Sarcasm and the Shrewd Manager
A reading for Thursday, May 28, 2015: Luke 16:1-9.
"Make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes." Sarcasm too is a gift of God, and here we see that gift on display from Jesus.
The manager was already accused of dishonest practice. He was not representing his boss very well, and the rich man was set to let him go. So the "shrewd manager" decides to make peace with his dishonesty rather than own it. Take your bills and cut them in half... all so those he had to collect from would like him and offer him shelter and comfort when he got fired.
We do this too, by the way. Sometimes we would rather rationalize and make peace with our sin rather than own it and deal with it.
Jesus identifies how shrewd the manager in the story has been, and even challenges his followers to act in the same way only with one major caveat. Act as the children of the light. Do what is right. Offer grace and blessings to others not for your own benefit, but for the abundance of God.
Because if you serve dishonesty (and here comes the sarcasm), well then perhaps that dishonesty can save you instead of God? NOT!
"Make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes." Sarcasm too is a gift of God, and here we see that gift on display from Jesus.
The manager was already accused of dishonest practice. He was not representing his boss very well, and the rich man was set to let him go. So the "shrewd manager" decides to make peace with his dishonesty rather than own it. Take your bills and cut them in half... all so those he had to collect from would like him and offer him shelter and comfort when he got fired.
We do this too, by the way. Sometimes we would rather rationalize and make peace with our sin rather than own it and deal with it.
Jesus identifies how shrewd the manager in the story has been, and even challenges his followers to act in the same way only with one major caveat. Act as the children of the light. Do what is right. Offer grace and blessings to others not for your own benefit, but for the abundance of God.
Because if you serve dishonesty (and here comes the sarcasm), well then perhaps that dishonesty can save you instead of God? NOT!
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