Luke 16:1-13 

When we find ourselves or our communities in a financial mess, we ask, “What are we going to do?” To our surprise Jesus commends shrewdness in such moments. Amidst financial challenges, dare we risk our future on God’s generosity? Can we shrewdly use money beyond the world that minted it, investing in the life and kin-dom of God? 

Luke 16:19-31

“Greed nowadays has come to be viewed as talented, smart, careful stewardship” - from Luther’s sermon on this text. This still rings very true today. How can we shift that narrative? What decisions and changes might we make if we carefully considered how God might be calling us to manage our resources?

Luke 17:5-10

We often feel like we need more to do the work to which we’ve been called: money, time, bandwidth, trust, etc. When the disciples ask Jesus for more faith, he responds sharply, “If you have faith the size of the mustard seed [and you do],” you could do things that far exceed the work you're given. Beyond our self-aggrandizing visions of bigness, increase, and success, what seemingly small things do we already have that point us to the work that God gives us to do? 

Luke 17:11-19 

Stewardship isn’t merely about following the rules or a manual; it’s a gratitude-saturated way of being in the world.  

Luke 18:1-8

Keep asking. Persistence matters. Even in times when our pleas seem to go unheard, our demands for justice wear-out those who hold God and people in low regard. If our voices can un-stop the ears of those least inclined to listen, how much more will God listen to our cries? 

Luke 18:9-14  

Because God gives all we need, small changes in our own patterns of giving can impact the way we see our siblings in Christ and can open-up new pathways for us to work together. Beginning with a healthy dose of humility, we can turn to God’s provision rather than reveling in our own generosity. 

Pause for All Saints - Sunday, Nov 2

Luke 19:1-10 (from Sunday, Nov 2 texts) 

We’re curious. We want to see Jesus, and yet often our vision is blocked by obstacles and obligations that get in the way. But Jesus seeks us out, meeting us where we are so that we can be moved from curiosity to commitment. 

Luke 18:18-27

We cling to what we have, fearing that if we give too generously it will make us vulnerable and reliant on others. We are anxious that the treasure promised in Jesus Christ is not treasure enough. Because God guarantees us the treasures of heaven, we can live in the present without the anxiety that we lack what we ultimately need.

Luke 19:29-35a

We can be skeptical of what the Lord asks of us for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes we lack the imagination for what God is up to in the world.  Sometimes it’s unclear how what we’re asked to do would matter in the scope of things. Sometimes we don’t understand why the Lord would be asking us in the first place. And, yet, when we hear the voice of the Lord saying, “the Lord needs this,” is this reason enough? Is it possible that saying, “yes” can make all the difference?