Luke 16:1 - 13
He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3 And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ 5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures[a] of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures[b] of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world[c] are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth,[d] so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for 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 God and money.”
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. Was the manager doing anything wrong? Or was he just accused of it? Does it matter to this story?
2. Isn't the manager cheating the master by reducing people's debts? Why is this behavior being praised by Jesus? Or is it?
3. Why did the master commend the manager for cheating him?
4. The people of this world are more shrewd than the people of God. Is this something to be praised?
5. Why should we make friends using unrighteous wealth?
6. Who is receiving us into eternal dwellings?
7. How does it work that we make friends using unrighteous wealth and then we get welcomed into eternal dwellings?
8. So is this saying that we have to be faithful in managing unrighteous wealth to be faithful in God's kingdom?
9. So we end all this with saying that you can't serve both God and money. How does this jive with everything said before this?
https://hartmangroupdevotions.blogspot.com/2015/01/matthew-619-24-19-do-not-store-up-for.html?zx=9a203cb90b110176 says:
ReplyDeleteMany of the articles I read seem to say that the Bible says you should save money - but they don't really address this verse and other verses of Jesus. Jesus never said that we should save for the future. Proverbs says that the wise man does save.
Here's what http://moneyhelpforchristians.com/what-does-the-bible-teach-about-saving-money/ says:
"Both giving and saving should be practiced at the same time.
Those who save and do not give exemplify attributes of a hoarder. Saving in excess is a sign of greed, lack of trust, and a love of money.
Each of the above choices (squander, save, or hoard) reveal something about our character:
One who squanders lacks self-control.
One who saves has self-control.
One who hoards has greed.
Each Christian must prayerfully find the right saving balance. Squandering our money does not honor God. Hoarding our money dishonors God. We must find the right – God pleasing – balance of saving.
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I think of that like this: I don't want to get rich. I don't want to sit on a pile of money. I just want to be able to survive between the ages of sixty-five and eighty-five. And I'd like to be spent for the kingdom. So if I can have a house and have my bills paid and pour my life out for the kingdom, I would be thrilled.
Laying up treasures for yourself on earth is reflected in the man who built the barns. He had many goods. "What shall I do with them?" he said. "I'll build more barns." But he didn't need all those barns. He said, "I will eat, drink, and be merry." He shouldn't have been eating and drinking and being merry, he should have been using his money strategically to meet needs. But he was just cavalier about having all this money.
So, all that to say, Put a governor on your life. Make as much as you can, give as much as you can, and save what you need to in order to be a responsible non-borrower. Then do retirement with some minimalistic plan that frees you up for gospel ministry till the day you drop.
https://hartmangroupdevotions.blogspot.com/2015/01/matthew-619-24-19-do-not-store-up-for.html?zx=9a203cb90b110176 continued:
ReplyDeleteBut let’s be more specific. If Jesus means "devote your life to accumulating treasure in heaven" – which I take to mean increasing your joy in God in heaven – what is the main thing he has in mind that we should do now? My judgment from the context would be that it is giving rather than accumulating. If laying up treasures in heaven is the opposite of laying up treasures on earth, then probably laying up treasures in heaven will be NOT laying up treasures on earth but giving them away in ways that magnify the worth of Jesus.
In other words, possessions on earth are not for accumulating, they are for distributing in ways that Christ is honored and our joy in heaven is increased (see Ephesians 4:23). When we give – especially when we give so generously that we have to sell something to have anything to give – we show that Christ is our treasure and that we love others more than we love our own security and comfort.
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So why do you and I seek to accumulate “treasure” on earth?24 (1) Security. We want to know that we are taken care of, so what brings us the greatest security of life and soul is to have material security. (2) Personal worth, esteem, and value. Material possessions and wealth often indicate that people are successful in what they have done with their lives. We feel good about ourselves if we dress, drive, dine, and decorate well. (3) Power. With wealth and material success, we believe that we can have and get and be what we want. Wealth gives us control over our own fate and over other people. (4) Independence. With wealth I can be my own “god” and not rely on anyone else. (5) Pleasure. With wealth we can indulge our every fantasy, whether it is the exotic vacation, the luxurious wedding, the finest dining, or the most decadent home.
