50 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
50 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
|
+++
|
|||
|
|
title = "Luke 16:1–13"
|
|||
|
|
date = "2023-01-03"
|
|||
|
|
+++
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk16.1-13)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Based on the preceding and following contexts, it sounds like Jesus told this
|
|||
|
|
parable immediately after the one about the prodigal son. This one deals with a
|
|||
|
|
shift of topics from God's seeking and forgiveness of sinners to the kind of
|
|||
|
|
relationship we should have with money, which makes sense considering how both
|
|||
|
|
brothers of the previous story were caught up in a love for money.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In this parable, a rich man has a steward or manager to run his estate, to take
|
|||
|
|
care of all the details so the master doesn't have to. However, this manager is
|
|||
|
|
dishonest and not doing a good job of maintaining his master's wealth. The
|
|||
|
|
master finds out and has enough evidence to fire him, so he orders the manager
|
|||
|
|
to turn over the books. During this process, the manager comes up with a plan
|
|||
|
|
to help him maintain his easy lifestyle. He meets each of his master's debtors
|
|||
|
|
and unilaterally reduces the amount of their debt, with the unspoken
|
|||
|
|
understanding that they now owe him a favor.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It should be noted that these debtors are not small fry, considering how large
|
|||
|
|
these debts are. A hundred measures was about 875 gallons of the oil, or over
|
|||
|
|
1,000 bushels of wheat. By defrauding his master of these resources, the
|
|||
|
|
manager could likely gain quite a lot from each of these debtors for some time
|
|||
|
|
to come. When the master discovers what has happened, he actually ends up
|
|||
|
|
commending the manager, in an acknowledegment that he has been outwitted. The
|
|||
|
|
altered records can't be changed back or recovered, so there's not any legal
|
|||
|
|
recourse he can take.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jesus's application for this parable is rather unexpected, at least at first.
|
|||
|
|
He says that unbelievers tend to be more shrewd with each other than believers
|
|||
|
|
are, which makes sense. But then he says to "make friends for yourselves by
|
|||
|
|
means of unrighteous wealth". (_v. 9_) What are we to make of that? We can be
|
|||
|
|
sure that Jesus isn't telling us to go commit fraud or cheat people. Instead we
|
|||
|
|
are to invest in people, so that the wealth that we have may be used to help
|
|||
|
|
bring them to God's kingdom. Then, when we are there together, they will invite
|
|||
|
|
us to their homes to celebrate.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Verses 10 through 13 explain more. People don't suddenly become honest just by
|
|||
|
|
being given more to work with. Therfore, if you are faithful with money which
|
|||
|
|
cannot save you, you will also be faithful with eternal riches. You can't be
|
|||
|
|
devoted to amassing wealth and also be devoted to God. So a person will either
|
|||
|
|
use money to serve the Lord, or use the Lord's kingdom to serve their wallet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
* * *
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Give us eternal perspectives, O Lord. Teach us what is truly important.
|