Plan Ahead

Scripture For The Day  

December 16th, 2023

Luke 16 part 1

"Plan Ahead" 

Jesus said to His crew “Once there was a rich man who had a steward/manager cheat him in his business. When he learned that his manager was cheating him, he told him; ‘I have heard bad things about you. What have you done with my money? You’re fired.” The manager thought to himself; “What am I going to do? I’m going to lose my job. I’m not strong enough to dig ditches. I’m too proud to beg. I know what I will do. I’ll try to make friends by reducing the debt of those that owe the master, so when I lose my job, they will welcome me into their homes.’ So, the manager called in people who owed the master.  He asked each one what they owed and then told them to make the bill for less and pay that amount. He was shortchanging his master but he would be able to give the master something. The master applauded the dishonest manager for acting shrewdly and for planning ahead.  All the characters in this parable are corrupt.  Jesus wasn’t teaching that it’s okay to be dishonest. He was teaching a good lesson from a bad example that it’s good to plan ahead for the future.

Jesus turns to His followers and says; I tell you; you can use the worldly things you have now to make ‘friends’ for later. But when those things are gone, you can be welcomed into a home that lasts forever. Whoever can be trusted with small things can also be trusted with big things. Whoever is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in big things too. Even the most wicked are smart enough to provide for themselves against coming evil. Believers are to be even smarter. Our thoughts should be on eternity and not just on worldly things. If you cannot be trusted with worldly riches, you will not be trusted with the true riches; heavenly treasures. And if you can’t be trusted with the things that belong to someone else, you will not be given anything of your own. You cannot serve two masters; for either you will hate the one, and love the other; or else you will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (money) at the same time.

The Pharisees believed that the love of money and God were compatible. And so, when they heard these words from Jesus, they began criticizing Jesus because of their love for money. Jesus said to them, “You make yourselves look good in front of people. But God knows what’s in your hearts. What people think is important is worth nothing to God.” And any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman is guilty of adultery. And the man who marries a divorced woman is also guilty of adultery. Jesus quoted this about marriage to prove His point about keeping the law and that He didn’t come to do away with it but fulfill it.

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