Key Verse: "No servant can serve two masters. Either he
will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and
despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
Luke 16:13
The parable that Jesus gives at the beginning of this
passage seems so confusing to us. It sounds as though Jesus is commending a man
for stealing from his employer. To complicate matters even more, it appears
that the employer himself is impressed with his manager's survival skills and
decides to keep him in his employ as a valuable employee. The story appears to
be the complete opposite of our protestant work ethic today.
However, it is possible that the above view is a
misunderstanding of the situation. There are those who interpret this parable
by saying that the manager was not undercharging his master. He was actually eliminating his own
commission. In other words, he was willing
to forego being paid in the immediate in order to endear himself to the other
business men in the community with whom he would need to maintain a
relationship if his present master really followed through on the threat to
fire him.
We also need to remember that the chapter number may have
changed, but Jesus’ audience has not. In fact, his audience will stay the same
from Luke 15:1 - 17:10. This means that his audience is still full of his
critics, who love money, along with sinners and tax collectors who also love
money and were known for pocketing an over charge fee for themselves. Let's not
forget that also present was Judas Iscariot, the treasurer of the disciples,
who was also discovered to be pocketing some of the money donated to Jesus’
ministry. (John
12:4-6). Everyone in His audience had something to learn from what Jesus
was teaching about money and the use of what is entrusted to their care, and ours.
After all, we too are only stewards, not owners, of what God has made, just as
the manager was a steward of his master's inventory.
The issue that Jesus is addressing here then, is this. When it comes to money, we can all easily
become shrewd in our dealings when it serves us. Yet, in spiritual matters,
which will ultimately benefit us most, we are too often sloppy and complacent.
We have a take it or leave it mentality, presuming on the grace of God. Rather than being diligent to obtain as much
as we can in our relationship with God, we are much more focused on wheeling
and dealing with our physical resources.
It could be that for Jesus, He was commending the manager
for deferring immediate gain for future benefit. That is also what He calls us
to do. Jesus often taught, "Deny yourself." Why? It is for future benefit, for spiritual gain,
to lay up treasure in heaven.
It's a matter of trust. Can God trust you to use, for His
glory, the resources and talents with which He has blessed you? If He has blessed
you with much, but you have squandered it on yourself, can you really be
trusted with more? When the Pharisees heard Jesus, they became angry and
sneered. (Luke 16:14) "He said to them, "You are the ones who justify
yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued
among men is detestable in God's sight." (Luke 16:15) How do you react to
His challenge?
Hymn: "Gracious Spirit Dwell WithMe"
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