Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
In The Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-15), we have a rich man and the manager who works for the rich man.
The manager caught wind that he was getting fired—the rich man (the boss) was not happy. The manager went quickly and slyly, and forgave debts (read: manipulated) of his richest past customers, so he wouldn’t lose quite as much money…to save his own hide. He acted shrewdly, and dishonestly.
“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly” Luke 16:8.
Commending shrewdness? Commending dishonesty? Another tough concept from Jesus.
We too are managers of valuable things. We are entrusted with money, time, gifts, talents, and relationships. We too have a choice in how we manage these things.
By all measures, the rich man is right. The manager is indeed squandering his money. We are taught to save our money, to not spend it frivolously, to hold it tightly. But we all know how easy it is for that which we hold tightly to hold us tightly.
When we hold on too tightly, to our money, our gifts, our relationships, they begin to define us. They begin to speak for us, to control us. They become our idols. And our energy is spent holding tightly to those things that are not reliable to give us true freedom.
Jesus knows this. Jesus knows our money doesn’t equal fulfillment, that relationships will have their bumps, that our talents and gifts will change, and that any dependence on outside approval will never satisfy.
And so he commends the dishonest manager. He commends the one who squanders debt forgiveness. He commends the one who is willing to risk everything to save himself.
Because that’s what our God does. God squanders by giving up everything he is, everything he has, his very life so that you and all people are welcome into his kingdom. So that there is nothing that separates you from Him. God squanders his life for true freedom for all. Amen.
