Feast of St Matthew – 14th Sunday after Trinity St Andrew’s Milngavie 2025
Today we celebrated the 14th Sunday after Trinity and St Matthew’s Day accompanied by John
This Week
Tuesday 10am – Prayer Group in the Garden Room
Wednesday 2.30 – Book Group – Karine’s
7pm – NWRC Helensburgh
Thursday 10am – Said Holy Communion followed by coffee in Friendship House.
Sunday 5th October is our Harvest celebration which will be followed by a Soup and Pud lunch after the service. Everyone is most welcome. Please do sign up on the sheet or let me know if you are able to contribute in any way with the lunch e.g. provide a pudding or a soup. Any harvest offerings for the alter will be gratefully received. Fresh fruit and veg and any preserves can be sold at the lunch.
Saturday 11th October 2pm – Church walk followed by tea in the hall
Readings for next Sunday – 15th Sunday after Trinity – Amos 6:1,4-7 1 Timothy 6:6-19 Luke 16:19-end
Today’s readings – Amos 8:4-7, 1 Timothy 2:1-7. Luke 16 1:1-13
Today, as well as being the 14th Sunday after Trinity, it is also St Matthew’s Day.
Matthew was one of the Twelve Apostles. He is most known for his profession as a tax collector and therefore regarded by some as a sinner. Tax collectors were known, at the time, to be unscrupulous in their dealings with the public purse. It is there for fitting that today’s gospel from St Luke tells the story of the shrewd manager.
History is full examples of greed, money squandering and theft. Many public figures have been found wanting over the years and this continues to be the case today. Financial mismanagement has been the downfall of many of us both corporately and privately.
Money and how it is used is important, hence Jesus often preached about money. We are familiar with many of the parables he used to make his point.
The treasure hidden in a field. Matthew 13:44
The tenants who would not pay their rent. Luke 20:9-18
The talents or sums of money that were loaned to three servants. Matthew 25:14-30)
The parable of two men who were forgiven debts, one great and one small. Luke 7:41-50
The rich fool. Luke 12:16-21
The parable of the lost coin. Luke 15:8 -10
The prodigal son who wasted his inheritance. Luke 15:11-32
Money and the possessions we buy with money are the subject of at least 16 of Jesus’ parables. Incredibly Jesus gives a lot more teaching about money than about prayer. Why is this?
Today’s parable, in rather an obscure way, answers that question by making it clear that the way we handle our wealth will go a long way to determining our spiritual wealth in several ways.
In the parable an accusation is made concerning the “squandering of property” but the charge is very vague. The manager himself in the story is given no opportunity by the rich man to defend himself. The charges could have been made up by an unscrupulous man who simply wants to get rid of his manager. The manager might have cause to feel guilty, but he suspects that even if he is given a chance to defend himself before his master, he will still end up losing his job.
And so, he summons his master’s debtors one by one and cut their bills. As a result of his actions, the manager is “commended” by his master for his shrewdness.
He commends him on two counts – the master receives what is due to him and the manager has gained some credit with the debtors, so that when he is put out of his job, he will have someone to turn to.
This is a somewhat vague parable and its meaning not terribly clear but essentially, it’s about the importance of taking responsibility of money seriously, it ends in a definitive way with the well-known words “No servant can have two masters…..you cannot serve God and money” Luke 16:13
From all these parables about money which we hear in the gospels, Jesus wants us to learn that what matters most in life is not how rich you are for your own purposes, but how rich you are toward God and others.
Since giving and expecting nothing in return brings a heavenly reward, it is shrewd heavenly business to do exactly that. If you are serving God, then the way you use your money will have divine qualities. The parable ends with the rather extraordinary phrase
“For the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light” Luke 16:8
This means that worldly people referring to the “children of this world” are often more clever and shrewd in managing their earthly affairs than the believers (the “children of light”) are in managing their spiritual lives. The children of light should be as shrewd as children of this age. Children of this age, like the steward, know the rules and play the system to their benefit. They give and expect a return in kind. It makes good business sense, hence companies who invest in quality products with excellent customer service earn their customers’ loyalty in return.
Now, since giving and expecting nothing in return brings a heavenly reward, it is shrewd “spiritual business” to do exactly that.
It is generally understood that generous people have more friends, forgiving people are more forgiven, and loving people are more loved.
Amen