23.03.25 Luke 16:1-15
Prepare -
God, create in us a hunger, a desire, a thirst for you. Clear our minds from the many distractions that we’ve got and help us want you more than anything else.
Read – Luke 16:1-15
Jesus told his disciples: ‘There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, “What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.”
3 ‘The manager said to himself, “What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg – 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.”
5 ‘So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, “How much do you owe my master?”
6 ‘“Three thousand litres of olive oil,” he replied.
‘The manager told him, “Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifteen hundred.”
7 ‘Then he asked the second, “And how much do you owe?”
‘“Thirty tons of wheat,” he replied.
‘He told him, “Take your bill and make it twenty-four.”
8 ‘The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 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.
10 ‘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. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
13 ‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.’
14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
Reflect
Imagine being part of this conversation and you hear Jesus say “you can’t serve to masters… you cannot serve both God and Money”. How would you feel? What would your reaction be? My first reaction would probably be a bit defensive, a bit like “are you implying that I serve money?” Money is a useful resource, but at terrible master. Jesus says this because he knows our hearts, he knows that we are inclined to desire and even love money, because it gives us independence, control and power.
James K. Smith said “You are what you love. But you might not love what you think. Who and what we worship fundamentally shape our hearts. We may not realize, however, the ways our hearts are taught to love rival gods instead of the One for whom we were made.”
Be
Jesus we love you, we’re sorry for our desire for money, independence, power and control. Draw near to us, give us a fresh revelation of who you are because you are so much better than money.
Become
Father, please help us shape our desires to love you more than anything else. Change our heart, purify us, so that we can be free from anything that is gaining prominence in our heart above you. Let’s spend a minute reflecting on our love for money, status, entertainment, being liked and other competing idols who are fighting for the first place in our heart.
Do
Holy Spirit, help me to be generous today. Help my words, actions, giving, be generous towards others, just like you are generous with us.
Practice:
Let’s spend a minute reflecting on the opposite of what is competing for a place in our hearts. If you love money, then be generous financially with someone today, if you love entertainment then maybe don’t watch TV today, if you love being liked, then maybe do something silly or wear a horrible sweater you got for Christmas. What can you do as a sign of loving God more?
Focus prayer:
Father, we love and adore you.
We long to shape our lives closer to you.
May we focus on your grace in this season.
Help us to be humble and gentle.
Remain in us, as we remain in you.
As we pray: do what only you can do.