The Clever Crook
Preaching
Preaching The Parables
Series III, Cycle C
1. Text
Then Jesus said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. [2] So he summoned him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.' [3] Then the manager said to himself, 'What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. [4] I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.' [5] So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' [6] He answered, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.' [7] Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?' He replied, 'A hundred containers of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill and make it eighty.' [8] And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. [9] And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.
[10] "Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. [11] If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? [12] And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? [13] No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
2. What's Happening?
First Point Of Action
Jesus tells this story to his disciples. A rich man learns that his manager has been charged with squandering the man's property.
Second Point Of Action
The rich man calls the manager to him. He asks, "What is this I have heard about you?" Apparently he does not give him a chance to answer but tells him to give him an accounting of his work. He is going to fire him.
Third Point Of Action
The manager then wonders to himself what he will do now. He is not strong enough to dig and is too proud to beg. He decides to do something that, after he is dismissed, will cause people to welcome him into their homes.
Fourth Point Of Action
One by one, he summons the rich man's creditors.
Fifth Point Of Action
He tells the first of the creditors to sit down quickly and reduce his bill from 100 jugs of olive oil to fifty jugs.
Sixth Point Of Action
He tells the second to reduce his bill from 100 to eighty containers of wheat.
Seventh Point Of Action
His master commends the dishonest manager because he has acted shrewdly.
Eighth Point Of Action
He says the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generations than are the children of light. He says to make friends by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes (note homes).
Ninth Point Of Action
Jesus explains that whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.
Tenth Point Of Action
He asks two questions: Who will entrust you with the true riches if you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth? Who will give you what is your own if you have not been faithful to another?
Eleventh Point Of Action
He concludes: No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
3. Spadework
Dishonest
In addition to references to dishonesty in the present text are the few passages below. However sparse, they suggest that dishonesty is despicable. Moses' father-in-law advises him to get assistance with his work. "You should also look for able men among the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain" (Exodus 18:21).
Dishonesty is destructive: "Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice; who makes his neighbors work for nothing, and does not give them their wages" (Jeremiah 22:13). Jeremiah continues, "But your eyes and heart are only on your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence" (Jeremiah 22:17).
The prophet Ezekiel also lambasts dishonesty: See Ezekiel 22:13, 22:23-24, and 22:27: "Its officials within it are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain." Neither can the prophet Micah condone deceitful behavior: "Can I tolerate wicked scales and a bag of dishonest weights? Your wealthy are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, with tongues of deceit in their mouths. Therefore I have begun to strike you down, making you desolate because of your sins" (Micah 6:11-13).
Eternal Home(s)
The present passage alone says, "eternal homes": "And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes" (Luke 16:9). Is "homes" subtle mention of the two possible directions after physical life? Ecclesiastes uses this death metaphor in the singular: When life changes and "when one is afraid of heights, and terrors are in the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along and desire fails; because all must go to their eternal home" (Ecclesiastes 12:5). See also Psalm 49:14 and 2 Corinthians 5:8-10.
Faithful
Are we faithful because God is faithful to us? "For your steadfast love is before my eyes, / and I walk in faithfulness to you" (Psalm 26:3).
Is that what keeps us going during the rough times? "For the Lord is good; / his steadfast love endures forever, / and his faithfulness to all generations" (Psalm 100:5) and "Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; / righteousness and peace will kiss each other. / Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, / and righteousness will look down from the sky" (Psalm 85:10-11).
Is being faithful to what is in our heart and mind enough? "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations" (Deuteronomy 7:9).
Can we pattern our faithfulness after the faithfulness of God? God is "without deceit, just and upright is he." (See Deuteronomy 32:4.) "The works of his hands are faithful and just; / all his precepts are trustworthy" (Psalm 111:7). God is "faithful in all his words, / and gracious in all his deeds" (Psalm 145:13).
