Luke 16:1-36 at first view looks like a conundrum. It sounds like God is affirming unethical activity. It seems God affirms corrupt money practices but looking at it more closely we see God raises the bar about how we are to think and deal with wealth.
Jesus tells a story of a rich man who has a corrupt manager. This is not an uncommon story either at the time of Jesus or in stories we read in today’s newspapers.
In the story the master confronts the manager, reviews what he has been doing, and announces that he will get the sack for it, and gives him notice. With the time left in his tenure the corrupt manager makes plans to come out of his dilemma with assets intact.
Jesus tells it like this, quoting the words of the culprit: 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. I know what I’ll do so that when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses. He contacted all those who were in debt to his master and forgave them a large part of their debt so they would be beholden to him after he was fired. When the master heard what he had done he said the guy was a crook but he was a clever crook. It just goes to show you that not only the righteous are wise but crooks can be wise in their own way as well.
Jesus is not affirming dishonesty but he is acknowledging that we need to be on our guard against dishonesty among the worldly wise by being as forward looking as the corrupt manager in the story.
People of the light do not have special protection against the corrupt and we need to remember that the unscrupulous are often more forward looking than the faithful are. The most scrupulous and wise are those who realize money and earthly wealth are transient and will pass away so the best use of it is to gain favour in heaven by using it now wisely in ways that please God so when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
Jesus then says the really wise are those who realize the true nature of human character is to be self serving and then to act accordingly.
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own.
Here we are reminded that all we have comes from God, who gives what is best for us in the amounts that are best for accomplishing our part in his sovereign plan. He gives it but we are accountable for it and need to use it wisely and well.
Thank God for the money and other resources he has entrusted you with because they give opportunity to make friends in heaven.