The Dishonest Manager

By Mary Vee
Luke 15

Peter

Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Peter. I am a disciple of Jesus.

When only his disciples had gathered around Him, Jesus told us this story:

There once was a rich man who had many people working for him. He'd hired a manager to oversee the workers.

Among the workers was a man who oversaw the bills. This man figured out that the manager wasted the rich man's possessions when doing his job.

The rich man sent for the manager. When the manager arrived, the rich man said, "I understand you have been wasting. Tell me what you have been doing with my land, animals, and crops."

The answer given by the manager did not justify the costs spent to do his job. The rich man said, "This is your notice. You're fired."

The manager walked outside and paced. "What am I going to do? I'll have no income. My Master is taking away my job? I'm not strong enough to dig, and I can't bring myself to beg. I couldn't bear the shame. No one will speak to me and I'll lose all my friends. " He paced a little longer until a thought came to him. A perfect idea that would cause his friends and others in the area to welcome him into their houses.

Before his last moment working, he called in each of his master's debtors. To the first, he said, "How much do you owe my master?"

The man said, "Eight hundred gallons of olive oil."

The manager said, "Take the bill from my master, sit down quickly, and make the balance owed four hundred."

While this man changed his bill then paid his debt, the manager asked the second, "How much do you owe?"

The man said, "A thousand bushels of wheat."

The manager said, "Take your bill, quickly, and change it to eight hundred." And so he did and paid the debt. 

When the master heard what had happened he called in his manager and commended him. "You have acted shrewdly. Well done."

Jesus said, "The people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. Worldly wealth will only bring friends who seem to want to be around you. When the wealth is gone, that is when you will be able to focus on what is eternal.

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and money.

Come back to read the next story.

*Note from Mary Vee: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.