SIGNS OF THE TIMES

2 TIMOTHY 3:1-9

          But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men would be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; 'Avoid such men as these.'

          For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, 'men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. But they would not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes and Jambres' folly was also (NASB).

INTRODUCTION

          In view of the events of our postmodern world, the Lord has impressed it upon my heart to share this message with you as we begin the New Year. I pray that this message would help you to draw closer to Christ as He enables you to discern the times in which we live today.

          I. TERRIBLE TIMES VV. 1-5

V. 1. The phrase, “But mark this” is an attention getter. The word mark means, “know.” The conjunction but in this context serves as jolting reminder to Timothy of a reality with which he must come to grips: “Terrible times” are coming. In the last paragraph of chapter two, Paul has stated how Timothy is to deal with those who would rise against him in his ministry. Having exhorted him, he then in a prophetic manner states the conditions of the “last days.”

Verse two, states the social decadence that will characterize the “last days.” What are the “last days?” The “last days” refer to the period preceding the consummation of the present age.[1] The adjective translated “terrible’ also means, “violent, fierce, or hard to deal with.” “There will be” would normally describe a coming state of affairs. Apostle Paul provides a catalog of moral declension. The first pair is, “love of self and love of money.” Love of self is idolatry and love of money is greed. Paul is not speaking to or about people who are lost; he is speaking about believers. Do you notice how Christianity or churches have become person-centered instead of Christ-centered? Greed is all around us today. Some Pastors scheme or arrange with the "so-called anointed prophets" to dupe their church members. There are Pastors who come up with investment schemes and have depleted the pensions and savings of some of their members. Look at Enron and many other corporate executives who claimed to be Christians but have embezzled the funds of their employees. Moral corruption stems from love falsely directed. Self-centeredness and materialism when they become the chief objects of affection destroy all moral values, and the subsequent list of vices is their natural fruit. Therefore, whenever you find the first pair in the life of a believer or any person for that matter, the other vices will be there.

          The two others "boastful and proud" overlap semantically and can be translated “arrogant pride” (Rom. 1:30). The word translated "abusive" also means “blasphemers, scoffers at God,” and the defamation of other humans. This is the result of the absence of moral virtues. The word boastful also means “empty pretender.” The next is disobedience to parents. The present day characterizes children and young people who are disobedient to their parents (1 Tim. 1:9). The disobedience of children to their parents causes them to forfeit the promise and blessing of God.

          “Ungrateful and unholy” To withhold thanks from God is a refusal to acknowledge that He exists, or at least, to refuse to acknowledge that our life and all that we have come from Him. It is the denial of divine providence—utterly forgetting the Source of all blessings, both temporal and spiritual. When you go to a restaurant and the food is served how do you distinguish a Christian from an unbeliever? The Christians gives thanks to God, while the non-Christian does not. “Unholy,” when you separate yourself from the evil things of the world people begin to call you names. We are not to keep our distance from unbelievers, but we are not to practice their ways of life nor condone them.

“Without love and unforgiving” can be paired together. Jesus says in Matthew 24 that in the last days, “people’s love will grow cold.” These days you can see the destruction of the foundations of family life—the absence of love. You see mothers taking their children to court. You see husbands suing their wives. You see children fighting with their parents, etc. You see the increase of the divorce rate among Christians today. Why? It is because of the absence of love and forgiveness. Today the least mistake you make someone is going to sue you whether the person is a Christian or not. Some doctors have stopped practicing medicine because of frivolous lawsuits. When Christians cannot forgive one another and even people outside the church, then we don’t understand the love of Christ. Then, we have to look deep into our hearts whether our profession of faith in Christ is even genuine. This conveys the attitude of a person who does not respond to a proposal for a truce; such a person refuses to be reconciled or placated.

          Slanderous is the Greek word, diabolos from which we get the word “devil.”  It also means “malicious talkers” in 1 Tim. 3:11. When this word is used for God it means blasphemy, however, when it is used for a person or persons it means Slander. It conveys the idea of a person or persons who make statements or spread rumors about another that are untrue. When you slander, you become just like the devil, because the devil is “the accuser of the brethren.” Some who claim to be Christians major on slander, but a practicing slanderer will not inherit the kingdom of God.