In response to our faithfulness, does God look with special favor upon those who "turn to [God] in their hearts" (Psalm 85:8)? "But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; / the Lord hears when I call to him" (Psalm 4:3). Despite what appears to be an ever-increasing need to buy more necessary things, great monetary gain need not be the indicator of a successful and meaningful existence. (See also Psalm 97:10.)
Which is the greater sacrifice -- love of God or money? "Gather to me my faithful ones, / who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!" (Psalm 50:5).
Why not trust in God's providence? "Into your hand I commit my spirit; / you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God" (Psalm 31:5). See also Psalm 31:23 and 37:28.
Dare we hope? "Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23). "No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). "But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. / At an acceptable time, O God, / in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me. / With your faithful help rescue me from sinking in the mire; / let me be delivered from my enemies / and from the deep waters" (Psalm 69:13-14). See also Psalm 30:4 and 32:6. (Twenty-seven of the 91 references to "faithful" appear in Psalms, as well as 35 of the 68 references to "faithfulness.")
Faithful is also doing what is good and right before God. (See 2 Chronicles 31:20.) Faithful is "faithful deeds in accordance with what is written in the law of the Lord" (2 Chronicles 35:26). The faithful person respects God. (See Nehemiah 7:2.) Faithful is found in the heart. (See Nehemiah 9:8.)
Manager
Two references to "manager" in addition to the present text include, first, the manager of the vineyard, whose equal pay for unequal work hours parallels the love of God for all people regardless of their condition. (See Matthew 20:8.) The second reference speaks of the "faithful and prudent manager" the master trusted to oversee his slaves. (See Luke 12:42.)
The writer of 1 Timothy speaks of the prerequisite of managing one's household well before taking care of God's church. See 1 Timothy 3:4-5 and 3:12. See also 1 Timothy 5:14.
Master
How to serve a master: Show steadfast love (Genesis 24:14c); do not forsake steadfast love and faithfulness (Genesis 24:27); deal loyally and truly with the master (Genesis 24:49); acknowledge God's role in your life -- "His master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands" (Genesis 39:3).
"Remember the word that I said to you, 'Servants are not greater than their master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20).
Paul admonished the Colossian slave masters to treat their slaves "justly and fairly, for you know that you also have a Master in heaven." (See Colossians 4:1.)
Serve God
In addition to the versions of the present text in Matthew and Luke, "serve God" appears in two other references, both from the prophet Malachi: "You have said, 'It is vain to serve God. What do we profit by keeping his command or by going about as mourners before the Lord of hosts?' " (Malachi 3:14) and "Then once more you shall see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him" (Malachi 3:18).
Squander
To squander is to waste, to spend foolishly, engage in too many splurges, to throw away through too many extravagant expenditures. Both the younger prodigal son (Luke 15:13ff, Parable 4, Cycle C) and the dishonest manager in the present parable get into trouble because of squandering.
Trustworthy
"The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy" (Psalm 111:7). "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master' " (Matthew 25:21 and Luke 19:17). See also Exodus 18:21 above.
Unfaithful
"What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true, as it is written, 'So that you may be justified in your words, and prevail in your judging' " (Romans 3:3-4).
What about the unfaithful? "The faithful will abound with blessings, but one who is in a hurry to be rich will not go unpunished" (Proverbs 28:20). "He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness; for not by might does one prevail" (1 Samuel 2:9). "A faithful witness does not lie, / but a false witness breathes out lies" (Proverbs 14:5).
Not only today do we wonder where the people of good character have gone: "Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; / the faithful have disappeared from humankind" (Psalm 12:1). And how would these words apply today in Israel? "I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel; you seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel; why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord?" (2 Samuel 20:19).
Wealth
Pay attention to the role of God in your wealth: "Do not say to yourself, 'My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.' But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today" (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).
God also bestowed upon Solomon all that he had not asked for -- "possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life" in addition to the wisdom and knowledge that he had asked for to be a good king. (See 2 Chronicles 1:11.) "I walk in the way of righteousness, / along the paths of justice, / endowing with wealth those who love me, / and filling their treasuries" (Proverbs 8:20-21). "Likewise all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil -- this is the gift of God" (Ecclesiastes 5:19).
