD EVER HEAR HIM SPEAK.

THOUGH DRESSED FOR THE PART OF AN INVESTMENT BANKER, WELLES ALSO ALWAYS HAD WITH HIM A RED BANDANA HIS FATHER HAD GIVEN HIM AS A CHILD.

ON THE DAY OF THE DISASTER, WELLES WAS WEARING THAT RED BANDANA OVER HIS FACE TO BLOCK THE SMOKE AND SOOT, AS HE FOUND A STAIRWAY DOWN, AND BEGAN LEADING OTHERS TO IT.

TIME AND TIME AGAIN, HE LED PEOPLE TO IT, AND STARTED THEM ON THEIR LIFE SAVING CLIMB DOWN OUT OF THE TOWER; BUT HE NEVER LEFT.  HE JUST KEPT GOING BACK TO FIND MORE PEOPLE.

WHEN THE SOUTH TOWER FELL, WELLES WAS STILL IN IT.  HE DIED ON THE SCENE AFTER LEADING AN UNTOLD NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO SAFETY.

SURVIVORS TOLD OF BEING LED TO THE STAIRWAY BY A YOUNG MAN WITH A RED BANDANA.  SIX MONTHS AFTER THE ATTACK, IN THE REMAINING RUBBLE, WHAT WAS LEFT OF WELLES CROWTER’S BODY WAS FOUND STILL WEARING THE RED BANDANA.

IN AN INTERESTING TWIST, WHEN HIS FAMILY WENT TO GATHER HIS THINGS FROM HIS APARTMENT, THEY FOUND A COMPLETED APPLICATION FOR THE NEW YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT.

HE HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A FIREMAN; HE CHOSE BANKING FOR THE MONEY; BUT HE HAD NOT BEEN HAPPY DOING IT; AND HE WAS PLANNING TO LEAVE HIS JOB TO BECOME A FIREFIGHTER WITH THE FDNY.

IF YOU ASK THOSE WHOM WELLES CROWTER LED OUT OF THE BUILDING, “TO WHOM DO YOU OWE YOUR LIFE?” CHANCES ARE THEY MIGHT SAY, “TO THE MAN IN THE RED BANDANA.

ALSO DURING THE WEEK LEADING UP TO 9/11, BUT COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO IT, I SAW A PICTURE FROM ONE OF THE WIRE SERVICES OF A MOTHER, WEARING A STETHOSCOPE, LISTENING TO HER SON’S HEART, BEATING IN THE CHEST OF ANOTHER.

HER YOUNG SON HAD BEEN KILLED IN A TRAGIC ACCIDENT, AND THE FAMILY HAD MADE THE PAINFUL DECISION OF DONATING HIS ORGANS; BUT NOW SHE WAS LISTENING TO HER SON’S HEART BEATING OUT LIFE IN THE CHEST OF THE RECIPIENT.

IF YOU ASKED THE RECIPIENT, TO WHOM DO YOU OWE YOUR LIFE? CHANCES ARE HE MIGHT SAY TO THIS WOMAN’S SON.

TO WHOM DO WE OWE OUR LIVES?

SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN… POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS, MEDICS…?

TO DOCTORS, NURSES, RESEARCH SCIENTISTS, LIFE-GIVING, LIFE-RESTORING, LIFE- RETURNING PROFESSIONALS…?

TO WHOM DO WE OWE OUR LIVES?

OUR MOTHERS, OUR FATHERS…?  ORGAN DONORS, BLOOD DONORS, PERFECT STRANGERS PULLING PEOPLE OUT OF BURNING CARS; PEOPLE PERFORMING CPR; PEOPLE WHO DIVE IN TO SAVE POTENTIAL DROWNING VICTIMS…?

A MINISTER FRIEND OF MINE FROM YEARS AGO, THE REV. GRAEME SIEBER, WHO, BY THE WAY, ALSO KNEW THE LATE LEN MILLISON, FORMER PASTOR HERE AT PEACE COVENANT, AND WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED ANNUALLY TO THE LEN MILLISON FUND;

ONCE WENT TO WASHINGTON, DC TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE BOYS’ HOME HE WAS RUNNING IN CLEVELAND, TN.

HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO THEN TENNESSEE SENATOR BILL FRIST’S OFFICE TO MAKE HIS CASE, WHEN HE SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK BUT A FEW STEPS FROM THE SENATOR’S OFFICE.

SENATOR FRIST, WHO JUST ALSO HAPPENED TO BE A BOARD-CERTIFIED CARDIAC SURGEON, IMMEDIATELY BEGAN CPR, SAVING REV. SIEBER’S LIFE.

IF YOU ASKED GRAEME SIEBER, TO WHOM DO YOU OWE OUR LIFE? CHANCES ARE HE WOULD HAVE ANSWERED SENATOR DR. BILL FRIST.

BY THE WAY, ONCE GRAEME WAS WELL ENOUGH, HE SHOWED BACK UP AT SENATOR FRIST’S OFFICE NOT ONLY TO THANK HIM FOR SAVING HIS LIFE, BUT ADVOCATING FOR THE LIVES OF THE BOYS IN THE BOYS’ HOME HE RAN BACK IN TENNESSEE.

TO WHOM DO WE OWE OUR LIVES?

I ASK THIS QUESTION IN LIGHT OF THIS MORNING’S SCRIPTURE PASSAGE, WHICH, HONESTLY, HAS TO BE ONE OF THE WORST PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE IN THE ENTIRE BIBLE!

IT’S JUST AWFUL; TERRIBLE; A REAL STINKER.  AND I DON’T SAY THIS LIGHTLY OR FLIPPANTLY, BUT IT’S A REALLY LOUSY STORY.

EVERYONE IN IT IS JUST AWFUL.  THE RICH MAN WHO OWNS THE PROPERTY, AND WHO HAS ALREADY DECIDED, WITHOUT EVEN HEARING THE PROPERTY MANAGER’S SIDE OF THINGS, THAT HE WILL TERMINATE HIM.

THE PROPERTY MANAGER, WHO IS CONCERNED ONLY FOR HIS OWN WELLBEING; WHO DEVISES A SCHEME WHEREBY OTHERS WILL BE INDEBTED TO HIM, THUS WELCOMING HIM INTO THEIR HOMES WHEN HE LOSES HIS JOB.

THE DEBTORS WHO WILLINGLY GO ALONG WITH THE PROPERTY MANAGER’S SCHEME TO DEFRAUD THE RICH MAN, BY COOKING THE BOOKS, IF YOU WILL, AND CHEATING THE RICH MAN OUT OF WHAT THEY REALLY OWED HIM.

AND THEN, EVEN AFTER CHEATING HIS MASTER OUT OF HALF OF WHAT IS REALLY OWED TO HIM, THE MASTER ACTUALLY COMMENDS THE DISHONEST MANAGER FOR HIS SHREWDNESS IN SAVING HIS OWN SKIN!

THERE’S NOT AN HONEST PERSON IN THE BUNCH!

EVEN JESUS GETS IN ON THE ACT BY APPARENTLY COMMENDING TO OUR ATTENTION THE ACTIONS OF THE DISHONEST MANAGER.

THAT “THE CHILDREN OF THIS AGE ARE SHREWDER THAN THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT;” AND THAT WE SHOULD “MAKE FRIENDS FOR OURSELVES BY MEANS OF DISHONEST WEALTH SO THAT WHEN IT IS GONE, THEY MAY WELCOME US INTO THE ETERNAL HOMES.”

AND THEN THERE’S A BUNCH OF STUFF ABOUT BEING FAITHFUL IN A LITTLE, SO THAT WE MAY BE FAITHFUL WITH MUCH; AND HOW IF WE HAVEN’T BEEN FAITHFUL WITH DISHONEST WEALTH, HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY BE FAITHFUL IN THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER;

AND HOW WE CAN’T BE SLAVES TO TWO MASTERS, GOD AND WEALTH, FOR WE WILL WIND UP LOVING THE ONE AND HATING THE OTHER, OR HATING THE ONE AND LOVING THE OTHER.

THIS IS ALL QUITE A RATHER STARTLING INDICTMENT OF BOTH “THE CHILDREN OF THIS AGE” AND “THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT!”

SO, WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD JESUS TELL THIS STORY?  AND HOW IN THE WORLD WILL HE SNATCH VICTORY OUT OF THE JAWS OF DEFEAT THIS TIME, WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PASSAGE?