How do you know what has your heart? Let me ask you a few quick questions: (1) What occupies your thoughts when you have nothing else to do? What occupies your daydreams? Is it your investments, your position? If so, those are the things you treasure, and that is where your heart really is. (2) Similarly, what is it that you fret about most? Is it your home or perhaps your clothing? If so, then you know where your treasure lies. (3) Apart from your loved ones, what or whom do you most dread losing? (4) What are the things that you measure others by? Do you measure others by their clothing? By their education? By their homes? By their athletic prowess? Do you measure others by their success in the business world? If so, you know where your treasure lies, for these questions are a very revealing mirror because we measure other people by that which we treasure. (5) Lastly, what is it that you know you cannot be happy without?
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/luke/16-1.htm says:
ReplyDeleteThere is, perhaps, no single parable that has been subjected to such various and discordant interpretations as this of the Unjust Steward.
The word “steward” had, we must remember, been already used by our Lord in Luke 12:42, and had there pointed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, to the office of the Apostles and other ministers, as dispensers of divine truths. So St. Paul, whose language is, as we have seen in so many instances, always important in connection with St. Luke’s vocabulary, speaks of himself and his fellow-labourers as “stewards of the mysteries of God.” He has learnt, may we not say, from the parable, that “it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful” (1Corinthians 4:1-2). We start, then, with this clue. The Unjust Steward represents primarily the Pharisees and scribes in their teaching and ministerial functions. But though spoken in the hearing of the Pharisees, the parable was addressed, not to them, but “to the disciples.” And the reason of this is obvious. They, too, were called to be “stewards;” they, too, collectively and individually, would have to give an account of their stewardship. But if this is what the steward represents, then the rich man, like the “house-holder” in other parables, can be none else than God, who both appoints the stewards and calls them to account. In the further extension of the parable it is, of course, applicable to all who have any “goods” entrusted to them, any gifts and opportunities, any vocation and ministry in the great kingdom of God.
(1) The Greek word for “was accused” commonly carries with it the idea of false, calumnious accusation. Probably, however, the idea connected with it, as seen in the word diabolos, or devil, which is derived from it, is that of malignant accusation, whether the charge were true or false. It is conceivable that it may have been purposely chosen to suggest the thought that the great Adversary was at once tempting the double-minded teachers to their life of hypocrisy, and exulting at their fall. If we ask why this was only suggested and not more directly expressed, as it would have been if some one accuser had been named, the answer is found in the fact that the one great Accuser has many mouth-pieces, diaboli acting under the diabolos (the Greek word stands for “false accusers” in Titus 2:3), and that there was no lack of such comments, more or less malevolent, on the inconsistencies of the professedly religious class. (2) There is an obvious purpose in using the same word, in the hearing of the same persons, as that which, in Luke 15:13, had described the excesses of the Prodigal Son. The Pharisees had heard that parable, and even if they had caught the bearing of the language which portrayed the character of the elder son, had flattered themselves that they were, at all events, free from the guilt of the younger. They had not “wasted their substance in riotous living.” Now they were taught that the “goods” committed to them might be wasted in other ways than by being “devoured” in company with “harlots.” They were guilty of that sin in proportion as they had failed to use what they had been entrusted with for the good of men and for God’s glory.
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/luke/16-1.htm continued:
ReplyDeleteHis disciples - The word "disciples," here, is not to be restricted to the twelve apostles or to the seventy. The parable appears to have been addressed to all the professed followers of the Saviour who were present when it was delivered. It is connected with that in the preceding chapter. Jesus had there been discoursing with the scribes and Pharisees, and vindicating his conduct in receiving kindly publicans and sinners. These "publicans and sinners" are here particularly referred to by the word "disciples." It was with reference to "them" that the whole discourse had arisen. After Jesus had shown the Pharisees, in the preceding chapter, the propriety of his conduct, it was natural that he should turn and address his disciples. Among them there might have been some who were wealthy. The "publicans" were engaged in receiving taxes, in collecting money, and their chief danger arose from that quarter - from covetousness or dishonesty.
Jesus always adapted his instructions to the circumstances of his hearers, and it was proper, therefore, that he should give "these disciples" instructions about their "special" duties and dangers. He related this parable, therefore, to show them "the danger of the love of money;" the guilt it would lead to Luke 16:1; the perplexities and shifts to which it would drive a man when once he had been dishonest Luke 16:3-7; the necessity of using money aright, since it was their chief business Luke 16:9; and the fact that if they would serve God aright they must give up supreme attachment to money Luke 16:13; and that the first duty of religion demanded that they should resolve to serve God, and be honest in the use of the wealth intrusted to them. This parable has given great perplexity, and many ways have been devised to explain it. The above solution is the most simple of any; and if these plain principles are kept in view, it will not be difficult to give a consistent explanation of its particular parts. It should be borne in mind, however, that in this, as well as in other parables, we are not to endeavor to spiritualize every circumstance or allusion. We are to keep in view the great moral truth taught in it, that we cannot serve God and mammon, and that all attempts to do this will involve us in difficulty and sin.
