God’s Word of Wisdom
Introduction
Luke 16:1-13: In today’s reading, Jesus uses the parable about a shrewd manager to illustrate that “worldly wealth” can be used to make friends and serve others; but when such wealth runs out, God offers something more valuable – an eternal home with God forever.
Scripture Reading
The Shrewd Manager
1Jesus said to his disciples, “There was once a rich man who had a servant who managed his property. The rich man was told that the manager was wasting his master’s money, 2so he called him in and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in a complete account of your handling of my property, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ 3The servant said to himself, ‘My master is going to dismiss me from my job. What shall I do? I am not strong enough to dig ditches, and I am ashamed to beg. 4Now I know what I will do! Then when my job is gone, I shall have friends who will welcome me in their homes.’ 5So he called in all the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6‘One hundred barrels of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Here is your account,’ the manager told him; ‘sit down and write fifty.’ 7Then he asked another one, ‘And you—how much do you owe?’ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he answered. ‘Here is your account,’ the manager told him; ‘write eight hundred.’ 8As a result the master of this dishonest manager praised him for doing such a shrewd thing; because the people of this world are much more shrewd in handling their affairs than the people who belong to the light.”
9 And Jesus went on to say, “And so I tell you: make friends for yourselves with worldly wealth, so that when it gives out, you will be welcomed in the eternal home. 10Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones. 11If, then, you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with true wealth? 12And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what belongs to you?
13 “No servant can be the slave of two masters; such a slave will hate one and love the other or will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Today’s Key Verse: Luke 16:13
[Jesus said:] “No servant can be the slave of two masters; such a slave will hate one and love the other or will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Reflect
Why was the shrewd manager praised by his master? Why do you think Jesus told this parable? Reread verses 10-13 in which Jesus explains the implications of the parable. How do you interpret these verses?
Pray
Almighty God, I seek to be among “people who belong to the light” and to serve you with an obedient heart. Keep me faithful and help me to trust in the “true wealth” that you offer – salvation and eternal life with you. Amen.
Tomorrow’s Reading
Luke 16:14-31: Jesus denounces the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and underscores their treatment of the poor by means of a parable.