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blakparty:
Hi Everyone,
     I was reading Luke 16 about the dishonest manager.  What threw me off was that at the end of the parable, the owner praised the dishonest manager and Jesus says to use the wicked wealth to make friends.  I prayed for better understanding for this parable to see it spiritually for a while.  If I had my way, I would like to understand everything in God's Word and what I have notice through this journey with Christ is that every time I ask for understanding it happens to me. (Can anybody testifies with this?)  Anyway could some one who has a spiritual understanding of this help me out.  Thanks in advance, Rob (blakparty). :)

YellowStone:
Hi Rob,

Your post/question sure got the brain cells working overtime  ::)

I think your question stems from the following verse:

Luke 16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

What the dishonest manger did was preempted on the decision he made in verse 4.

Luke16:4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

Obviously, the decision please the Master, for we are told in verse 8 that:

Luk 16:8   And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 

Therefore, there must be a significant spiritual parallel that Christ made with this story.

So what does "for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light" mean in a spiritual context?

It cannot be advocating dishonesty, for we are told in verse 10 that:  "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much." So instead of rewarding the dishonest manager, for being unjust; Jesus used this story to illustrate the practicality and wisdom (of this world) used in order to obtain his future after the managers job was gone.

Therefore, I believe that the spiritual meaning behind this parable is that, we should use the Spirit of Truth wisely. It would seem that this includes in this life, money, which is not really ours for it cannot be passed to the next life. Therefore, as mere holders of material objects, we should use such wisely along with the truth of the spirit to help and comfort others in the hope that they will see the spirit of truth in our actions and that we seek not gain, but rather praise and honor to God. This, in the hope that we will be likewise welcomed hin the Kingdom of God, when this age ends.

I think this fits very well with the folling: :)

Luk 16:10   He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.  

Luk 16:11   If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (money), who will commit to your trust the true [riches]? 

Well, that's the way I see it. Comments welcome :)

Love in Christ,
Darren

blakparty:
Thank Darren
That kinda cleared that up for me.

TimothyVI:
Hi Darren,

It is unfortunate that we can not hear Jesus actually tell the parable.
Wouldn’t you love to hear his voice inflections, see his body language as He told this story?

I think that this parable was actually given tongue in cheek. That Jesus was using a little
sarcasm in his story telling.

The only thing that the steward was accused of was wasting that for which he was in charge. What the steward did then was give what was not his to give, to other people, in the hopes that they would give him refuge when he lost his stewardship. He bought them off with what was not his.

I think that Jesus was using sarcasm when he applauded the steward because he thought that he had been sooo smart. I can almost here the sarcasm in his voice when Jesus says, the sons of this generation are so much wiser than the children of light. ( The children of light are those who follow Him.)

Jesus then says to make for yourselves friends of the unjust wealth so that they can give you an everlasting home. Can’t you just see the sarcasm dripping from this statement?
His followers knew that He was there to give us an everlasting home. But He says to make friends of the unjust mammon and let them give you an everlasting home.

Don’t you see? This steward tried to justify himself with men, not with his master.
Jesus goes on in this same parable to deride the Pharisees for doing the exact same thing.
Trying to justify themselves to men. But God knows their true heart.

Luk 16:15
   And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

That is just my take on the parable of the unjust steward. I did not believe the answer that my pastor gave me years ago when I asked him why Jesus commended someone who was a sneak. So I studied it, prayed over it and tried to hear the story the way that Jesus may have told it. This is what God left me with. Whether it is correct or not is not important to me. That I was given another understanding of what Jesus may have meant gives me comfort.

I know that there are also spiritual meanings to the parables that go deeper than the actual story. Darren may be on the right track with his explanation of that.

Tim

Deborah-Leigh:
Tim

You make a very valid point about hearing the sarcasm in the voice of Christ.

This brings to mind the statement Matt 10 : 16 Be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent, harmless, guileless and without falsity as doves.

When in doubt it is good to go to the tool box we have from Ray on how to read and understand the scriptures posted on this site. One of the tools is not to take any word spoken by Christ literally. We are not to BE LIKE a serpent or as a sitting duck or dove.

The children of His Kingdom have to be not as the dishonest and rejected servant but should be as tenacious, resilient and enduring AS the wicked servant not LIKE HIM!

Peace to you

Arcturus :)

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