One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much. – Luke 16:10
How trustworthy are you? In Luke 16, Jesus tells the story of a dishonest financial manager who “cooked the books,” cheating vendors at the same time he was embezzling the difference. He may have had a gilded career, but his choices tarnished his character. For some, this parable of Jesus seems inconsistent with what God wants from His followers. Jesus used an obviously dishonest man as an example for his disciples. God will sometimes use evil things that are familiar to illustrate a particular point, just as the apostle Paul used things like war and slavery as illustrations of the Christian life.
Even the dishonest manager in Luke 16 realized the time would come for him to give an account, just as everyone will. For Christians who have been about their Master’s business, it will become a time of joy when Jesus says, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23).
You have been gifted with spiritual riches by the Holy Spirit. Different talents, greater or less, have been measured out to you – entrusted to you – to use according to God’s purposes for your life. Regardless of the gifting God has given you, He intends for you to invest that into His kingdom. Ask the Lord to help you be trustworthy, faithful, and useful in His plans. Pray for sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading on how to employ what you have been given. Then pray for Americans who have a sense of entitlement to acknowledge that everything belongs to God. Ask that they might come to recognize their need for the Lord to intervene in their lives.
Today’s Verse: Luke 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
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Luke 16:1-13
16 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. 2 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.’ 3 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. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ 5 So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 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.’ 8 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. 9 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.”
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
