. . . But, This Is Bigger!!!
Lk. 16:1-15 NIV
Purpose: Always trust in the
Lord our God because He is much bigger than our human limited understanding of
the situations.
Lord our God because He is much bigger than our human limited understanding of
the situations.
16 Jesus
told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting
his possessions.
told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting
his possessions.
2 So he called him in and asked him,
‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you
cannot be manager any longer.’
‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you
cannot be manager any longer.’
3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What
shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig,
and I’m ashamed to beg—
shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig,
and I’m ashamed to beg—
4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I
lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
5 “So he called in each one of his
master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
“The manager
told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and
fifty.’
told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and
fifty.’
7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how
much do you owe?’
much do you owe?’
“He told
him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
8 “The master commended the dishonest
manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more
shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more
shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to
gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into
eternal dwellings.
gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into
eternal dwellings.
10 “Whoever
can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is
dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is
dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
11 So
if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you
with true riches?
if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you
with true riches?
12 And
if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give
you property of your own?
if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give
you property of your own?
13 “No
one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or
you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God
and money.”
one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or
you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God
and money.”
14 The Pharisees, who loved money,
heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in
the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is
detestable in God’s sight.
heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in
the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is
detestable in God’s sight.
Footnotes:
This
is the Word of God
is the Word of God
For
the people of God.
the people of God.
Praise
be to God.
be to God.
Amen.
. . . But, This Is Bigger!!!
Lk. 16:1-15 NIV
Purpose: Always trust in the
Lord our God because He is much bigger than our human limited understanding of
the situations.
Lord our God because He is much bigger than our human limited understanding of
the situations.
Have you
noticed that, we, humans are not very good in our natural inclinations? Actually, I was reading some of the
Babylonian codes for how to behave in society this past week. Old Babylonians
lived in the land of Canaan before God gave it to the Israelites. And, the
author was explaining that all these regulations were essentially to teach the
community how to behave morally and ethically right. They believed that humans were incapable of morality.[1]
This is a concept that I have been wrestling for years. Were we born even with
a little good in us? Or were we born with no good in us? It is a hard
question because if the Holy Spirit is in everywhere. That means, He is inside
us also since the beginning. But, if the Holy Spirit is inside us since the
beginning, then why do we need to recognize and accept Christ as our Lord and
Savior? Because when we commit to Christ there is an inner change that is
reflected in our behavior.
noticed that, we, humans are not very good in our natural inclinations? Actually, I was reading some of the
Babylonian codes for how to behave in society this past week. Old Babylonians
lived in the land of Canaan before God gave it to the Israelites. And, the
author was explaining that all these regulations were essentially to teach the
community how to behave morally and ethically right. They believed that humans were incapable of morality.[1]
This is a concept that I have been wrestling for years. Were we born even with
a little good in us? Or were we born with no good in us? It is a hard
question because if the Holy Spirit is in everywhere. That means, He is inside
us also since the beginning. But, if the Holy Spirit is inside us since the
beginning, then why do we need to recognize and accept Christ as our Lord and
Savior? Because when we commit to Christ there is an inner change that is
reflected in our behavior.
On the other hand, there are more difficult questions and
they originate from questions like that I just said, such as, are just
Christians able to be good? Because I have known people who are very
humanitarian and good and they don’t believe in Jesus Christ. Or when do we
start having the potential to differentiate good from bad? And after we know
what is good and what is bad, what moves us to keep doing good or bad?
they originate from questions like that I just said, such as, are just
Christians able to be good? Because I have known people who are very
humanitarian and good and they don’t believe in Jesus Christ. Or when do we
start having the potential to differentiate good from bad? And after we know
what is good and what is bad, what moves us to keep doing good or bad?
I am pretty sure that I have told you that I remembered
my dad saying to me, “Do what is right because it is the right way to do. Be
always honest.” Let me tell you something my dear ones, when I was in business
and I was not a Christian, it is hard to
do what is right. One does what is the better for me and my business. Sure
enough, each one of us who were in the business market do the same. That is, we
had our ethical code, because we couldn’t be dishonest with the customer in
relation to the quality. However, between us was a tremendous competition attitude.
The kind of attitude that we were able to step on or crush whoever was in our
way to reach our financial goals. Even more dysfunctional was the fact that on
Sunday morning through the Catholic mass, we were all good friends giving us
the peace of God.
my dad saying to me, “Do what is right because it is the right way to do. Be
always honest.” Let me tell you something my dear ones, when I was in business
and I was not a Christian, it is hard to
do what is right. One does what is the better for me and my business. Sure
enough, each one of us who were in the business market do the same. That is, we
had our ethical code, because we couldn’t be dishonest with the customer in
relation to the quality. However, between us was a tremendous competition attitude.
The kind of attitude that we were able to step on or crush whoever was in our
way to reach our financial goals. Even more dysfunctional was the fact that on
Sunday morning through the Catholic mass, we were all good friends giving us
the peace of God.
Here is a clear example that all of us who were in
business behave good with each other and we enjoyed also a very good reputation
in the city where we were living. We were good citizens, we were good neighbors,
and we paid our taxes. We lived according to the social regulations and
expectations as the Babylonians.
business behave good with each other and we enjoyed also a very good reputation
in the city where we were living. We were good citizens, we were good neighbors,
and we paid our taxes. We lived according to the social regulations and
expectations as the Babylonians.
