“Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. So 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.’ “So 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. Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home. “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”” (Luke 16:1-13 NLT)
Suggestions for experiencing this story
- Who is the dodgiest manager you have worked for or had as an employee?
- What’s the dodgiest situation you’ve had to extricate yourself creatively from with a manager?
- Who do you trust most in managing your affairs?
- What do you connect with in this tale Jesus is spinning?
- Why does the owner find the survival tactics of the manager admirable?
- How in the wide world of sports does this connect to our lives as followers of Jesus? Holy crookedness?
- What are we currently facing that we need help for – from God, one another?
Prayer for Today
Almighty God,
in whom we live and move and have our being,
you have made us for yourself,
so that our hearts are restless until they rest in you;
grant me purity of heart and strength of purpose,
that no selfish passion
may hinder me from knowing your will,
no weakness from doing it;
but that in your light I may see light clearly,
and in your service find perfect freedom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Augustine: 354-430)