A steward - One who has charge of the affairs of a family or household; whose duty it is to provide for the family, to purchase provisions, etc. This is, of course, an office of trust and confidence. It affords great opportunity for dishonesty and waste, and for embezzling property. The master's eye cannot always be on the steward, and he may, therefore, squander the property, or hoard it up for his own use. It was an office commonly conferred on a slave as a reward for fidelity, and of course was given to him that, in long service, had shown himself most trustworthy. By the "rich man," here, is doubtless represented God. By the "steward," those who are his professed followers, particularly the "publicans" who were with the Saviour, and whose chief danger arose from the temptations to the improper use of the money intrusted to them.
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/luke/16-2.htm says:
ReplyDeleteGive an account - Give a statement of your expenses and of your conduct while you have been steward. This is not to be referred to the day of judgment. It is a circumstance thrown into the parable to prepare the way for what follows. It is true that all will be called to give an account at the day of judgment, but we are not to derive that doctrine from such passages as this, nor are we to interpret this as teaching that our conscience, or the law, or any beings will "accuse us" in the day of judgment. All that will be indeed true, but it is not the truth that is taught in this passage.
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/luke/16-5.htm says:
ReplyDeleteSo he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him] In the East rents are paid in kind, and a responsible steward, if left quite uncontrolled, has the amplest opportunity to defraud his lord, because the produce necessarily varies from year to year. The unjust steward would naturally receive from the tenants much more than he acknowledged in his accounts.
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/luke/16-6.htm says:
Thy bill - The contract, obligation, or "lease." It was probably written as a "promise" by the debtor and signed by the steward, and thus became binding. Thus he had power to alter it, without supposing that his master would detect it. The bill or contract was in the hands of the steward, and he gave it back to him to write a new one.
Quickly - He supposed that his master would soon remove him, and he was, therefore, in haste to have all things secure beforehand. It is worthy of remark, also, that "all" this was wrong. His master had called for the account: but, instead of rendering it, he engaged in other business, disobeyed his lord still, and, in contempt of his commands, sought his own interest. All sinners would be slow to give in their account to God if they could do it; and it is only because, when God calls them by death, they "cannot but go," that they do not engage still in their own business and disobey him.
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/luke/16-8.htm says:
ReplyDeleteThe lord commended - Praised, or expressed admiration at his wisdom. These are not the words of Jesus, as commending him, but a part of the narrative or parable. His "master" commended him - saw that he was wise and considerate, though he was dishonest.
The unjust steward - It is not said that his master commended him because he was "unjust," but because he was "wise." This is the only thing in his conduct of which there is any approbation expressed, and this approbation was expressed by "his master." This passage cannot be brought, therefore, to prove that Jesus meant to commend his dishonesty. It was a commendation of his "shrewdness or forethought;" but the master could no more "approve" of his conduct as a moral act than he could the first act of cheating him.
The children of this world - Those who are "devoted" to this world; who live for this world only; who are careful only to obtain property, and to provide for their temporal necessities. It does not mean that they are especially wicked and profligate, but only that they are "worldly," and anxious about earthly things. See Matthew 13:22; 2 Timothy 4:10.
Are wiser - More prudent, cunning, and anxious about their particular business. They show more skill, study more plans, contrive more ways to provide for themselves, than the children of light do to promote the interests of religion.
It does not mean that it is more wise to be a worldly man than to be a child of light, but that those who "are" worldly show much prudence in providing for themselves; seize occasions for making good bargains; are active and industrious; try to turn everything to the best account, and thus exert themselves to the utmost to advance their interests; while Christians often suffer opportunities of doing good to pass unimproved; are less steady, firm, and anxious about eternal things, and thus show less wisdom. Alas! this is too true; and we cannot but reflect here how different the world would be if all Christians were as anxious, and diligent, and prudent in religious matters as others are in worldly things.
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And the last act of the steward had been so far honest that for the first time he charged to the debtors the correct amount, while he doubtless represented the diminution as due to his kindly influence with his lord.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-16-commentary says:
ReplyDeleteThe lesson for us is a faithful steward will use his Master’s money shrewdly to provide true riches for eternity. Jesus is telling us that there is a way you can take it with you, namely, by wisely investing the resources that God has entrusted to you now in things that matter for eternity.