BASICALLY, IT IS THIS:

SEE HOW CONNIVING, MANIPULATIVE, SCHEMING, PLOTTING, DEVIOUS AND DISHONEST THE DISHONEST MANAGER IS IN PROTECTING HIS OWN FUTURE?  IN SAVING HIS OWN BACON?

IN CARVING OUT A LIFE, A FUTURE, FOR HIMSELF ONCE HE’S FIRED FROM HIS JOB?  SEE HOW HARD HE WORKS AT TRYING TO GAIN AN EDGE ON HIS FUTURE LIFE BY COZYING UP TO HIS MASTER’S DEBTORS?

THAT – JESUS SAYS – IS HOW HARD WE, THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT, SHOULD BE WORKING TOWARD THE THINGS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

THAT – IS HOW HARD WE SHOULD BE WORKING FOR OUR OWN FUTURES IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD, SO THAT WE MIGHT “DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER!”

THIS IS WHAT JESUS IS SAYING.  THIS IS HOW HE SNATCHES VICTORY FROM DEFEAT.  THIS IS WHAT HE IS COMMENDING TO US OUT OF THIS GOD AWFUL STORY.

SEE HOW HARD THE CHILDREN OF THIS AGE WORK TO GAIN THE THINGS OF THIS LIFE?  THAT’S HOW HARD THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT SHOULD BE WORKING FOR THE THINGS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

AS HARD AS PEOPLE WORK TO MAKE A LIVING FOR THEMSELVES IN THIS LIFE, WE SHOULD BE WORKING THAT HARD TO MAKE A LIFE FOR OURSELVES IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD – NOW AND FOREVER!

IN A WAY IT REMINDS ME OF WHEN WE WERE STUDENTS BACK IN GRADE SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL, OR HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE THERE WERE STUDENTS ALWAYS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CHEAT ON A TEST.  REMEMBER?

REMEMBER WHAT LENGTHS SOME STUDENTS WOULD GO TO CHEAT?  CREATING ALL SORTS OF ELABORATE SCHEMES; DOING ALL KINDS OF THINGS TO CHEAT THE SYSTEM; DEVISING DEVIOUS PLANS FOR GETTING THE ANSWERS AHEAD OF TIME.

AND WHEN THEY WERE CAUGHT, AND THEY WERE ALMOST, ALWAYS, INEVITABLY CAUGHT; REMEMBER WHAT THE TEACHER WOULD ALWAYS SAY?

“IF YOU HAD SPENT AS MUCH TIME STUDYING AS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO CHEAT, YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PASSED THE TEST.”

THIS IS WHAT JESUS IS SAYING IN THIS PARABLE.

THE CHILDREN OF THIS AGE ARE LIKE THOSE STUDENTS WHO SPEND ALL THEIR TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CHEAT THE SYSTEM.

AND WE?  THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT – WE NEED TO BE WORKING JUST AS HARD AT STUDYING THE WAYS OF GOD AS THE CHILDREN OF THIS AGE WORK AT CHEATING – SO THAT WE ARE WORKING FOR AND TOWARD THE KINGDOM OF GOD NOW AND FOREVER.

AND, WELL, THAT’S WHAT THIS PARABLE IS ABOUT, CHOOSING WHETHER OR NOT TO BE CHILDREN OF THIS AGE, OR CHILDREN OF LIGHT, AND JUST HOW HARD WE ARE WILLING TO WORK;

FOR “NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS.”

WE ARE TO PUT IN THE TIME NECESSARY TO STUDY WHAT MAKES FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND WORK ON THESE THINGS.

BY THE WAY, DO YOU REMEMBER THE OTHER THING TEACHERS ALWAYS SAID TO THOSE WHO WERE CAUGHT CHEATING?  IT MAY SOUND CLICHÉ, BUT IT WAS ALSO TRUE.

“YOU ARE ONLY CHEATING YOURSELF.”

AND THEY WERE – THEY WERE CHEATING THEMSELVES OUT OF KNOWLEDGE, OUT OF LEARNING, OUT OF AN EDUCATION, OUT OF BETTER GRADES, OUT OF BETTER SCHOOLS, AND COLLEGE, AND BETTER JOBS, AND MORE MONEY;

BUT INEVITABLY, EVEN IF THEY GAINED MANY OF THESE THINGS, THEY WERE STILL CHEATING THEMSELVES OUT OF LEARNING.

