God Speaks
Jesus now told this story to his disciples: “A rich man hired an accountant to handle his affairs, but soon a rumor went around that the accountant was thoroughly dishonest.
2 “So his employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about your stealing from me? Get your report in order, for you are to be dismissed.’
3 “The accountant thought to himself, ‘Now what? I’m through here, and I haven’t the strength to go out and dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. 4 I know just the thing! And then I’ll have plenty of friends to take care of me when I leave!’
5-6 “So he invited each one who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ ‘My debt is 850 gallons of olive oil,’ the man replied. ‘Yes, here is the contract you signed,’ the accountant told him. ‘Tear it up and write another one for half that much!’
7 “‘And how much do you owe him?’ he asked the next man. ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the accountant said, ‘take your note and replace it with one for only 800 bushels!’
8 “The rich man had to admire the rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the citizens of this world are more clever in dishonesty* than the godly* are. 9 But shall I tell you to act that way, to buy friendship through cheating? Will this ensure your entry into an everlasting home in heaven? 10 No! For unless you are honest in small matters, you won’t be in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own?
13 “For neither you nor anyone else can serve two masters. You will hate one and show loyalty to the other, or else the other way around—you will be enthusiastic about one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
14 The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, naturally scoffed at all this.
15 Then he said to them, “You wear a noble, pious expression in public, but God knows your evil hearts. Your pretense brings you honor from the people, but it is an abomination in the sight of God. 16 Until John the Baptist began to preach, the laws of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But John introduced the Good News that the Kingdom of God would come soon. And now eager multitudes are pressing in. 17 But that doesn’t mean that the Law has lost its force in even the smallest point. It is as strong and unshakable as heaven and earth.
18 “So anyone who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
19 “There was a certain rich man,” Jesus said, “who was splendidly clothed and lived each day in mirth and luxury. 20 One day Lazarus, a diseased beggar, was laid at his door. 21 As he lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. 22 Finally the beggar died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham in the place of the righteous dead. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and his soul went into hell. There, in torment, he saw Lazarus in the far distance with Abraham.
24 “‘Father Abraham,’ he shouted, ‘have some pity! Send Lazarus over here if only to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in these flames.’
25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us, and anyone wanting to come to you from here is stopped at its edge; and no one over there can cross to us.’
27 “Then the rich man said, ‘O Father Abraham, then please send him to my father’s home— 28 for I have five brothers—to warn them about this place of torment lest they come here when they die.’
29 “But Abraham said, ‘The Scriptures have warned them again and again. Your brothers can read them any time they want to.’
30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham, they won’t bother to read them. But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will turn from their sins.’
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even though someone rises from the dead.’”
Source: The Living Bible: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: The parable of the dishonest manager was not meant to approve cheating, but to call Jesus’s followers to be alert to the ways of the world and to combat them with even more powerful truth. Although the Jewish laws were good and given by God through Moses, Jesus came to fulfill them and replace them with the kingdom of God which was far better. Jesus’s statement regarding divorce and remarriage seems abrupt and out of place here. Perhaps it is meant to illustrate the permanence of the Mosaic law as foundation for the kingdom of God, as the marriage covenant is the foundation of a good marriage and family life. Jesus’s comments on the rich man and Lazarus illustrate that those who live in ease and self-indulgence now (apart from God) will suffer the consequences in eternity. Those who suffer distress and ill-treatment now will receive comfort and acceptance in the presence of God forever. Only truly believing the One who rose from the dead can save us.
Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven, thank You for being the true source of wisdom and discernment. Please help Your people to expose evil and replace it with the good that comes from You. Train us to be faithful in the little things so that we will be equipped to be faithful in the big things. Move us to serving You and others rather than money and ourselves. Bring us as a culture back to the Judeo-Christian principles on which this nation was founded. Especially, Lord, reestablish families and local communities focused on the goodness and peace that comes from You, not on violence and destruction that comes from the enemy of men’s souls. I humbly ask that many who are oppressed by him now be rescued so that they spend eternity enjoying comfort and acceptance forever with You. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will confess my deceptive practices to the Lord and others so that I can know I am forgiven.
- I will seek God’s wisdom in dealing with business affairs and personal relationships.
- I will search out biblical principles and apply them in my daily life.
- I will stand up for the rights and freedoms that God has given us whenever I see someone being deprived of them.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.