Episode Transcript
[00:00:24] Speaker A: Hi.
[00:00:24] Speaker B: My name is Josh.
[00:00:25] Speaker A: And my name is Gabriel.
[00:00:26] Speaker B: And today on reading the gospel, we are studying the event the dishonest manager. This is found in Luke, chapter 16, and we're going to read verses one through 17. Follow along with us.
[00:00:43] Speaker A: Jesus also said to his disciples, there was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, what is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for we can no longer be manager.
And the manager said to himself, what shall I do? Since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig. I am ashamed to beg. So I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their homes.
So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, how much do you owe my master? And he said, a hundred measures of oil. And he said to him, take your bill and sit down quickly and write 50.
Then he said to another, and how much do you owe? And he said, a hundred measures of width. He said to him, take your bill and write 80.
The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.
For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.
And I tell you, make friends for yourself by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
[00:02:27] Speaker B: One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much. And one who is dishonest in very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust you true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, you are those who justify yourself before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. The law and the prophets were until John. Since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the law to become void.
This story at face value is a tricky story.
It's not an easy Bible text where. Here's the answer right away. It's about this manager who he learns he's going to be fired.
He then goes back and he forgives the debt of the debtors to the master. And then the master says, what you did was he commended him. It's a weird story.
[00:04:13] Speaker A: I mean, it started as a normal story because rich people, some, especially business people, were traveling, so they had a property manager or a house manager, which was supposed to be a trusted, very honest person.
And until that point, the story is a regular story. But the last part is a spin that looks unreal when the master commends, appreciates the dishonest manager who are stealing from his property. This story is, in my opinion, a continuation of Luke chapter 15.
Those three parables in chapter 15 are told to a large audience. Jesus is talking to the Pharisees and teachers of the law.
And right after that, Jesus Christ took his disciples on a separate occasion. And Jesus tells this story to his disciples. It seems to be a more mature audience, but the theme is the same.
Remember the last scene from Luke chapter 15.
It is the loving father who just embraced the prodigal son who came back home, who was lost, but now was found, who set up an amazing celebration inside the house. And the father is outside talking with a stubborn older son.
And the older son who received a double portion of inheritance. He was supposed to have more material possessions to be able to focus more time on his spiritual mission. That was to be the spiritual leader of the household.
But the older son was not able to embrace the lost and found younger brother. He was not able to forgive him. He said, that is not fair.
[00:06:22] Speaker B: And he was thinking about the wealth, the wealth that his siblings squandered, the money. His love was for the money which this gets into.
[00:06:33] Speaker A: And now in this story, in chapter 16, Jesus Christ compares the people of Israel with someone who was supposed to be a manager, an administrator for something that does not belong to him. So all the truth and the light comes from God. It was entrusted to the people of Israel in the form of sanctuary service, in the form of the writing of the prophets from the Old Testament, in the form of the good news, as revealed to the prophet Isaiah, the evangelist of the Old Testament.
And the Jews were supposed to receive in order to give, but they are not giving.
If we retain what God gives us to give to other, whatever we receive from God becomes unrighteous wealth, something that we do not deserve to keep. For ourself, we are supposed to be a channel for communicating God's good news, for reflecting God's character, for explaining to everyone who God is.
[00:07:53] Speaker B: And as Jesus is talking to the disciples, there are Pharisees who are listening and it says they ridiculed Jesus over this teaching.
Are we creating a barrier to God by being dishonest, by being shrewd, by putting our focus in money?
Are we getting away from the gospel? The purpose that we have of sharing Jesus with those around us?
[00:08:27] Speaker A: We may not using those cursing words to send people to hell, but we might be blocking people's access into the kingdom of God by focusing on the wrong priorities in life and also by do not giving what was entrusted to us, by not fulfilling the mission that God gave us.
[00:08:54] Speaker B: So what does this parable tell us about Jesus or tell us about God?
For me, what jumps out to me is the very end. It says it is easier for heaven and earth, for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one dot of the law to become void.
Solomon said that there's nothing new under the sun.
God doesn't change and we might look for new ways for him to change. We might think that we are an exception to the rule. I think that falls on many people, that God's law doesn't apply to me in this situation because of this exception.
But as God is saying, the law won't change. What is just, is just what his will for us is the same, his desires, and we need to accept and expect to live within what God is asking us to live in.
[00:09:59] Speaker A: For me, I was very surprised by the two sides of the story and how Jesus portrays God the Father because God is the owner, the master in this story.
In the first part, in the historical part of the story, God is fair because the master said that this manager is dishonest and had to be fired.
In the second part of the story, that seems to be fictional, and I say fictional because there is no property owner who will commend a manager for stealing from him. Jesus Christ portrays our God as being creative, as being very much interested in the mission that he entrusted us, because we receive in order to give.
So I see how the creative side of Jesus Christ was blended into a historical, real story and how together the end is twisted in such a way that Jesus tells his disciples and by extension, to the jewish leaders and jewish nation.
It's time to make friends and make the Samaritans your friends, and make the hamas your friends, right? And on and on.
Make friends with this unrighteous wealth that you receive from God, you kept for yourself, it became unrighteous, will become righteous again when you receive in order to give.
[00:11:38] Speaker B: Yeah. So how is this passage speaking to you today? And what are you going to do.
[00:11:44] Speaker A: About it for me?
When I read this story, I pause and I ask myself, have I received something from God that I'm not ready to give away, to pass on to others? And that might be money, that might be other talents, like wisdom, musical talents, artistical skills, leadership skills. And you can make your own list for yourself.
Am I using what I have received from God because I have not received them for myself? So I can boast, look how much talent I receive from God. No, I received in order to give.
And this parable reminds me over and over, if I do not give, if I do not pass on, if I do not reflect God's character in my life through my action, everything that I have received from God becomes unrighteous wealth.
[00:12:56] Speaker B: For me. It's verse ten.
The one who is faithful and very little is also faithful in much. And one who is dishonest and very little is also dishonest in much.
I think taking time to reflect on our lives, how we treat both those around us and God, are we faithful in the little things or are we dishonest in the little things?
Because how we act in the little things will affect how we act when big decisions, when big crises, when big crossroads in our lives come. And so, taking that time to make sure we do our part, to be faithful in the little things, let us pray. Father, you have given us so much.
And sometimes we are unwise with the resources we have. Sometimes we are dishonest. Sometimes we are unfaithful.
But, Father, I pray that you will forgive us for those times, that you will change our hearts, and you will help us to be faithful and honest. You will help us to make right decisions. You will help us to prepare for the future, that we won't be slaves to money, but we will be your servants. In Jesus name, amen. Amen.