NOW I KNOW, PLENTY OF CHEATERS HAVE GOTTEN AHEAD; PLENTY OF THEM HAVE MADE LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY IN LIFE; EVEN PROSPERED AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS WHOM THEY HAVE CHEATED;

BUT AS JESUS SAYS, “WHAT DOES IT PROFIT A PERSON TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSE HIS SOUL?”

AND MAYBE, OR MAYBE NOT, THERE WILL BE SOME GREAT COSMIC DAY OF RECKONING FOR ALL OF THIS;

THOSE OF US WHO TEND TO PLAY BY THE RULES, PAINT BY THE NUMBERS, COLOR WITHIN THE LINES, DO AS WE’RE TOLD, WOULD LIKE TO THINK THERE IS;

BUT, ULTIMATELY, INEVITABLY, AND AS THIS PARABLE OF JESUS SUGGESTS:

IT’S NOT ABOUT OTHERS GETTING WHAT THEY GET; WHAT THEY WILL GET; WHAT THEY DESERVE TO GET; WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE GOD DO WITH THEM.

ULTIMATELY, INEVITABLY, THIS PARABLE IS ABOUT US; ABOUT YOU; ABOUT ME.

JESUS WANTS BELIEVERS TO WORK EVERY BIT AS HARD AS THE CHILDREN OF THIS AGE WORK;

ONLY, AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT, WHAT WE ARE TO BE WORKING ON, WORKING FOR, WORKING TOWARD, IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

WHICH GETS US BACK TO OUR QUESTION FOR THIS MORNING: TO WHOM DO WE OWE OUR LIFE?

WE OWE OUR LIFE TO GOD; AND WE OWE OUR LIFE TO OURSELVES.

THERE’S A GREAT SCENE, AMONG MANY GREAT SCENES, NEAR THE END OF THE MOVIE, GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER.

IN IT, THE CHARACTER PORTRAYED BY SYDNEY PORTIER IS TALKING TO HIS FATHER.  HIS FATHER’S UPSET ABOUT HIS SON’S PLANS TO MARRY; AND WHO HE’S MARRYING.

THE FATHER TALKS TO HIS SON ABOUT EVERYTHING HE’S DONE FOR HIM TO GET HIM WHERE HE IS NOW; HOW HE CARRIED A MAIL BAG A MILLION MILES SO HIS SON WOULD HAVE IT BETTER; DO BETTER; GO TO COLLEGE; GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL; BECOME A DOCTOR;

AND HOW MUCH HIS MOTHER SACRIFICED FOR HER SON AS WELL; HOW MUCH SHE WENT WITHOUT SO THAT HER SON COULD HAVE IT BETTER THAN THEM.

AND THEN THIS SCENE TAKES A STARTLING TURN; THE SON TELLS HIS FATHER HE DOESN’T OWE HIM A THING!  HE DOESN’T OWE HIM ANYTHING FOR HOW HARD HE WORKED, HOW MUCH HE DID, HOW MUCH HIS MOTHER DID; HOW MUCH THEY SACRIFICED;

BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT PARENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO DO; AND THAT IF HE EVER HAS A CHILD, THAT’S WHAT HE WILL DO FOR HIM; WHAT HE WILL OWE HIM!

IT’S CLEAR THAT BOTH THE FATHER AND THE SON RESPECT EACH OTHER; LOVE EACH OTHER; CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER; BUT THEY ARE FROM DIFFERENT GENERATIONS; AND THE WORLD IS CHANGING;

AND THE SON KNOWS THAT HE OWES IT TO HIMSELF, AND TO HIS SOON-TO-BE-BRIDE, TO DO WHAT’S BEST FOR THEM.

TO WHOM DO WE OWE OUR LIFE?

WE OWE OUR LIVES TO GOD; AND TO OURSELVES; AND TO THOSE TO WHOM WE HAVE COMMITTED OURSELVES, AND TO THOSE WE BRING INTO THIS WORLD.

AND WE ARE TO BE WORKING EVERY BIT AS HARD, HARDER IN FACT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AS WE, AND OTHERS WORK FOR THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD;

“FOR NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS.”