A steward manages another's wealth. He does not own that wealth himself, but he has the privilege of enjoying it and using it for the profit of his master. Vincent notes that in the Greek culture the steward was the one who "assigns to the members of the household their several duties, and pays to each his wages. The paymaster. He kept the household stores under lock and seal, giving out what was required; and for this purpose received a signet-ring from his master." Although stewards usually were slaves or freedmen (former slaves), many had considerable responsibility and authority.
Do you really believe you will have to give an account to God? You say now wait a minute - Jesus paid for all my sins didn't He? Yes, your sins are totally forgiven, but that is not what this accounting is about! It is about how you used (or wasted) your time, talents and money in this drama call life! You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead! Are you? I sometimes wonder why twice in heaven John says God will wipe away every tear?
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-16-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteBrian Bell - Rent was often paid to a landlord, not in money, but in kind. This would have 2 effects: First, the debtors would be grateful to him. . Second, and much more effective, he had involved the debtors, if worst came to the worst, he was now in a strong position to exercise a little judicious blackmail!
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Hughes has an interesting comment - In order to get the sense of just how clever this was, we must understand that it was illegal in Jewish cul ture to charge interest to fellow Jews (cf. Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:36; Deut. 23:19). There was no such thing as principal and interest. So they would hide the business interest by hiding it in the loan, so that the principal included the interest. It was not unknown to charge as much as 100 percent interest on profitable commodities. The manager, according to common, accepted business practice, was making such usurious loans, just like everyone else.
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NET Note - The bill was halved (sit down quickly, and write fifty). What was the steward doing? This is debated. 1) Did he simply lower the price? 2) Did he remove interest from the debt? 3) Did he remove his own commission? It is hard to be sure. Either of the latter two options is more likely. The goal was clear: The manager would be seen in a favorable light for bringing a deflationary trend to prices.
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Jesus' pithy point is that the worldly (lost) are wiser in preparing for their temporal future in the world (which is even now passing away! = 1 Jn 2:17-note) than God’s people are in their spiritual pursuits focused on the world to come which is forever! The unrighteous do it for TIME, and we do it (or should do it) for ETERNITY.
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Hughes - The dishonest manager had faced reality. He refused to live with his head in the sand. If he did not do something fast, he would be out on the street. He used all his intelligence, wit, and energy to insure his earthly comfort. In contrast, "the sons of light" stand on the edge of eternity but lack the vision, foresight, and strength of will to do anything about it—especially in their relationships with others. If only Christians would give as much attention to the things that concern eternity as they do to their worldly business.... If only we would be as spiritually shrewd as the corrupt manager was in temporal pursuits.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-16-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteThe application for us is, if we hear of a window of opportunity for the gospel, we should do all we can to seize it while we can.
But we can use our money now to store up treasures in heaven by making eternal friends through the gospel. Can you imagine the joy someday of meeting someone in heaven who says, “Thank you for giving to the cause of world evangelization! (Because you gave, missionaries came to my country and I got saved.”
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Why does Jesus call wealth or mammon unrighteous? What He is saying is that it is unrighteous in the sense that it belongs to this unrighteous world, this world which is passing away (1 Jn 2:17). When this age ends (or when one's life ends), the usefulness of unrighteous mammon will end.
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What are you spending your life on? What are you doing that will last forever? And here Jesus is making the amazing statement that you can use the same unrighteous mammon that the sinful, godless world uses (to accomplish temporal purposes) as a means to invest in God's Kingdom and reap eternal "dividends" (rewards).
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Bock says there are 3 possibilities for "they" - The reference to “they may receive you” is (1) a reference to friends who receive the benefit and welcome the generous one into heaven, (2) a reference to angels who represent God, or (3) a circumlocution for God himself (Lk 6:38, 44; 12:20, 48; 14:35). God responds to disciples who love their neighbors with concrete action, even down to the use of money.