Wealth and the lack of it carry other surprises: "Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle, but those who gather little by little will increase it" (Proverbs 13:11); "Some pretend to be rich, yet have nothing; others pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth. Wealth is a ransom for a person's life, but the poor get no threats" (Proverbs 13:7-8); and "Like the partridge hatching what it did not lay, so are all who amass wealth unjustly; in mid-life it will leave them, and at their end they will prove to be fools" (Jeremiah 17:11).
Trust in the wrong things can have disastrous results: "The righteous will see, and fear, / and will laugh at the evildoer, saying, / 'See the one who would not take / refuge in God, / but trusted in abundant riches, / and sought refuge in wealth!' " (Psalm 52:6-7). See also Psalm 49:5-9.
Christ expressed clearly his view about wealth: "Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, 'How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!' " (Mark 10:23), and "As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing" (Matthew 13:22). See also Mark 4:19.
4. Parallel Scripture
Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13 are identical presentations of the "no one can serve two masters passage" except that Matthew's begins "No one" whereas Luke's starts as "No slave."
5. Chat Room
Donald Waller: Everybody does it. Look at business. How are you going to make a profit without mark-ups? Agreed, above the standard mark-up, there is a line. It depends upon what the public will tolerate. A certain category of people will expect a huge mark-up. They enjoy the boasting prestige about the price they paid.
Pat Boccardi: That is a relatively small group compared to the rest of us who budget and spend with prudence.
Waller: You have to remember that I need to get paid for my efforts. I need to live, too. I have a family to support, things to do. I should get some benefit. I expend considerable managerial energy. I earn my bonuses.
Boccardi: Bonuses usually are not self-assigned. Fair is fair, but inflated value is a balloon and ultimately damaging. Customers are not stupid.
Waller: It's a game. Customers do not need to know everything. Besides, what is one customer when you survey the whole picture? What does a little skimming here and a little overlooking there matter? I play all the angles. Is that not the job of a good manager?
Boccardi: A good manager is an honest manager. A little scheming here and a little overleaping there adds up to a pretty sour conscience.
Waller: I dismissed conscience a long time ago. Why should I listen to my conscience when my gut feeling says, "Make a killing on these vulnerable people now"?
Boccardi: Janice Taylor, are you online?
Janice Taylor: I'm on.
Boccardi: How did things get so out of hand that you had to let go of your manager?
Taylor: That's what happens when you trust. Now do not misunderstand. They must play the games of today to remain competitive. I want my manager to be sharp and to have a good sense of the practical.
Boccardi: To be shrewd, even cunning?
Taylor: Of course, when necessary. When you oversee an operation, you need sound judgment and, at times, special resourcefulness. But I personally do not want to be bruised.
Boccardi: As long as you come out ahead?
Taylor: Making the projected level of money involves compromise.
John Demitz: I have some thoughts about this. At first, when Mr. Waller reduced my debt, I felt pretty good, relieved actually. The more I thought about it, I think the whole business over there is crooked.
Boccardi: That matters to you even though you gained some benefit?
Demitz: Actually, I have been repaying the relieved debt, the balance that I would have owed them. I cannot do something at another person's expense and that is what it would have led to.
Boccardi: That is virtuous.
Demitz: Money has always been tight for me. Sometimes I get behind, but somehow I have always found a way to skimp and get by. We haven't starved yet. I just have to keep everything in perspective -- my family, what is right between God and me, my priorities.
Boccardi: Then you have a higher rule.
Demitz: What it is, is that I have to be able to live with myself. I must be faithful to my values. Were I to buy into their system, I would feel compromised. Mr. Waller would expect things from me that I could not in my heart do for him.
Boccardi: You do not want to be part of the game, even at a loss to you.
Demitz: It depends upon what you mean by loss. No, I cannot be part of their game. I cannot serve two masters. Dare I risk economic survival with honesty? It has been done. There are basically honest people around in all businesses and professions. In my heart, I have chosen the way of faithfulness.
