Does Jesus applaud dishonesty? What gives?!

Listen here:  https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/38dfa2db/did-jesus-appl...

The last Morning Briefing drew responses--

'God would run to me, for me?' folks wanted to know. 'Was Jesus talking real talk in what you just wrote?' Yes, Jesus was. The Father did. He would . . . run to you. Ah, the image of a loving God running to embrace his lost child is a gift that Jesus gave us in the parable of the prodigal son. O, to have the picture of a loving Heavenly Father gathering us into his arms etched upon our hearts and ever before us through the day! The sentiment captured by Paul's words that God is for us.1

As Luke 15 ended with the prodigal, so chapter 16 opens with another prodigal - this time the errant employee who managed, or shall we say mismanaged the financial affairs of his boss - a rich man.

I do not recall learning about this parable, and there is a reason - it is complicated! A first glance, a casual look will only confuse as it would seem that Jesus was applauding the dishonesty of this manager, but we know that cannot be true. So what is happening here? And what is the good that we can take from the parable and the conduct of this man?

A prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, give us the desire to know You more. Grant to us, O God, the will to know Your heart for us, your children, by reading Your word. Give us eyes to see what Jesus was saying to his disciples then and what You would say to us now. O God, grant us the will to follow you wholeheartedly, unreservedly. We know that you have heard and will answer this prayer because of the power that is in the name of Jesus, Amen.

**This is long - that's okay. Hang with me. Note who Jesus was addressing that day.

Luke writes: 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 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 God and be enslaved to money.”2

Just checking - did Jesus applaud dishonesty in this guy? Because clearly the man was reducing the debts owed his employer to win the favor of these people because he was about to be out of work. “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd."3 Huh?

What does this mean?

>What Jesus applauded was the ingenuity of the fellow -

his enterprising method of preparing for his next stage of life.

How much more then ought you and I be preparing for our next life,

including using our resources to invest in the eternity of others!

What ought children of the light (Christians) learn from the children of this world's shrewdness? This: --->Use your worldly resources to benefit others4 for eternity.

Huh, so let's think about the eternal home Jesus references. Have you ever considered who will be in Heaven because of you? Who will greet you at the gates and say, 'Thank you for giving to ___, even though you lived across the world from me and never met me, I found out about Jesus because you gave! I'm here because of you.' And another might say, 'you did not think I was listening when you told me the difference following God made in your life--well, I was. Thanks for telling me; I'm here because of you.'

I cannot wait to hear "Welcome home!" from Jesus one day.

I was reminded of this great song the other day while watching American Idol.

Welcome Home! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSqywOCc_MM Check out the lyrics!!5

So grateful to those who give to this ministry that reaches people near and far--people who we will meet in Heaven one day.

For the Lord, For eternity ...

Christine - PastorWoman.net

Luke, #50

1 - Romans 8.31

2 - Luke 16.1-13, New Living Translation

3 - Luke 16.8

4 - Luke 16.9

5 - American Idol contestant, Baylee Littrell is on this season; his dad, who sang this song appeared with him...Welcome Home, Brian!