          “Without self-control” refers to matters of moral failure. We have seen and even heard of Christians and pastors who have gone to jail, because of some moral failures such as drug use, fraud, sexual immorality, misappropriation of money, and many others. It is an attitude of mind dominated by outside influences. Brutal means “untamed” or “savage.” The twentieth and twenty-first centuries can be characterized by brutality and savagery in many places. For example, the tribal war in Rwanda, Uganda, Bosnia and Kosovo, Religious wars in Iraq, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, random and drive by shootings in the United States, persecution of Christians in China, Sudan, Nigeria, and many other places. Individual senseless killings and ritual murders are all forms of brutality that characterize the last days. Not lovers of the good can mean “haters of good,” it describes people who hate what is good because they have a warped mind. People who are not lovers of the good oppose anything that is good in the sense that the good makes them guilty and uncomfortable (the Pharisees and Sadducees) and their opposition to Jesus Christ.

          In verse 4, treacherous connotes the idea of betrayal. It describes someone who joins the Church so that he/she can betray the church to the enemies of Christ (i.e. Judas Iscariot). It conveys the idea of a person who cannot keep things in confidence. Rash describes the attitude of a crowd that is out of control (cf. Acts 19:36); Conceit carries the idea of a person or persons who are self-deceived (1 Tim. 3:6), this has to do with the danger of a character flaw. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. This is what is going on in many churches today. The Church of God has gone into the entertainment business. People attend church in order to be amused. I am not talking about a pastor using humor in his messages, but churches that are entertainment oriented. Such churches make people feel good about themselves while they have not been saved. Many churches pander the gospel to the wants of people, not what the people need. When we come to God, we do not dictate the terms; He dictates the terms; He is in charge and we are to respond to His demands on our lives. The statement that has become a modern fashion is the church is not meeting my needs. Who is the church? What is the church? What are you contributing to the church? Do you go to church to hear from God or do you go to church to be entertained?

          The amazing thing is that these people, consumed by their own vices have "a form of godliness” (v. 5). These people fake conversion to Christ. On the outside, they seem solid without any suspicion, but inwardly, they have not been regenerated. While they claim to be Christians, they maintain that Jesus Christ is not the only way to salvation. Paul tells Timothy and us that we are to have nothing to do with them. In other words, we are not to admit a person into membership of the church if he/she has not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

          II. VICTIMIZATION OF WOMEN AND OTHERS (3:6-9)

          Verses 6-9 continue the warning against the evil people so graphically described in verses 2-4. Since these evil hypocrites have a “form of godliness,” they are able to seduce some people into believing their heresies.

          A note of caution in verse 6 is appropriate. It is important to understand the word women as a particular class of women and not as a description of women in general, any more than the words in verses 2-4 describe men in general. These women may have been converted from a life of paganism or loose living. Not every woman is “weak-willed, silly, gullible, or vulnerable.” However, for the most part women are prone to jump from church to church or from prophet to prophet or to any new church on the block.

          The fact that some women were being deceived by evil, hypocritical false teachers may help to explain why Paul earlier restricted women as he did (1 Tim. 2:11-15). It is reasonable to suppose that this was also taking place in churches beyond Ephesus, requiring a blanket restriction on Paul’s part.

          Verse 8, these false prophets oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. Who were Jannes and Jambres? (Exod. 7:11-12; 8:18; 9:11). These were the magicians, who opposed Moses in Egypt when God sent him to deliver the Hebrew people from captivity.

          Evil people and impostors will grow from bad to worse (v. 13).     

          What Are We to Do As Believers?

1.     Follow the apostolic teachings of the NT.

2.     We are to persevere for Jesus Christ in spite of the moral erosion of society.

3.     We are to stay true to Christ and live exclusively for Him.

4.     The Bible provides wisdom for daily living.

This is God’s picture of the last days. May God help us to be genuine, to be real, that eternal things may grip our souls that we will live, and do the work and be real witnesses for Him in the coming year.