Then Jesus said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. [2] So he summoned him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.' [3] Then the manager said to himself, 'What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. [4] I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.' [5] So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' [6] He answered, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.' [7] Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?' He replied, 'A hundred containers of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill and make it eighty.' [8] And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. [9] And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.
[10] "Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. [11] If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? [12] And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? [13] No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
2. What's Happening?
First Point Of Action
Jesus tells this story to his disciples. A rich man learns that his manager has been charged with squandering the man's property.
Second Point Of Action
The rich man calls the manager to him. He asks, "What is this I have heard about you?" Apparently he does not give him a chance to answer but tells him to give him an accounting of his work. He is going to fire him.
Third Point Of Action
The manager then wonders to himself what he will do now. He is not strong enough to dig and is too proud to beg. He decides to do something that, after he is dismissed, will cause people to welcome him into their homes.
Fourth Point Of Action
One by one, he summons the rich man's creditors.
Fifth Point Of Action
He tells the first of the creditors to sit down quickly and reduce his bill from 100 jugs of olive oil to fifty jugs.
Sixth Point Of Action
He tells the second to reduce his bill from 100 to eighty containers of wheat.
Seventh Point Of Action
His master commends the dishonest manager because he has acted shrewdly.
Eighth Point Of Action
He says the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generations than are the children of light. He says to make friends by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes (note homes).
Ninth Point Of Action
Jesus explains that whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.
Tenth Point Of Action
He asks two questions: Who will entrust you with the true riches if you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth? Who will give you what is your own if you have not been faithful to another?
Eleventh Point Of Action
He concludes: No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
3. Spadework
Dishonest
In addition to references to dishonesty in the present text are the few passages below. However sparse, they suggest that dishonesty is despicable. Moses' father-in-law advises him to get assistance with his work. "You should also look for able men among the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain" (Exodus 18:21).
Dishonesty is destructive: "Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice; who makes his neighbors work for nothing, and does not give them their wages" (Jeremiah 22:13). Jeremiah continues, "But your eyes and heart are only on your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence" (Jeremiah 22:17).
The prophet Ezekiel also lambasts dishonesty: See Ezekiel 22:13, 22:23-24, and 22:27: "Its officials within it are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain." Neither can the prophet Micah condone deceitful behavior: "Can I tolerate wicked scales and a bag of dishonest weights? Your wealthy are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, with tongues of deceit in their mouths. Therefore I have begun to strike you down, making you desolate because of your sins" (Micah 6:11-13).
Eternal Home(s)
The present passage alone says, "eternal homes": "And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes" (Luke 16:9). Is "homes" subtle mention of the two possible directions after physical life? Ecclesiastes uses this death metaphor in the singular: When life changes and "when one is afraid of heights, and terrors are in the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along and desire fails; because all must go to their eternal home" (Ecclesiastes 12:5). See also Psalm 49:14 and 2 Corinthians 5:8-10.
Faithful
Are we faithful because God is faithful to us? "For your steadfast love is before my eyes, / and I walk in faithfulness to you" (Psalm 26:3).
Is that what keeps us going during the rough times? "For the Lord is good; / his steadfast love endures forever, / and his faithfulness to all generations" (Psalm 100:5) and "Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; / righteousness and peace will kiss each other. / Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, / and righteousness will look down from the sky" (Psalm 85:10-11).
Is being faithful to what is in our heart and mind enough? "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations" (Deuteronomy 7:9).
Can we pattern our faithfulness after the faithfulness of God? God is "without deceit, just and upright is he." (See Deuteronomy 32:4.) "The works of his hands are faithful and just; / all his precepts are trustworthy" (Psalm 111:7). God is "faithful in all his words, / and gracious in all his deeds" (Psalm 145:13).
In response to our faithfulness, does God look with special favor upon those who "turn to [God] in their hearts" (Psalm 85:8)? "But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; / the Lord hears when I call to him" (Psalm 4:3). Despite what appears to be an ever-increasing need to buy more necessary things, great monetary gain need not be the indicator of a successful and meaningful existence. (See also Psalm 97:10.)
