I am not strong enough to do hard work, and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I will do: I must make sure that when I am dismissed, there will be people who will welcome me into their homes.’
So he called his master’s debtors, one by one. He asked the first debtor, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
The reply was, ‘A hundred jars of oil.’ The steward said, ‘Here is your bill. Sit down quickly and write fifty.’
To the second debtor he put the same question, ‘How much do you owe?’
The answer was, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ Then the steward said, ‘Take your bill and write eighty.’
The master commended the dishonest steward for his astuteness: for the people of this world are more astute,
in dealing with their own kind, than are the people of light.
REFLECTION:
The rich man commends the manager, not because of his dishonesty, but because of his shrewdness.
Seeing the urgency of his crisis, the man has built bridges to the future. Properly motivated,
he has proved himself shrewd and decisive—not incompetent after all. And, in the process,
he has succeeded in boxing in the rich man, who cannot rescind the discounts without suffering
loss of honor and creating bad will among his debtors.
Some people object to the idea that Jesus would use a dishonest manager as a positive role model.
However, see Matthew 13:44; 25:1-13: Luke 25:9.
“children of this world”—”children of the light” (v. 8c). The children of this age are focused on the realm of this world.
The children of light are focused on the kingdom of God. Jesus is calling his disciples to become as
savvy to the ways of the kingdom as other people are savvy to the ways of the world.
Then in verse 9, he will give his disciples a street-smart spiritual rule to follow
- Jesus tells us that it is possible to use “filthy lucre” to advance ourselves in the kingdom of God.
It is possible to use “dirty money” in ways that are pleasing to God... a way to prosper in the kingdom of God.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2020