Luke 16:1-13 (NRSV)
Read Luke 16:1-13 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 16Then 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. Verse 2So 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.' Verse 3Then 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. Verse 4I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.' Verse 5So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' Verse 6He answered, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.' Verse 7Then 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.' Verse 8And 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. Verse 9And 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. Verse 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. Verse 11If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? Verse 12And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? Verse 13No 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."
Devotion
Luke 16:1-13 invites us to reflect on our relationship with money and how it shapes our character. While shopping one day, I found a set of four lighthouse ornaments I wanted to buy for myself and a friend. When the clerk rang up the items, I realized the total was too low for eight ornaments; she was charging me for only two. When I double-checked the price, I drew this error to the manager’s attention, who confirmed the total was more. As I jokingly asked if there was a deal for being honest, the manager laughed.
I learned that integrity matters more than financial gain, echoing Jesus’ teaching that our relationship with money should never overshadow our values or faith. God calls us to steward our resources faithfully, letting go of the grasp for wealth and centering our lives on generosity, compassion, and truth. This week, consider how you can reflect Christ’s values, making choices that honor God above worldly wealth.
Prayer
God of abundance, help us to see all the bountiful blessings you have given to us. Call on us to steward our finances, letting go of the grip money has on our lives as we honor you in all we do. Amen.
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