Using Your Head for Something Besides a Cap Rack

I had already read my daily devotional passages and was thumbing through my Bible. Luke intrigues me quite often. I read the first nine verses of Luke 16. You're familiar with it, I'm sure, as I am, but I never really pondered the passage as I should, or I would have learned the crux of the lesson in verse 9.

You see, there's this rich man who has a steward, or business manager, over his money. The steward is representative of Christians. We are in charge of God the Father's property while we reside here on earth. The steward in this parable had embezzeled from his employer, the rich man. His employer required him to give an accounting of his business practices. Likewise, we will also have to give an accounting of our lives to God in the Judgment. The steward in the parable found himself in a quandary. He could dig, beg, or steal. He had no intention of working, so digging was out. He was too proud to beg, but he had no qualms about stealing. The steward was a dishonest fellow, but he was still shrewd (wise). He called his boss' debtors and decreased the amount of each's debt so that they would look favorably upon him when he would shortly be in want due to losing his job. His employer commended him--not for his dishonesty--but for his foresight in providing for the future. In the final verse, 9, God tells us to use our earthly blessings in such a way that when they end (and they will because we cannot use them in death), that we will be received into eternal life. At first I misunderstood the passage because I thought He was telling us to buy men's favor, but that would not be consistent with the gospel message. We can bless others with our worldly treasures though because we won't be able to use them after we leave here.