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Hughes writes "The Lord calls us to be shrewd, to use all our mind, intellect, and will in the management of money, so that we will be welcomed above. What are we doing with our money? How shrewd and calculated are we with our wealth so we can make sure we are gaining eternal friends to welcome us to Heaven? It must begin with giving. Dr. Henry answered: I don't think that God despises riches; in fact, He gives them to us. What He despises is the misuse of them, and He rewards stewardship. Even Christian missions owe a great debt to the consecrated and often sacrificial philanthropy of well-to-do Christian leaders. What we need to do is enlarge the vision and burden of those to whom God has given much so they understand that they have an opportunity that is rare in the history of Christianity to substantially advance the way of Christ. Our giving must be matched by the sharing of all we have for the well-being and refreshment of God's people and the proclamation of the gospel.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-16-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteOur attitude toward money and how we use it is a barometer of our spiritual state. It reveals whether we are foolishly thinking only of the present or wisely looking to eternity.
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There is much debate over whether his action of reducing the bills of his master’s debtors was illegal or legal. Some argue that his master had cleverly violated the Jewish laws against charging interest, and that the steward was rectifying the situation and putting the master in the awkward position of going along with the adjusted bills or else openly being guilty of charging interest. Others say that the steward was giving up his own commission on the sales. Others say that the steward was stealing from his master. We can’t know for sure, but it seems to me that the steward was not doing anything illegal or the master would have prosecuted him.
To be faithful as a steward, you must keep in mind at all times that you do not own your money; God does. You do not own your car; God does. You do not own your house; God does. You do not own your own life; God does. To forget or ignore God’s purposes and to live as if what we have is ours to use for our purposes is to abuse our stewardship by being unfaithful.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-16-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteUnrighteous wealth is the same phrase we saw earlier (the mammon of unrighteousness) and refers to earthly money and possessions.
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The rich fool in the next parable is not culpable because he was wealthy but because he did not use his wealth to love God and his neighbor, Lazarus.
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Mt 6:19-21 - Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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Wiersbe - If God is our Master, then money will be our servant, and we will use our resources in the will of God. But if God is not our Master, then we will become the servants of money, and money is a terrible master! We will start wasting our lives instead of investing them.
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How can you tell if you are a slave to money? If you answer yes to most of these questions, you have a problem.
Do you think and worry about it frequently?
Do you give up doing what you should do or would like to do in order to make more money?
Do you spend a great deal of your time caring for your possessions?
Is it hard for you to give money away?
Are you in debt?
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Adam Clarke makes the point that "The word hate has the same sense here as it has in many places of Scripture (cp Luke 14:26); it merely signifies to love less—so Jacob loved Rachel, but hated Leah; i.e. he loved Leah much less than he loved Rachel. God himself uses it precisely in the same sense: Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated; i.e. I have loved the posterity of Esau less than I have loved the posterity of Jacob: which means no more than that God, in the course of his providence, gave to the Jews greater earthly privileges than he gave to the Edomites, and chose to make them the progenitors of the Messiah, though they ultimately, through their own obstinacy, derived no more benefit from this privilege than the Edomites did.
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R Kent Hughes writes that "Wealth has its disadvantages. It is difficult to have it and not trust in it. Material possessions tend to focus one's thoughts and interests on this world alone. It can enslave so that one becomes possessed by possessions, comforts, and recreations. Jesus said, "The deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word" (Mark 4:19)."
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Craig Bloomberg - Many perceptive observers have sensed that the greatest danger to Western Christianity is not, as is sometimes alleged, prevailing ideologies such as Marxism, Islam, the New Age movement or humanism but rather the all-pervasive materialism of our affluent culture. We try so hard to create heaven on earth and to throw in Christianity when convenient as another small addition to the so-called good life. Jesus proclaims that unless we are willing to serve him wholeheartedly in every area of life, but particularly with our material resources, we cannot claim to be serving him at all (cf. under Mt 8:18-22)
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-16-commentary continued:
ReplyDelete"You cannot serve both God and Money," says Jesus. We like to think we can; we are great compromisers. Or we think we are serving God by making money. True, we can use our money to serve God. Some do. But if our hearts are set on our possessions, which is probably an accurate description of most of us, we are not actually serving God whatever we may suppose we are doing.
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In our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ, as Christians, we have no rights of our own. God must be the undisputed, unchallenged master of our lives. Paul made this very clear to us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Our attitude is not to be "What do I want to do with my life?" Instead, we should ask, "What does the Lord wish me to do?" We have no time which is our own. We cannot sometimes say, "I will do what God wants me to do," and, at other times, say, "I will do my own thing." Do you realize and understand the fact that the Christian has no time off from being a Christian? There is no time when he can relax his Christian standards, as if he was off duty, and remain right with God. A partial or a spasmodic service of God is not tolerated or acceptable. Being a Christian is a full-time responsibility that demands consistent obedience to God's Word and will for our life.
