Investing in eternity
Luke 16 v 1-9 “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 “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ 7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ 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.”
In an unusual parable Jesus addresses his disciples and instructs them not to be dishonest. That is not what he is praising but the shrewdness. This manager was clever.
I tell you … this is what he is getting at:
One day we will have to give an account for the money and assets that we have gained in this life.
Just as the manager gained himself a future by taking care of the present of people’s lives (their debts) so also we should invest in others for our own eternal good.
People are always more important than possessions.
If we use our money to alleviate suffering and influence lives, then those lives will welcome us home.
Let us live our earthly lives in the light of our eternal home.