Here is Jesus, saying a very difficult parable because
there is a rich man who has a deceitful and cheater manager. The manager very
sneaky and with great generosity, pardons the debtors of the rich man. Does the manager is doing something good? Yes,
he is doing something good. If we ask for credit is because the majority of the
time and at this moment, we don’t have the money to pay for the product. The
debtors do not know that the manager is forgiving part of the debt without the
rich man knowledge. On the other hand, the rich man has his hands tied because
he is not going to come to his clients and says, “Pay me the complete debt. My
administrator is cheating on me.” The administrator is doing something good but
according to God’s teachings, he is not ethically and morally right.
there is a rich man who has a deceitful and cheater manager. The manager very
sneaky and with great generosity, pardons the debtors of the rich man. Does the manager is doing something good? Yes,
he is doing something good. If we ask for credit is because the majority of the
time and at this moment, we don’t have the money to pay for the product. The
debtors do not know that the manager is forgiving part of the debt without the
rich man knowledge. On the other hand, the rich man has his hands tied because
he is not going to come to his clients and says, “Pay me the complete debt. My
administrator is cheating on me.” The administrator is doing something good but
according to God’s teachings, he is not ethically and morally right.
Clearly, Jesus is telling us that whoever is honest with
little will be honest with much and whoever is dishonest with little will be
dishonest with much. He also is telling us that it is important to have our
priorities in life very clear. It is important to ask ourselves, what is first for us our possessions or God?
When we have placed God first in our lives then we begin to notice how we start
changing. People are more important for us than money. To live justly and apply
honesty and integrity to our lives is more important than earthly status or
recognition. Help and look after the weak and poor or the less important
according to society is more essential for us than to close our eyes and ignore
them. These are the true riches that the Gospel is talking.
little will be honest with much and whoever is dishonest with little will be
dishonest with much. He also is telling us that it is important to have our
priorities in life very clear. It is important to ask ourselves, what is first for us our possessions or God?
When we have placed God first in our lives then we begin to notice how we start
changing. People are more important for us than money. To live justly and apply
honesty and integrity to our lives is more important than earthly status or
recognition. Help and look after the weak and poor or the less important
according to society is more essential for us than to close our eyes and ignore
them. These are the true riches that the Gospel is talking.
Now,
there is a difficult part in this parable that pushed me to study more than
usual. It is in v. 9, 9 I
tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is
gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
I think, I read it at least 15
times. I wanted to be sure that I was reading well. So, here is God, telling us
that use worldly wealth to gain friends
for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcome to eternal life. Here,
I think the key word, is USE. Use,
is a manner of employing something.[2]
The text is very complicated in this part because it looks like doesn’t make
sense. Jesus is recognizing the dishonest manager instead of scorning him. But,
we need to read the text as a whole and not in isolation. After Jesus is saying
that, use worldly wealth to gain friends
for yourselves, so that what it is gone, you will be welcome to eternal life. And
then, He talks about the trusting of much and true riches. I think that it
means that we can become honest and help the less privilege even when we
encounter dishonest people. That is, our role is to make a fair and responsible
use of material resources even when the people who we are dealing with do not
have the same moral and ethical Christian values.
there is a difficult part in this parable that pushed me to study more than
usual. It is in v. 9, 9 I
tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is
gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
I think, I read it at least 15
times. I wanted to be sure that I was reading well. So, here is God, telling us
that use worldly wealth to gain friends
for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcome to eternal life. Here,
I think the key word, is USE. Use,
is a manner of employing something.[2]
The text is very complicated in this part because it looks like doesn’t make
sense. Jesus is recognizing the dishonest manager instead of scorning him. But,
we need to read the text as a whole and not in isolation. After Jesus is saying
that, use worldly wealth to gain friends
for yourselves, so that what it is gone, you will be welcome to eternal life. And
then, He talks about the trusting of much and true riches. I think that it
means that we can become honest and help the less privilege even when we
encounter dishonest people. That is, our role is to make a fair and responsible
use of material resources even when the people who we are dealing with do not
have the same moral and ethical Christian values.
My
dear ones, God is giving us bigger challenges in our lives because we are
growing in grace and understanding of Him. Don’t be afraid to face them because
our God is bigger than them.
dear ones, God is giving us bigger challenges in our lives because we are
growing in grace and understanding of Him. Don’t be afraid to face them because
our God is bigger than them.
Let
us pray,
us pray,
Dear
Father,
Father,
Thank
You for the understanding of the gift of Christian goodness. Help us to apply
our Christian ethics and morals in any situation and before any honest or dishonest
individual.
You for the understanding of the gift of Christian goodness. Help us to apply
our Christian ethics and morals in any situation and before any honest or dishonest
individual.
In
Jesus name. We pray.
AmenJesus name. We pray.
[1]
Childress F. James and Macquarrie, Dictionary
of Christian Ethics, (The Westminster Press, 1967. Philadelphia, PE), 55.
Childress F. James and Macquarrie, Dictionary
of Christian Ethics, (The Westminster Press, 1967. Philadelphia, PE), 55.
[2]http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0LEVw9gYsZWi5sAwi5XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyMjVjbHRyBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMzBHZ0aWQDQjExNjBfMQRzZWMDc3I-/RV=2/RE=1455870693/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2fwww.merriam-webster.com%2fdictionary%2fuse/RK=0/RS=KFT.PGP.k9SXHsp3uH2pEyb6.ro-
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