St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-23
THE UNJUST STEWARD.
A Very Strong Sermon From the
Text, Luke XVII, 8.


Text, Luke XVII, 8.
AT Westminster church yesterday
morning Rev. DR.. Burrell preached from
the text: "And the Lord commended
the unjust Steward because he had done
wisely"
The parable of the unjust steward has
been called ''cruX interpretum" on ac-
count of the supposed difficulty of max.
ing it conform to the other teachings OF
the divine word. 1t is safe to say, how
ever, that it was intended for our in
struction; therefore, with prayer Tor
light, let us approach it.
At the outset we observe this steward
was an unconscionable knaye.
First-He "wasted his masters
goods" He was bailiff or trustee. AS
such it was his business to look zeal
stead of which he Squandered the prop
erty entrusted to him. He is type of
all faithless factors. The steps down.
ward are three. First-Living beyond
ones income. This comes from des-
perate determination to keep up APP
anceS."
Second Running into debt. 1t is a
true proverb, WHO goes a-bOrrowing
goes a-sorrowing." If you would pre-
serve your self-respect keep out of debt;
like the village blacksmith OF whom
Longfellow wrote
His face is wet with honest sweat;
He earns whate'er he can;
And he looks the whole world III the race,
For he owes not any man."
Third-Diverting trust funds to per-
sonal uses. This is plain stealing. The
unjust steward in squandering money
that belonged to another was common
thief.
n.-Let us not be overhasty in con-
demning this man, lest we find ourselves
in the same boat. We are all stewards.
Our Lord has entrusted to us certain of
his goods, saying: Occupy till | come"
First-Our time belongs to him.
Years, months, weeks, days, moments
are as coins bearing on one side the
divine image and superscription, and OF
the other, PUT this to the exchangers
for me-" Matt. XIV, 27.)
Second-Our faculties of body and
mind. 1t is Gods purpose that these
should be consecrated to his glory in
the deliverance of this world from the
bondage of sin. My lips, hands, mem
DRY, reason, will are so many of his
goods: if / use them only for my own
selfish ends | am no better than a
knave.
Third-Our money. "The silver and
the gold are mine, saith the Lord" We
speak of giving him 1.-THE; well and
good, so far; but the fact is, every whit
of it belongs absolutely to him. Let
honorable business men ponder this.
"Will man rob God? Yet we have
robbed Me, saith the Lord OF Hosts" 81
IIl.-ThiS man was summoned to APP
pear before his lord and to bring his
accounts with him. He was alarmed.
1t meant exposure and ruin. What
fronts us all. "God hath appointed a
day in which he will Judge the world in
righteousness" How will we appear
in that day? Shame-faced and guilty,
every one of US. We shall be condemned
out of the mouth of two witnesses.
First, the law will appear against US.
1t will make clear and plain the ordi-
nance in respect to trust funds and the
penalty for miSuSing OF, squandering
them. "The Soulrthatqsinneth it shall
die" The second to appear against us
will be a witness of stern and relentless
visage. 1t is Conscience. He furnishes
the evidence against us. He knows no
fear nor favor. Alas for us, there is no
escaping sentence. The law and the
evidence are both against us. What
shall we do?
Sixth.-Observe how the unjust stew
ard behaved in this dilemma. We hear
him soliloquizing, 81 am in terrible
strait. Whittier shall l turn? Or to
whom shall | look?" Now happy
thought strikes him. 'Eurekaw he
cries, 81 know what 1 will do;' and
straightway he begins to add sin to sin.
He summons the tenants of the estate,
and of one he asks, "HoW much oWeSt
thou"" Gan hundred baths of olive
OIL" "Take thy bill and write fifty"
"Of another he asks, Chow much OWest
thou?' Gan hundred cars of wheat"
"Take thy bill and write eighty.' And
so with all. They are amazed and de-
lighted. A little later the crash comes.
The steward is discharged. The ten
ants are indignant, and throw open their
homes to receive him. The gospel of
Jesus Christ is a perfect ethical system;
his life was the shining forth OF an i'm
macnlate soul; and his death was the
most stupendOuS tribute to honesty the
world ever saw.
Fifth-The lesson which our Savior
draws from the crafty, but dishonest,
conduct of the steward is in these
words: "rhe children of this world are
wiser in their generation than the chill
dren of light" We are glad to be thus
assured that the steward had something
commendable in him, though it was
only that wisdom or sagacity which
even the serpent can teach us.
make to yourselves friends of the
mammon of unrighte0usness that when
we fail they may receive you into ever
lasting habitations. In other words,
use your possessions, little or much, in
befriending the unfortunate, so that
when you pass through heavens gate
they may meet you and welcome you to
the delights of the kingdom of God.