I intentionally condensed my exegesis and application of this biblical text to encourage you to include your own application. We will continue the study of the Parables of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke next week. Meanwhile, I wish all of my followers and readers a blessed New Year.

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[1]Isaiah 2:2; Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17; Zeph. 1:14-18; Matt. 24:29

MARY'S SONG OF PRAISE TO GOD

LUKE 1:39-56

INTRODUCTION

          Christmas is a depressing time for most people. An article written by a director of the California Department of Mental Hygiene warns: “The Christmas season is marked by greater emotional stress and more acts of violence than any other time of the year.”

          Christmas is an excuse to get drunk, have a party, get something, give a little, leave work, get out of school, spend money, overeat, and all kinds of other excesses. But, for the church, Christmas is an excuse for us to exalt Jesus Christ in the face of a world that is at least tuned to His name.

          I would like to continue from where I ended last Sunday’s message. The title of today’s message is, “Mary’s Song of Praise to God.”

I.                  MARY’S VISIT WITH ELIZABETH VV. 39-45

          After Mary has submitted to God’s divine purpose for her life, she wastes no time to visit Elizabeth to ascertain the angel’s message. After a trip of about three or four days, Mary arrives at the house of Zacharias and Elizabeth in a village in the hill region of south of Jerusalem. The meeting with Elizabeth shows Mary’s obedience, since it reflects her desire to observe the sign the angel had given her in verse 36. Mary hurries to obey what God is taking her. This reveals that Mary was a reflective and contemplative young woman. There is something about Mary that each of us needs to learn. When the angel discloses God’s plan to Mary, she does not run to her friends or family members and broadcasts to them what God is going to do in and through her. I believe that Mary did not even break the news to Joseph.

          Verses 41-42, when Mary greets her, Elizabeth’s unborn baby leaps for joy through the incomprehensible working of the Spirit of God to salute the Son of God, who has been conceived in the virgin’s womb by the same Holy Spirit. Though it is natural for an unborn child frequently to make movements during the sixth month of pregnancy, the movement made by the child was nevertheless extraordinary.

          There is a mystery surrounding verses 41-44. The first mystery is the statement that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In those days, the Holy Spirit did not fill people as He does today. The Holy Spirit would come upon God’s chosen man or woman to accomplish some feat for God, then, He would leave. Second, I believe the same Holy Spirit gave a spark of revelation to Elizabeth about the condition of Mary. I also believe that by this time Joseph was not aware that Mary was pregnant. Third, the Holy Spirit filling Elizabeth was temporary, because this event happened before the Day of Pentecost. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit seizes Elizabeth and she salutes Mary as the mother of the Messiah. Elizabeth is thrilled by the unexpected and magnificent revelation and shouts with excitement: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (v. 42).

          The humility that Elizabeth demonstrates in feeling honored just to be in the presence of the yet unborn Messiah is expressed more fully by her son, John the Baptist when he says, “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). Joyfully and wholeheartedly, Elizabeth acknowledges that a much greater honor has been conferred on Mary than on her. However, Elizabeth shows no sign of jealousy. This is a word of advice to every mother. Be thankful to the Lord for the child/children He has given you and do not be envious of someone else’s children. God knows what He is doing, and His plan for your life is the best. However, some of you do not wait on God for His plans for your life to materialize.

          In humility of heart, Elizabeth utters her amazement that she is so privileged as to be visited by the mother of her Lord. Elizabeth rejoices together with her baby in the womb, in the greatness of the coming Redeemer. In this special encounter, there is peace that exists between these two women. Peace reigns among those who serve God, as each understands his/her place in the plan of God.

          Elizabeth knows God does not owe her such a central role, yet she is amazed at God’s involvement with her. In asking, “Why am I so favored?” (v. 43), she understands that she is but a humble beneficiary of God’s grace. Elizabeth accepts God’s gift to her in grateful worship. However, when she meets Mary, to whom a still greater gift has been given, she does not become jealous or unsympathetic. While jealousy would have darkened her life, her humble attitude opened for her the gates of true, deep and jubilant joy. When you elevate yourself constantly, you engage in wrecking your own life. However, if you sincerely humble yourself, you find richness of life and happiness. The Bible teaches that God exalts the humble but He brings down those who are proud in heart. Elizabeth at her old age knows that she does not deserve what God is doing in her life.

