JULY 19
Luke 16:1-15- Shrewd manager, – Jesus’ lesson in use of worldly wealth. “Gain friends”
Relies on masters MERCY to accomplish his goals
Master praises him for knowing where his salvation lay – in the generous master.
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Luke 16
16 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accusedof wastinghis possessions.(A)
Accused– Dieblhoh
– accused by an adversary
Wasted–
– scattered ( coffee bean chaff )
2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you?
Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
Silence of manager = guilt, no excuses
3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
Lay of the land?
Goal of his plan?
Masters MERCY…./ generously
BEFORE word gets out… people aren’t complicit
5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 “‘Nine hundred gallons[a] of olive oil,’ he replied.
“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
Quick -single stroke,
7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“‘A thousand bushels[b] of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
8 “The master commended the dishonest manager
Who is the hero?
How is the manager seen by the people???
What’s the master going to do?
What did the manager take advantage of?
What insider information are you privy too regarding the MASTER
Commended
“Robin Hood – like”
Grace extended AGAIN
because he had acted shrewdly.
What IS commended
What is NOT commended
For the people of this world(B) are more shrewd(C) in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.(D)
Conclusion
What follows from the last verse?
Attitude moving forward?
– Toward the The MASTER
– Toward present?
Future?
– Shrewdness ?
B R I D G E ????
9 I tell you, use worldly wealth(E) to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.(F)
10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,(G) and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth,(H) who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”(I)
14 The Pharisees, who loved money,(J) heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.(K) 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves(L) in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts.(M) What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.