Shrewd Manager

[VictoryinJesus]

This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. It's really about forgiveness, but applies to other things God has entrusted us with. We gain friends and influence people when we give away God's forgiveness that we have been given charge over to others who are indebted to God. It makes God look really, really good. In fact, God wishes we'd be as shrewd with the forgiveness we have received that the world is with the things they have charge over so it would reflect good on Him and win people to him.

I do see your point about forgiveness. But I do wonder about 1 Corinthians 12:22-24 in relation to what you said “it makes God look really really good.” doesn’t edification of His body perfect His Love?

“Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: [23] And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. [24] For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:

when I think of His sacrifice I think of God giving of Himself to that which lacks.
1 John 4:9-11 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. [10] Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

1 Corinthians 12:25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

 

[Robert Gwin]

It's because you didn't do it on behalf of the company. If the homeowner had perceived that it was the company giving them the discount your boss would have gained favor with them. The parable was given so we Christians in God's service would be shrewd by using God's possessions we have been given charge over to gain friends and influence people for our boss, God. The world knows how to do that, but the people of the light do not. The people of the light are not very shrewd.

We basically take it to mean that as well Ferris, gaining friends for God by means of our unrighteous riches. I personally don't quite understand it because of the way it was written, the boss was dissatisfied with his service and was intent on discharging him, so he used the bosses wealth to buy friends for himself. Most illustrations I can discern, and while I do not disagree that you took away correctly the meaning of the parable, I have trouble gathering that understanding from the parable itself.

It appears to me to be another dig to the Pharisees, who were money lovers v14

 

[Ferris Bueller]

the boss was dissatisfied with his service and was intent on discharging him, so he used the bosses wealth to buy friends for himself.

The boss commended his manager for using the wealth he had been entrusted with to secure his own future. Think about it spiritually. God wishes the managers of his wealth would use the wealth he has entrusted to them to secure their future. In fact, he wants us to do that. Besides it ensuring a secure future for us when we leave the tent of our bodies, it reflects good on our Master. When we, who have received the vast wealth of God's forgiveness, forgive people the debts they owe God we are using what we have been entrusted with to not only ensure our own future, but make God look really, really good. God wishes we would do that! The world is smart enough to do that in their situations, but the people of the light, not so much.

Why did the manager only forgive part of the debt owed to his Master? Because, spiritually speaking, ultimately, everybody who has a sin debt with God has to go to Him, not us, to get it completely erased. Our responsibility as wise managers of God's spiritual wealth is to forgive those who have sinned against us. They still have to go to God himself to get the whole debt forgiven.

Although the parable is useful to us as far as exhorting us to use our money for our future heavenly good (Luke 14:13-14) and not hoard it like the Pharisees did, I see its usefulness in exhorting us to be generous with the spiritual wealth God has entrusted to us, specifically forgiveness, in order to make our future safe and sure (Matthew 6:15), and win friends and influence people for God (2 Corinthians 9:11-12).

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Most illustrations I can discern, and while I do not disagree that you took away correctly the meaning of the parable, I have trouble gathering that understanding from the parable itself.

It is a hard parable to understand. But the key for me was the element of forgiveness in the parable, the true wealth of God, not so much the matter of literal money. The Pharisees blew it on both counts. God likes to provoke deep thought and investigation. This story certainly does that.

 

[Webers_Home]

.
• Ecc 11:1-2 . . Send your bread forth upon the waters; for after many days
you will find it. Distribute portions to seven or even to eight, for you cannot
know what misfortune may occur on earth.

It makes good sense to build yourself a base of good will just in case you
need a favor some day. People you have helped are more inclined to help
you back than those you ignored; and in this big bad world, you need all the
friends you can get.

• Luke 16:9 . . I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves,
so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

Most of the time, guests wear out their welcome and sometimes are even
asked to leave. But "eternal dwellings" suggests that out of gratitude for
your charity, your host is likely to be favorably inclined to invite you to
remain as long as you like when you're in dire straits. Money can't buy me
love, but it's still useful for buying friends.
_

 

[bbyrd009]

This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. It's really about forgiveness, but applies to other things God has entrusted us with. We gain friends and influence people when we give away God's forgiveness that we have been given charge over to others who are indebted to God. It makes God look really, really good. In fact, God wishes we'd be as shrewd with the forgiveness we have received that the world is with the things they have charge over so it would reflect good on Him and win people to him.

ive kinda been waiting for this story about business to morph for me…and ty for this interp :)

 

[Robert Gwin]

The boss commended his manager for using the wealth he had been entrusted with to secure his own future. Think about it spiritually. God wishes the managers of his wealth would use the wealth he has entrusted to them to secure their future. In fact, he wants us to do that. Besides it ensuring a secure future for us when we leave the tent of our bodies, it reflects good on our Master. When we, who have received the vast wealth of God's forgiveness, forgive people the debts they owe God we are using what we have been entrusted with to not only ensure our own future, but make God look really, really good. God wishes we would do that! The world is smart enough to do that in their situations, but the people of the light, not so much.

Why did the manager only forgive part of the debt owed to his Master? Because, spiritually speaking, ultimately, everybody who has a sin debt with God has to go to Him, not us, to get it completely erased. Our responsibility as wise managers of God's spiritual wealth is to forgive those who have sinned against us. They still have to go to God himself to get the whole debt forgiven.

Although the parable is useful to us as far as exhorting us to use our money for our future heavenly good (Luke 14:13-14) and not hoard it like the Pharisees did, I see its usefulness in exhorting us to be generous with the spiritual wealth God has entrusted to us, specifically forgiveness, in order to make our future safe and sure (Matthew 6:15), and win friends and influence people for God (2 Corinthians 9:11-12).

I definitely understand what you are saying Ferris, and like I said I definitely do not disagree, but the parable leads me to believe he did it for himself, and not for his boss. That is basically what satan said about man, take away the hedge you put around them and they will curse you to your very face. Our proper motivation, although I believe extremely rare, is to serve our God out of love, not expecting anything in return. I fully believe that if I knew for a fact that I would not receive the reward, I would be what Paul said at 1 Cor 15:32

 

[Ferris Bueller]

I definitely understand what you are saying Ferris, and like I said I definitely do not disagree, but the parable leads me to believe he did it for himself, and not for his boss.

That is true. Jesus uses a natural man and how he wants to protect his future to illustrate what he wishes spiritual men would do to protect their future. And He explains how it is praised by the master in both cases.

 

[bbyrd009]

fwiw i have noticed that a passage will kinda suggest or even force us into a certain perspective in the story, when the lesson comes from seeing another perspective

 

[Robert Gwin]

That is true. Jesus uses a natural man and how he wants to protect his future to illustrate what he wishes spiritual men would do to protect their future. And He explains how it is praised by the master in both cases.

Jesus is our exemplar, although impossible to follow his steps perfectly, we should do our utmost to follow them closely. 1 Pet 2:21