          Verse 45 is the first recorded beatitude coming from human lips in the Gospel of Luke. This verse is the essence of response to God to trust His word to be true and live in light of that belief. To be blessed is to be happy because God has touched one’s life. Such divine benefit rains down on those who trust God and His promises. Blessing emerges from God’s ability to bring His promises to completion. However, to partake in His benefits, we must be confident that God does what He says. The first sign of such faith in Mary is her willingness to let God use her. Are you willing to let God use you? Or you have a sign in front of the door of your heart that reads, “busy do not disturb.” The second is Mary’s immediate visit to Elizabeth, who herself serves as a sign that God keeps His word and can give life (vv. 36, 39). A major theme of the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel is that God does what He says. Therefore, when God steps into your life, you should trust that He would do as He has promised.

II.   MARY’S SONG OF WORSHIP TO GOD VV. 46-49

          Music is the universal language of the heart. I do not know about you, but whenever the Lord does something for me, I burst into music to praise and thank Him for His goodness. Mary began to utter praise not when the angel Gabriel brought her the wonderful tidings but when a woman like herself called her “mother of my Lord” (v. 43). The message of Gabriel was at once confirmed when Elizabeth, in whom the promises of the Lord had already been unmistakably realized, greeted her with joy. Mary’s spontaneous reaction to this is to sing this beautiful hymn. Mary’s hymn is one of the three hymns in the infancy narrative (others are known as Benedictus, Luke 1:67-79, and Nunc Dimittis, Luke 2:28-32). The Latin names come from the phrases that begin the hymns. Mary’s hymn is known as the Magnificat. Mary’s hymn is full of theology. This shows that Mary was a young lady who knew the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament. Mary’s hymn has a close connection with the song of Hannah, the mother of Samuel. However, Mary’s hymn is essentially different from the triumphal song of Hannah. While Mary sings her happiness with deep humility and holy reserve, Hannah surrounded herself to a feeling of personal triumph over her enemies.

          Verses 46-49 are the first stanza of Mary’s hymn, in which she describes her personal emotions and experiences. Her praise is personal; her soul and spirit offers praise to God, who has been gracious to her. She sings of the worshipful gratitude of her own heart to God, her Savior. She magnifies the name of the Lord. Then, she gives the reason for her rejoicing: God has so richly favored her, His handmaid, not withstanding her humility as a simple inhabitant of Nazareth. That from henceforth she will always be called blessed. I feel pity for people who claim to be Christians but do not have an attitude of gratitude. Ladies and gentlemen, any good thing that comes our way comes from the gracious and providential hand of God. Sometimes some people think they deserve God’s blessings and their lack of gratitude blocks the flow of God’s blessings upon their lives. Mary was not like that. The attributes and titles she ascribes to God shows Mary’s humble spirit. Her humble perspective forms the basis of her gratitude. The exemplary character of Mary grows out of her understanding of God’s character. God owes her nothing; she owes God everything. All the good things that come from His hand are acts of grace.

          In spite of her humble position, Mary will be honored by all generations. God the Almighty has done great things on her behalf. Generations will see her as an example of a simple human touched by divine power and presence. Today, you and I are reading and studying what the gracious God did for Mary more than two thousand years ago. We are also beneficiaries of the blessings that God bestowed on Mary. In Mary’s song of worship, it is God, who is unique. God is the one set apart and who is worthy of praise. For Mary, God’s name is wonderful because His character is true.

