Rooted in God's Generosity

9.21.2025

[Texts]

Amos 8:4-7 Warnings to those who trample on the needy and poor

Psalm 113 The Lord lifts up the poor from the ashes. (Ps. 113:7)

1 Timothy 2:1-7 One God, one mediator—Christ Jesus—who gave himself for all people

Luke 16:1-13 A shrewd manager: faithful in little, faithful in much; serving God/wealth

Grace and peace to you, beloved & [beautiful – sign language] church.

Over the past two weeks, we’ve been re-centered at the foot of Jesus’ Cross, reminded to carry our own, especially when it comes to possessions. We’ve also been re-grounded in God’s grace, giving thanks for God’s relentless search for the lost, especially as it relates to belonging.

With these two gracious postures, centered in Jesus’ Cross and grounded in God’s grace, we meet God again in Luke 16.

In Luke 16:1–13, Jesus tells a surprising story to his disciples about a manager. In the midst of anxiety and uncertainty, the manager acts shrewdly to secure his future. At first, the parable may puzzle us, especially as he seems to be praised for securing his own future.

This parable reveals deep truths about God’s heart:

A God who entrusts us with what matters most. A God who values relationships more than riches. A God who praises wisdom and creativity even in messy situations. A God who calls flawed and imperfect people to be faithful, even in the small things

Above all, it reminds us that God is our true master, inviting us to live with generosity and trust, not scarcity and dishonesty.

And this is the gospel we share: The children of LIGHT are rooted in God’s generosity.

So let’s look a little deeper, to see what Jesus sees, especially in Luke 16:12: “If you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?”

So let’s begin with the word ‘management’. What’s the difference between our everyday understanding of “management” and the biblical interpretation?

We know the New Testament was written in Ancient Greek, and the Old Testament in Ancient Hebrew. In Scripture, the Greek word oikonomia is often translated as ‘management,’ but it’s more faithfully understood as stewardship.

A steward is someone commissioned to use all resources faithfully for the wellbeing of others and to create the greatest and most lasting impact.

Now let’s look at the Old Testament. In Genesis 1:26, after God makes humankind in their image and likeness, we hear God say, “Let them have dominion over everything we have created.” This introduces the concept of dominion, which has often been misunderstood as permission to exploit creation. But in its Hebrew context, dominion means responsible care not domination. It’s about serving creation as God’s image-bearers, reflecting God’s character in how we tend the earth.

And in Genesis 2:15, it says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Here, stewardship is even clearer. The Hebrew verbs abad—to work—and shamar—to keep—suggest cultivation and protection.

This comes with a sacred trust: to nurture creation, not to control it.

Together, these verses show that from the beginning, God created humans to be faithful stewards, entrusted with creation, called to serve it, and invited to reflect God’s generosity. Most importantly, to let God’s love flow through our presence, our doing, and our saying.

This understanding helps us glimpse what Jesus sees. The steward can never own what belongs to the master, not now, not ever. But what he can own is his faithfulness to the master, and the self-serving relationship that leads him to earn favor from the master’s two debtors. And as Jesus points out, these two debtors may be the very ones who welcome the manager into the eternal home of God.

Earlier, I mentioned Luke 16:12: “If you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?” What metaphor comes to your mind as you reflect on that verse?

For me, a hidden stream comes to mind. Picture a hidden stream, flowing underground, quietly nourishing the roots of trees and plants above. The trees grow, the flowers bloom, the fruits multiply, and people admire the beauty and abundance of what’s on the tree. But they don’t always notice the stream beneath. Sometimes they forget it’s even there.

God’s love is like that hidden stream, always flowing, always nourishing. The tree flourishes not because of its own strength, but because of the stream that never stops flowing.

Sometimes, the kindness, wisdom, or generosity we show is the fruit of the Spirit, named in Paul’s letter to the Galatians 5:22–23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

It is God’s Spirit, God’s grace, and God’s generosity flowing through us that produces this fruit.

Think of the river of life in Revelation 22:1–2: A clear, life-giving river flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. Along its banks grows the tree of life, offering healing to all nations. It is the Garden of Eden restored, where God’s grace flows freely, nourishing creation and bringing unity, healing, and abundance to the world.

So what might change if we begin to credit back to God for what flows out of us in ministry, especially as we serve those in need and those who are vulnerable?

Now imagine this: You are the branches of the tree. Your ministry, your kindness, your creativity are the fruits.

• Where do you see God’s generosity flowing in your life?

• What fruit is growing from your roots?

So let us notice the stream. Let us name it. Let us trust it. And let us give credit back to the One who nourishes us.

Because the children of light don’t just bear fruit; they recognize the source. Only the children of light, those who are faithful, notice it, name it, and credit it.

We are rooted in God’s generosity.

This is the promise. This is the invitation. This is the gospel.

And we might be surprised to find ourselves welcomed alongside others we never expected into God’s eternal home.

Amen.