“The Savvy Manager / The Unjust Steward”
Compiled By Brother L.
Harrell
Matthew
13:44 (Weymouth New Testament) The Kingdom of the Heavens is like
treasure
buried in the open country, which a man finds, but buries again, and,
in his
joy about it, goes and sells all he has and buys that piece of ground.
Matthew
13:45-46 (Weymouth New
Testament) Again the Kingdom of the
Heavens is
like a jewel merchant who is in quest of choice pearls.
He finds one most costly pearl; he goes away;
and though it costs all he has, he buys it.
The
Parable of
the Shrewd
Manager / Unjust Steward in Luke 16:1-13 teaches that the people of
this world
look out for themselves better (are more prudent) than the godly are
(in
respect to their generation / colleagues).
In other words, the worldly are wiser than those in the
household of
faith when it comes to using wealth available to influence agenda (the
saint’s
agenda being to win friends / the world to Christ).
We are charged to use our wealth / resources
to help our kinsman / neighbors gain eternal life (See Luke 16:9).
Failure to do so
would mean
we have not been true to (have not provided) proper use of resources
committed
to us from above, likely resulting in us being judged as unjust
stewards
(dishonest in our matters, therefore disqualifying us for greater ones).
Like property
that has buried
treasure, and also like fine gems, such as diamonds and pearls, a
progressive and
resourceful person would do what it takes to acquire such a prize.
Resourceful
investors such
as art collectors, real estate investor, etc., will actively seek to
broaden
their horizons by acquiring assets to secure their future / goal, often
not
letting obstacles get in their way. That
is how shrewd the Lord’s elect must learn to be. (This
does not exclude virtuous conduct).
Luke
16:8-9 (Weymouth New
Testament) And
the master praised the dishonest
steward for his shrewdness; for, in relation to their own
contemporaries, the
men of this age are shrewder than the sons of Light.
But I charge you, so to use the wealth which
is ever tempting to dishonesty as to win friends who, when it fails,
shall
welcome you to the tents that never perish.
Luke
16:10-12 (Weymouth New
Testament) The
man who
is honest in a very small matter is honest in a great one also; and he
who is
dishonest in a very small matter is dishonest in a great one also. If therefore you have not proved yourselves
faithful in dealing with the wealth that is tainted with fraud, who
will
entrust to you the true good? And if you have not been faithful in dealing with that
which is not
your own, who will give you that which is your own?
Revised:
02/15/05
http://seventhdayapostolic.org/ChooseLORD/