III.           MARY’S SONG OF GOD’S REDEMPTIVE ACTS. 50-53

          Mary’s hymn becomes more animated when she sings of God’s glorious deeds of redemption and of His omnipotence, holiness, and mercy. God shows mercy to those who fear Him. To “fear” God means to cherish reverence and respect for Him, not to be afraid, but to honor Him lovingly by avoiding what is contrary to His will and by striving after what pleases Him. The righteous, those who look and turn to God are the objects of His blessing. The blessings enumerated in verses 50-53 come to those who look to God for care. God’s mercy shows His loving-kindness. Such love is faithful as well as gracious (Psalm 103:2-6, 8-11, 13, 17). With these words, Mary’s hymn reaches its climax, where she sings of the mighty reversal of things which in principle have been accomplished by the entrance of God upon the course of history through the coming Messiah, the promised Son.

          In God’s choice of two persons of humble life Mary and Elizabeth, Mary sees the powerful revolutionary principle according to which God is going to renew everything through the Christ. This principle entails a complete reversal of all human opinions of greatness and insignificance. The proud, those who exalt themselves and take no account of God, He puts down, beaten by His mighty arm. Those who stand in opposition will face God’s mighty power to bring down. Therefore, God will deal with the proud. His arm will be raised against them (Deut. 4:34; Psalm 44:3; 89:13; 118:15). The powers that be, oppressors who tyrannize over the poor and lowly, are deprived of their power and high standing, while those who are truly humble are exalted to great things. Whatever earthly authority exists, it pales in comparison to the mighty and decisive exercise of divine authority. The hungry those who realize their own need and yearn for spiritual food are blessed. However, the rich, those who are self-satisfied and proud are put to shame in the imaginations of their hearts. Here is God working on behalf of pious downtrodden. This shows that God will not stand by and allow the righteous to be put to shame. On the contrary, He will vindicate the righteous at the right time. Often it is those in need who are most spiritually sensitive to God and who are gifted with faith by Him. God promises them that despite their current deprivation, they will experience great reward in the future.

IV.           MARY PRAISES GOD FOR ISRAEL VV. 54-56

          This is the last stanza of Mary’s hymn. Here she points out that everything that she has sung earlier in the hymn is the result of the fact that God is true to His promises of salvation through the coming Redeemer, made from of old to Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 12:1-3). God is acting for His people Israel, and His actions reflect His mercy. One of the lessons of the infancy narrative of Jesus is that God keeps His word, including the promises He made to the nation of Israel. Mary knows that the promises of God abide, and this is evident in her praise. God’s loving-kindness is central to those to whom God has made Himself known.

After spending almost about three months with Elizabeth, Mary returned to Nazareth. By this time, she was pregnant for three months and Joseph her betrothed husband did not know. Joseph being a righteous man was planning to call the betrothal null and void when the same angel Gabriel went to him that Mary had not been unfaithful, but the seed she had taken is the activity of the Holy Spirit. And you all know the rest of the story, at the edict of Caesar Augustus, Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem where the baby Jesus was born.

          My question to you is this: “Is God up to something in your life?” How are you cooperating with God to bring about His purpose in your life? Are you a vessel that God can use? Are you dedicated to Him? Have you saturated your mind and heart with His word like Mary? Are you humble enough that God can stoop down and bless your life?

            This Christmas, God wants to give you a gift of His precious Son. God wants to offer you the gift of His salvation in the person of Jesus Christ. The gift is yours. All that you have to do is to receive this gift. Merry Christmas.

USING YOUR RESOURCES FOR ETERNAL PURPOSES

LUKE 16:1-13

          Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions." And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be my manager.' 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; I am ashamed to beg.' I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes. And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' And he said, 'A hundred measure of oil.' And he said to him, "Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty." Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measure of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'

          "And the master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light." And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwelling.

          He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth (Mammon), who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

          "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth (Mammon)" (NASB).

INTRODUCTION

          When you go to a doctor for your annual check-up, he/she will often begin to poke, prod, and press various places, all the while asking, “Does this hurt? How about this?”

          If you cry out in pain, one of two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard, without the right sensitivity. Or, more likely, there is something wrong, and the doctor will say, “We’d better do some more tests. It is not supposed to hurt there!”

          So it is when pastors preach on financial responsibility, and certain members cry out in discomfort, criticizing the message and the messenger. Either the pastor has pushed too hard, or perhaps there is something wrong. In that case, I say, “My friend, we are in need of the Great Physician because it is not supposed to hurt there.”

