L U K E  16 v 1-13

This is a Parable of an unjust manager, which Jesus told His disciples.   

“There was a certain rich man, who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager wasting his employer’s money. The employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’

 “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg.  Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’

 “He invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’

 The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons. ’

 “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels. ’

 “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them, than are the children of the light.

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This is a parable about dishonesty. We should not draw from this passage that it is meant to teach us to act in the way of the manager.  The man who the Lord describes to set before us was a shrew character, but Jesus never meant to sanction dishonesty and unfair dealing between two men.

The manager cheated his Master and the eighth Commandment, and the Master was shocked at the manager’s cunning and his intention when he heard it, but praised him for his shrewd act, but the master showed no sign of being pleased with him.  There is no suggestion that Jesus praised the manager. This is something which no one should copy.

The caution laid down is meaningful. Commercial dishonesty is common sadly,, fair dealing between men is rare. Men do things in the way of business, not the Bible.  In a rush to be rich, many actions are not upright, sharpness and smartness in bargaining and buying, selling and pushing trade are covering over.  The generation of unjust man is still persisting.  Do not forget whenever we do to others what we would not want then to do to us, we can be sure whatever the world may say, we would be wrong in the sight of Christ.  Remember, in the work place. one plain lesson of the parable is to stop acting illegally.

The conduct of the unjust man when he was losing his place, was skilfull and smart. Dishonest as he was in taking money out of the Master, he did not cry poverty, schemed or pleaded, but boldly contrived and carried out his plans. The result was, whilst losing one home he secured another.

We can see the difference between the man’s conduct about his earthly prospects, and the conduct of most men about their souls; he gave example by his forward  looking of things to come.

One day we will all have to move from where we are in our earthly home. We should  try to have a home in heaven.  This parable  in this point of views, tells us something that leads to the searching of the heart. Professing Christians do not always look to the future or face realities.  Compare this with the zeal of the business man who shows how careless are believers  about heaven

gastly, we see the expressions the Lord uses about little things in connection with the parable .  He said, he who is faithful in that which is the least, is faithful also with much and who is unjust with little is unjust with much.

The Lord teaches faithfulness in all things, large and small.  He guards us against supposing that such conduct about money as the unjust manager, should never be considered a light matter among Christians.  He wants us to know little things are the best part of character, and not being truthful about little things a symptom of a bad heart.  He did not mean of course, this only applied to money.  He did mean that dishonesty in money was a sign of a bad heart and not being right in the sight of God.

The one who is not dealing honestly with gold and silver in this world, can never be one who has riches in heaven

The doctrine laid down by the Lord in this place deserves serious consideration in  this place.  An idea prevails in some minds, that true religion may be separated from common honesty, and that soundness about doctrine may cover over cheating  in matters of practice.  The Lord’s words were a plain protest.       

Let us contend earnestly for the glorious doctrine of salvation by grace, and justification by faith,  Never forget that true faith will always be recognized. We may be sure, very sure, that where there is no honesty there is no grace 

 

We praise God for His Holy Gospel. May His Holy Name be Glorified.