Which is the greater sacrifice -- love of God or money? "Gather to me my faithful ones, / who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!" (Psalm 50:5).
Why not trust in God's providence? "Into your hand I commit my spirit; / you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God" (Psalm 31:5). See also Psalm 31:23 and 37:28.
Dare we hope? "Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23). "No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). "But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. / At an acceptable time, O God, / in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me. / With your faithful help rescue me from sinking in the mire; / let me be delivered from my enemies / and from the deep waters" (Psalm 69:13-14). See also Psalm 30:4 and 32:6. (Twenty-seven of the 91 references to "faithful" appear in Psalms, as well as 35 of the 68 references to "faithfulness.")
Faithful is also doing what is good and right before God. (See 2 Chronicles 31:20.) Faithful is "faithful deeds in accordance with what is written in the law of the Lord" (2 Chronicles 35:26). The faithful person respects God. (See Nehemiah 7:2.) Faithful is found in the heart. (See Nehemiah 9:8.)
Manager
Two references to "manager" in addition to the present text include, first, the manager of the vineyard, whose equal pay for unequal work hours parallels the love of God for all people regardless of their condition. (See Matthew 20:8.) The second reference speaks of the "faithful and prudent manager" the master trusted to oversee his slaves. (See Luke 12:42.)
The writer of 1 Timothy speaks of the prerequisite of managing one's household well before taking care of God's church. See 1 Timothy 3:4-5 and 3:12. See also 1 Timothy 5:14.
Master
How to serve a master: Show steadfast love (Genesis 24:14c); do not forsake steadfast love and faithfulness (Genesis 24:27); deal loyally and truly with the master (Genesis 24:49); acknowledge God's role in your life -- "His master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands" (Genesis 39:3).
"Remember the word that I said to you, 'Servants are not greater than their master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20).
Paul admonished the Colossian slave masters to treat their slaves "justly and fairly, for you know that you also have a Master in heaven." (See Colossians 4:1.)
Serve God
In addition to the versions of the present text in Matthew and Luke, "serve God" appears in two other references, both from the prophet Malachi: "You have said, 'It is vain to serve God. What do we profit by keeping his command or by going about as mourners before the Lord of hosts?' " (Malachi 3:14) and "Then once more you shall see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him" (Malachi 3:18).
Squander
To squander is to waste, to spend foolishly, engage in too many splurges, to throw away through too many extravagant expenditures. Both the younger prodigal son (Luke 15:13ff, Parable 4, Cycle C) and the dishonest manager in the present parable get into trouble because of squandering.
Trustworthy
"The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy" (Psalm 111:7). "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master' " (Matthew 25:21 and Luke 19:17). See also Exodus 18:21 above.
Unfaithful
"What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true, as it is written, 'So that you may be justified in your words, and prevail in your judging' " (Romans 3:3-4).
What about the unfaithful? "The faithful will abound with blessings, but one who is in a hurry to be rich will not go unpunished" (Proverbs 28:20). "He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness; for not by might does one prevail" (1 Samuel 2:9). "A faithful witness does not lie, / but a false witness breathes out lies" (Proverbs 14:5).
Not only today do we wonder where the people of good character have gone: "Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; / the faithful have disappeared from humankind" (Psalm 12:1). And how would these words apply today in Israel? "I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel; you seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel; why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord?" (2 Samuel 20:19).
Wealth
Pay attention to the role of God in your wealth: "Do not say to yourself, 'My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.' But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today" (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).
God also bestowed upon Solomon all that he had not asked for -- "possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life" in addition to the wisdom and knowledge that he had asked for to be a good king. (See 2 Chronicles 1:11.) "I walk in the way of righteousness, / along the paths of justice, / endowing with wealth those who love me, / and filling their treasuries" (Proverbs 8:20-21). "Likewise all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil -- this is the gift of God" (Ecclesiastes 5:19).