          I would like to speak on the subject: “Using Your Resources for Eternal Purposes.”

          Of all the parables that Jesus taught, the parable of the shrewd manager is the most puzzling. For that reason, numerous interpretations have been given. Each one is trying to explain the teaching of the parable in its ethical implications. Questions that have been posed include these: Did the lowering of the amounts the debtors owed reveal dishonesty, or was the manager dishonest all along, resulting in his dismissal? Should the parable end at verse 8a or verse 9? Is Jesus condoning unethical business practices?

The Setting:

          One of the most common features of our Lord Jesus’ parables is their shock value. They surprise and startle. The “heroes” are the most unexpected people. That is particularly true of the parable of the unrighteous steward, found in Luke 16:1-13. It is a story that has stirred controversy and debate among interpreters. But despite the questions it has raised, it confronts us with an essential truth about life as a disciple. The parable is given in verses 1-8a and Jesus elaborates the principles the parable is intended to teach.

I.      THE MORAL STORY OF THE

     INGENIOUS STEWARD VV. 1-8A

            The parable begins with a rich man who has a manager in charge of administering his affairs. This parable takes us into the world of finance and responsibility. The manager is a steward. That is, he is an employee, perhaps of an absentee landlord, who has been given control over his master’s business and assets. Clearly, his responsibility is to use this trust to promote his master’s interests, not his own. However, human nature as it is succumbed to the temptation to divert his master’s funds for his own purposes and pleasure. He wastes the money, violating his trust and mishandling his master’s possessions. News of his fraudulent and dishonest ways reaches his employer, and when confronted with the charge of dereliction of duty, the man had no answer to give. The shrewd manager was speechless, and we know that silence means consent or complicity. Probably he told himself, “I am too clever to be caught.” He taught that he had covered his tracks carefully however; he did not know that people were watching him. Therefore, his world of dishonest gain came crashing down. His master called him to the carpet. This parable shows that violation of trust is not just a modern invention. It was just as common in the ancient world as it is today. Some CEOs' are languishing in prisons today because they embezzled corporate funds that were entrusted to them.

          Certainly the man deserves to be fired from his job. But it is important to notice the manager’s important position after his master’s words: “Give an account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.” Modern companies generally tell fired employees to clean out their desks immediately, or they have it done for them. This employer does not fire the manager outright as it is done in most cases today. Rather, he gives the manager a window of opportunity. His dismissal is inevitable, but it is not yet final. Until the account is rendered, he has some room for movement. Still time is short, and immediate action is imperative. He has no time to waste. Facing a future on the streets, the fired manager contemplates his options. It is here that the manager’s shrewdness or astuteness is revealed. He knows that his options are limited. He is too weak for manual labor. Perhaps arthritis is killing him. He is also too proud to beg. Perhaps he was unkind to beggars when he was enjoying his extravagant lifestyle. Unless he acts quickly, one of those might be his fate. But he knows the adage, “Scratch my back and I will scratch yours.” Perhaps he can do favors for a few people, so that they would be indebted to him.

          He hatches a plan, and the plan is very simple. He begins to call his master’s customers and change their bills. After all, he has managed the accounts and still has legal authority to act on his master’s behalf. “How much do you owe?” Eight hundred gallons of olive oil, the debtor said. It would have cost one thousand denarii, which is more than three years' salary for an average worker. He tells the debtor, here is your old I.O.U. Rewrite it, put down four hundred gallons and I will sign it. Desperate times in the life of a dishonest person always demand desperate measures. Therefore, he goes to the next person who owes the master. “How much do you owe?” A thousand bushels of wheat,” he said. That was the equivalent of the amount of 2,500-3000 denarii, which is about eight to nine and half years' wages. He tells this customer, “Here, make it eight hundred. I will sign it.”

