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