Wealth and the lack of it carry other surprises: "Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle, but those who gather little by little will increase it" (Proverbs 13:11); "Some pretend to be rich, yet have nothing; others pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth. Wealth is a ransom for a person's life, but the poor get no threats" (Proverbs 13:7-8); and "Like the partridge hatching what it did not lay, so are all who amass wealth unjustly; in mid-life it will leave them, and at their end they will prove to be fools" (Jeremiah 17:11).
Trust in the wrong things can have disastrous results: "The righteous will see, and fear, / and will laugh at the evildoer, saying, / 'See the one who would not take / refuge in God, / but trusted in abundant riches, / and sought refuge in wealth!' " (Psalm 52:6-7). See also Psalm 49:5-9.
Christ expressed clearly his view about wealth: "Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, 'How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!' " (Mark 10:23), and "As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing" (Matthew 13:22). See also Mark 4:19.
4. Parallel Scripture
Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13 are identical presentations of the "no one can serve two masters passage" except that Matthew's begins "No one" whereas Luke's starts as "No slave."
5. Chat Room
Donald Waller: Everybody does it. Look at business. How are you going to make a profit without mark-ups? Agreed, above the standard mark-up, there is a line. It depends upon what the public will tolerate. A certain category of people will expect a huge mark-up. They enjoy the boasting prestige about the price they paid.
Pat Boccardi: That is a relatively small group compared to the rest of us who budget and spend with prudence.
Waller: You have to remember that I need to get paid for my efforts. I need to live, too. I have a family to support, things to do. I should get some benefit. I expend considerable managerial energy. I earn my bonuses.
Boccardi: Bonuses usually are not self-assigned. Fair is fair, but inflated value is a balloon and ultimately damaging. Customers are not stupid.
Waller: It's a game. Customers do not need to know everything. Besides, what is one customer when you survey the whole picture? What does a little skimming here and a little overlooking there matter? I play all the angles. Is that not the job of a good manager?
Boccardi: A good manager is an honest manager. A little scheming here and a little overleaping there adds up to a pretty sour conscience.
Waller: I dismissed conscience a long time ago. Why should I listen to my conscience when my gut feeling says, "Make a killing on these vulnerable people now"?
Boccardi: Janice Taylor, are you online?
Janice Taylor: I'm on.
Boccardi: How did things get so out of hand that you had to let go of your manager?
Taylor: That's what happens when you trust. Now do not misunderstand. They must play the games of today to remain competitive. I want my manager to be sharp and to have a good sense of the practical.
Boccardi: To be shrewd, even cunning?
Taylor: Of course, when necessary. When you oversee an operation, you need sound judgment and, at times, special resourcefulness. But I personally do not want to be bruised.
Boccardi: As long as you come out ahead?
Taylor: Making the projected level of money involves compromise.
John Demitz: I have some thoughts about this. At first, when Mr. Waller reduced my debt, I felt pretty good, relieved actually. The more I thought about it, I think the whole business over there is crooked.
Boccardi: That matters to you even though you gained some benefit?
Demitz: Actually, I have been repaying the relieved debt, the balance that I would have owed them. I cannot do something at another person's expense and that is what it would have led to.
Boccardi: That is virtuous.
Demitz: Money has always been tight for me. Sometimes I get behind, but somehow I have always found a way to skimp and get by. We haven't starved yet. I just have to keep everything in perspective -- my family, what is right between God and me, my priorities.
Boccardi: Then you have a higher rule.
Demitz: What it is, is that I have to be able to live with myself. I must be faithful to my values. Were I to buy into their system, I would feel compromised. Mr. Waller would expect things from me that I could not in my heart do for him.
Boccardi: You do not want to be part of the game, even at a loss to you.
Demitz: It depends upon what you mean by loss. No, I cannot be part of their game. I cannot serve two masters. Dare I risk economic survival with honesty? It has been done. There are basically honest people around in all businesses and professions. In my heart, I have chosen the way of faithfulness.