          We do not know enough about first century business practices to be certain of what is going on here. Some commentators are convinced that the whole business is fraudulent and that he is implicating these people in cheating his boss. That is possible, but since these people presumably would continue to do business with the rich man, it seems rather unlikely. It is more likely that the transaction is subtle and semi-legal. According to the Law of Moses, Jewish businessmen were not allowed to charge interest to fellow Jews (Exod. 22:25; Lev. 25:36; Deut. 15:8; 23:19). However, that made commercial transaction difficult. Therefore a subterfuge (evasive trick) often was followed. When money was loaned it was illegal to write a bill stating any interest. Therefore, written bills generally showed only one amount, the principal loaned plus the interest and the manager’s fees. This amount was often stated in term of commodities (oil, wheat), rather than money. In this way, it would appear that the law was being followed.

          If this is true, what the steward is probably doing is discounting the face value of the notes by suspending the interest charges. Since these charges are not legal within Jewish law, his boss has no ground of action against him. Presumably, the debtors would be suspicious of the reasons but would accept the offer gladly. He has therefore, tied his master’s hand effectively with people he wants to remember him kindly in his time of need. The parable closes with the statement, “And his master praised the unrighteous manager, because he had acted shrewdly.” It is important to see what it said and what is not said. First, it is not Jesus who is making this statement, but rather the rich man in the parable. Jesus cannot condone any practice that is contrary to His holy and righteous ways. Second, the master in the parable does not say that he is pleased by this steward’s actions, but that he is impressed. The manager has tied his master’s hands and achieved his own ends. The master certainly does not commend the manager’s earlier dishonesty, but, like a defeated athlete commenting bitterly and ironically on his opponent’s skill and strategy, he feels compelled to acknowledge the man’s success. Have you not seen a sport fan routing for an opposing team because they scored a beautiful goal or touch down?

          Jesus is ready to make the point. He notes that the master commends “the dishonest manager.” The manager has prepared the soil for his future care by what he has done. Since the word shrewd is the key to the parable, it is important to consider its meaning carefully. The Greek word means, “To act with foresight,” and it is illustrated in Jesus’ discourse by the wise man who built his house on the rock in anticipation of a coming storm (Matt. 7:24). It also describes the five “wise” (shrewd) virgins (Matt. 25:1-13), who bring extra oil in anticipating future need. This is the dishonest manager’s quality; he acts decisively in the present to position himself for the future. His behavior is consistent with his circumstances. He recognizes his crisis and seizes his opportunity because he has his eyes on the future, not just the present. He is astute enough to act with practical cleverness and judgment.

          The parable is troubling. This man seems to be an unlikely hero. In fact, he is not a hero at all. However, in his actions, dubious as they are, we can see a quality demonstrated which we who are Christians are needed to live effectively in the world. Jesus elaborates that quality in the rest of the parable.

II.               THE MAXIM OF INTELLIGENT

CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP VV. 8B-13

In the first of several applications of this parable, Jesus notes that the “People of this world are more shrewd to their own kind than the sons of light.” That is, people in the world give more thought to their physical well being than the righteous do to their spiritual well being. What Jesus is saying is that people of the world are shrewd in dealing with temporal things. They see the possibilities and seize the opportunities. They sacrifice present comforts for future prospects. Unbelievers outpace Christians in their foresight, their ingenuity, and their risk-taking. They study their world, see the opportunities and seize them, knowing that opportunities missed are opportunities lost.

          Too often Christians are lethargic or uncreative or un-strategic in our thinking. We spend money but do not use it well. Our planning is careless; our strategy is simplistic, and naïve. When it comes to using our material resources for God’s kingdom purposes many Christians are resistant and uninvolved.

          G. Campbell Morgan relates an experience he once had while staying in the home of a wealthy Christian. One morning at family prayers, this devoted church member eloquently and tenderly prayed for the salvation of the heathen and the missionaries. When prayers were finished, the father was startled beyond measure, when one of his boys, a lad of ten years, said to his father: “Dad, I like to hear you pray for the missionaries.” The father replied, “I am glad you do, my boy.” Then the boy replied, somewhat to the embarrassment of his father, “But do you know what I was thinking when you were praying? If I had your bank book, I would answer half your prayers.”