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How do you know when something “owns” you?
§ When you need that “thing” as a major source of happiness or fulfillment in your life.
§ When you can’t imagine living without it.
§ When you get angry at the thought of losing it.
§ When that possession is the first thing you think about in the morning and the last thing you think about at night.
§ When you find yourself thinking about it in every spare moment.
§ When you are gripped with fear at the thought of losing it.
§ When you find yourself bringing it up in almost every conversation.
§ When you get upset if someone else touches it or comes near it.
§ When you plan your schedule around it.
§ When you enjoy that “thing” more than being with family and friends.
§ When others warn you about your attachment to your possessions.
§ When worries and concerns about your possessions crowd out the joy in your life.
… When you know deep in your soul that something you own has started to own you, give it away. Find someone who needs it and give it to them. Don’t make a big deal about it. Just give it away. You will be free, and someone else will be blessed. And your heart will start to sing again.
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. Was the manager doing anything wrong? Or was he just accused of it? Does it matter to this story?
I think it matters that in the first part of the parable, he was doing something wrong. He was mismanaging what the owner has given us, just like we tend to waste our time, treasure and talents.
2. Isn't the manager cheating the master by reducing people's debts? Why is this behavior being praised by Jesus? Or is it?
3. Why did the master commend the manager for cheating him?
This is tricky and I suspect that this is one of those things in which cultural understanding would make the picture clear. A couple theologians suggested that the manager was charging the debtors more than what they actually owed (which was a common practice to get around the law about not charging interest to fellow Israelites). If that is true, the manager, in the second part of the story, was repenting of his own (or his master's?) actions. He was just acting correctly now by taking out the illegal "interest" from the loans. I propose that everyone listening to the story was familiar with the method of operation and intuitively understood that part of the story. I propose that Jesus was praising the manager for repenting of evil. I don't see how this parable makes sense otherwise.
4. The people of this world are more shrewd than the people of God. Is this something to be praised?
The people of this world expect to be cheated (and to cheat in response). The people of the Light need to be aware, not to prevent ourselves from being cheated, but to prevent the building of God's kingdom from being derailed. We definitely need to be shrewd enough to prevent the enemy from say, bringing concocted lawsuits and/or false accusations. Our business is to build the kingdom of God, and we need to be shrewd in our dealings concerning this business, because there are people out there who are determined to tear down what is being built.
A huge warning note: We are to be shrewd concerning God's kingdom (and not towards one another). We do not engage in the same tactics that the world does. We are builders, not destroyers. The people of this world are (can be) destroyers, not builders. When we build, we protect - physically, legally, spiritually, etc. Sometimes, we destroy something for the purpose of building better on the same site - but that is all within the process of building.
5. Why should we make friends using unrighteous wealth?
We should use whatever tool is at hand to build God's kingdom. Unrighteous wealth is a strong tool to do that.
Questions and finding (continued):
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7. How does it work that we make friends using unrighteous wealth and then we get welcomed into eternal dwellings?
God's kingdom is entirely made up of God's people. They are the ones who welcome us into eternal dwellings (and are very likely our reward). We build His kingdom (i.e. make friends), and unrighteous wealth is a mighty way to do that.
8. So is this saying that we have to be faithful in managing unrighteous wealth to be faithful in God's kingdom?
Money is powerful. It tends to control us if we aren't careful. If we give ourselves over to God, we will use all the tools we have to build His kingdom. If we cannot manage our tools in building God's kingdom - at the minimum not being controlled by them - we cannot be trustworthy in that task.
9. So we end all this with saying that you can't serve both God and money. How does this jive with everything said before this?
If you have the correct interpretation of this parable, this ending statement is perfect.
Summarizing this parable in a way that I think is coherent: The manager was caught mismanaging the owners possessions. The manager did something good in response. He repented of his actions and used money in a legitimate way to bring wealth to others (acting shrewdly in doing so). Now that the manager's job was over, his reward was that he would be welcome in those people's homes. He was commended by both the owner and by Jesus for using his skill in money management to enrich others. Unrighteous people focus their lives on managing money to use on themselves. We need to wisely manage money for the purpose of advancing God's kingdom. The people we affect will welcome us in heaven. If we are faithful in these seemingly non-important ways, we will be faithful in the larger matter of advancing God's kingdom. But in all of this, beware: You cannot serve both God and money!
That was really helpful! As you noted, this parable is a tricky one for us at this distance to interpret.
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