Wednesday, January 30, 2013 - 3:05 pm

I read Luke 16-18 today, and a few things really stuck out to me. In chapter 16, the story of the dishonest and shrewd manager is not commending him for being dishonest, but for looking ahead to his future welfare. The point is that we should use what God has given us to manage now to secure our future welfare. Money is supposed to be a tool we use for God's kingdom, with eternal consequences. Too often our world is so concerned with wealth, power, status and possessions that our eternal welfare is neglected. What was it that the manager was doing to cause the man to fire him? He was wasting the man's possessions. In our context that would be taking the gifts, talents, money or possessions that God has us managing, and squandering them on ourselves. If God can't trust us to manage His possessions shrewdly, for His kingdom (and our own eternal benefit, which is in keeping with His will) then we will soon find ourselves devoted to Money, and despising God. If you don't think it could get that bad, just look at the culture around us. The so-called 'Almighty Dollar' has driven corporate takeovers at the cost of the jobs and livelihoods of countless employees, it has started wars over something as simple as oil at the cost of many innocent lives - it even has its own holiday, where people trample one another to death and get in fistfights over electronics, clothing, or appliances - perhaps you've heard of Black Friday? Jesus said you can't serve Money if you're serving God, and if you are serving Money then you can't serve God.
Another thing I saw, in chapter 17, is Jesus teaching the disciples about forgiveness, and as I look at it closely, it might be the most potent example of continual forgiveness that Jesus gives us in the gospels. No wonder his followers were astonished - forgive the same person seven times in one day - potentially for the same offense? Can the person's repentance be real? Aren't you just setting yourself up for getting hurt again? Jesus doesn't seem to think those qualifiers are important, what is important is that we forgive as He does - and the understanding that this phrase applies to His forgiveness of us makes all the difference between living a life of shame and fear of punishment and one of freedom and joy in the assurance of forgiveness as we repent. Understanding that, of course, releases us to understand, and live out, the fullness of this unconditional, ongoing forgiveness that God has called us to.