          Do you know what the boy was saying to his rich father? He was telling his father that it was not enough to pray for the salvation of those who do not know Jesus and Christian missionaries who are ministering to them. It is imperative that we give our financial resources to help them as well.

          Therefore, by this parable, Jesus counsels Christians to give our money away and be generous, so that we may gain God’s favor and be welcomed to His eternal home. God honors those who are generous to His work. Jesus’ first message in this parable is that shrewdness with money can achieve eternal goals. Mammon is an interesting term that includes not only money but also possessions. Jesus makes it clear that mammon has enormous power. It is not simply neutral. When it is not placed under the authority of Christ, it becomes a rival god and leads to evil. The pursuit of mammon can cause you to ignore God, undervalue family, walk over people, use them, act unethically, and engage a host of other destructive actions. This is why the Apostle Paul calls greed idolatry (Eph. 5:3). To pursue wealth and the status that comes with it means to worship creation, not the Creator.

          In this parable, Jesus calls us to recognize the limits of wealth (v. 9b). The Apostle Paul also reminds us that “we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Tim. 6:7). Shrewdness forces us to recognize that money is powerful but limited, temporary, and temporal. Part of its character is that it will always fail. At the time of death, you cannot take it with you. No one takes it with him/her. Shrewdness with money also focuses on how it can be used for eternal purposes (v. 9). Every Christian will be welcomed into heaven; not every Christian will have the same number of friends to welcome them. When you use your money to meet the needs of fellow believers and when you use your money to spread the gospel, you can be sure that there are eternal consequences. Christians must use our earthly possessions for spiritual investment just as worldly people use their money to obtain material gains. The people of the world know how to use worldly possessions and apply materialistic ways. If the people, who do not serve God live by the standards of the world, should not those of us who profess to be God’s people uphold the Law of God and live by divine standards? Should we not practice what we preach, and show by word and deed that money will ultimately fail but heavenly riches will last forever?

          The principles of stewardship are very simple. Little things are the school of life. “A little thing is a little thing; but faithfulness in a little thing is a great thing” (Hudson Taylor). Faithfulness with money is primarily an issue of character. Jesus goes on to tell us that shrew disciples recognize that stewardship of money prevents bondage to money: “You cannot serve both God and Money.” You have to make a choice. You can have only one master. You can be a steward of money or you can be a servant of it, but those are your only options. Mammon always strives to take the place of God in your life. Jesus is saying to you that there is no middle ground. Either God owns your wealth or it owns you. Henry Fielding once wrote, “Make money your god and it will plague you like the devil.”

          We all serve something or someone. There is no partial discipleship to Jesus, and there is no part-time employment by Mammon. You must choose your ultimate loyalty. When you choose Jesus Christ as your sole master, He does not remove your money. In fact, He takes the money and transforms it into an ally.

          How do you get your money? What do you want to get with your money? When do you give your money? Where should you employ your resources? These are the questions you need to ask in order to act decisively with your resources in the present to maximize your opportunities in the future.

          The story is told of a man who was shipwrecked on a lonely and unknown island. To his surprise, he found that he was not alone; a large tribe of people shared his island. To his pleasure, he discovered that they treated him very well. In fact, they placed him on a throne and catered to his every desire. He was delighted but perplexed. Why such royal treatment? As his ability to communicate increased, he discovered that the tribal custom was to choose a king for a year. Then, when his term was finished, he would be transported to a particular island and abandoned.

          Delight was now replaced by distress. Then he hit on a shrewd plan. Over the next months he sent members of the tribe to clear and till the other island. He had them build a beautiful house, furnish it, and plant crops. He sent some chosen friends to live there and wait for him. Then, when his time of exile came, he was put in a place carefully prepared and full of friends delighted to receive him.

          Christians are not headed to a deserted island but the Father’s home. Yet the preparations we make here follow us there. If we are shrewd, there will be eternal friends and eternal rewards to greet us. Fools serve money and leave it all behind. Shrewd believers serve God and invest in eternity.

          Therefore, use your money to help others who are in need and also give to support the work of God's Kingdom today.