Special thanks to Jill Hamming from PEI who is writing the devotionals on the readings from Luke (with help from L.E.Porter’s commentary on Luke).

SCRIPTURE: Luke 16:1-15

OBSERVATION/APPLICATION

1. This story of the dishonest manger shocking. It seems as if Jesus is commending dishonesty. Obviously we know that is not true as already in 10-13 Jesus talks about not trusting dishonest people…. Porter tells us “that a landowner on this scale will have given the stewardship to the man who promised him the highest income and whose payment would be the extra he would obtain. The dishonesty came in wasting his goods by forcing too much out of the estate. What the steward deleted was the extra he hoped to get for himself…The master commended the dishonest steward for his prudence. Faced by ruin he took energetic action to ward it off, it is his foresight and resourcefulness that are commended, not his dishonesty…in our steward ship for God let us be at least as whole-hearted and energetic as the steward in prosecuting his own interests.
2. If you can be trusted with little you will be trusted with much. If you are dishonest with little you’ll be dishonest with much. If you can’t be trusted with small things; who would put you in charge? The money loving Pharisees sneered at Jesus’ words. Jesus warns them again. God knows your hearts. What men value is not necessarily what God values.
3. For me the important thing here is how do I carry out the responsibilities that I have. Do I carry them out whole-heartedly or do I gripe because I want a more important job? Do I do the noticeable jobs as well as the unnoticed ones? Is what people think of what I do more important than the thing itself or the person it is for? If I everything I am and have belongs to Jesus; then I need to think of everything I do as doing it for Him.

PRAYER:
Lord, I confess that I am not always wholehearted in the work You have given me to do. I am sorry. Please forgive me. Please continually draw my thoughts to You and remind me of what is truly important. I want to be honest in all things. Amen