IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

The Shrewd Manager

Date: Sep. 17, 2023

Passage

Luke 16:1-18 (ESV)

He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.

18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 16:10

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

A rich man gave his manager notice that he will be laid off for mismanagement. In the face of his jobless future, the manager made several shrewd deals behind his master’s back. He reduced the debt owned by his master’s debtors and made friends with them. Recognizing the manager’s actions, the master commended him for his shrewdness. What does this parable have to do with us being wise about life to come? We, as Jesus’ people, are to be generous with our wealth in this life so that in the life to come our friends will welcome us into eternal dwellings. Everything we own in this world is God’s gift. We are His managers. We are to manage God-given resources well. Furthermore, we are to use them for the benefit of others. God is our Master, and our wealth must be at his disposal to build up his kingdom.

The Pharisees loved money and valued it highly. But Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and money.” He didn’t say, “You must not…” but “you cannot…” meaning it is simply impossible to do both. We are either devoted to God or enslaved to money. God knows our heart’s devotion.

As prophesied in the Law, the good news of the kingdom of God came to us. God’s word never changes, and we must also be faithful to God.

Prayer: Prayer: Lord, help me use what I have for your kingdom and your work

One Word: One Word: For eternal dwellings ?

Daily Bread

You Must Also Testify in Rome

Acts 22:30-23:11

Key Verse: 22:23:11

And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,

Read More

Intro Daily