https://odb.org/MY/2022/06/15/the-pudding-guy-2
Luke 16:1-12 the Parable of the Shrewd Manager is perhaps a more difficult parable to understand if we were to just take it at face value. It is somewhat controversial as it appears to glorify dishonesty when a manager who is about to lose his job started discounting the debts of his employer’s debtors to gain a favour from them so that they will treat him well after he is no longer the manager. Jesus did not elaborate on why it was not wrong to do what the manager did (perhaps the debts were grossly inflated by outrageously high compounded interest upon interest in the first place) and we also do not know why the manager had such authority to reduce debts unilaterally, but the point made by Jesus was to use our earthly wealth for eternal purposes.
As a shrewd believer, we should not hoard our wealth in the sense that we should not hold it too tightly even though we need to save for our old age. The reason is obvious. Earthly wealth do not last forever and so is our position and status in life. So why don’t we use our earthly riches, social position and influence to sow into the Kingdom of God and in the process store treasures in heaven where the thief may not steal or the moth or rust will not destroy? Sowing into the Kingdom could mean giving to missions and Christian causes but could also mean just pure charitable organisations that help the needy, poor and downtrodden. It could also mean just helping out our neighbour who is in need or using our influence to help someone out, perhaps someone who had just been laid off and is jobless. We will see more and more of such cases as the economic woes caused by the pandemic and Russian-Ukraine war as well as the Western sanctions against Russia and the US trade war against China all start to kick in over the next few years. The world will go into greater turmoil.
At the most fundamental and basic level, we ought to use as much as we can for the glory of God. Our time and talents and giftings. Our wealth, money, influence, position and status too. That’s the clever and shrewd thing to do. Use them all for the glory of God, for eternal everlasting purposes. It is a privilege to be able to work and earn a living. Just remember that as we earn and have money (and we need not be rich!), we are given the privilege to sow into eternal purposes. Use that privilege to invest into eternal treasures while we still can. We will not live forever here on earth and neither will our jobs and position be ours forever. I believe that is the essence of the Parable of the Shrewd Manager – be a shrewd and smart believer and use all that is within our control for Christ and the glory of God!
Ronnie's Thoughts 