FAITHFUL OR DISHONEST WITH LITTLE 

Jenna Worsham 

Today's Scripture: “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” Luke 16:10, ESV 

Theme: Be faithful, using whatever you’re entrusted with wisely. 

USE WHAT IS AVAILABLE 

In elementary school, each of our three children participated in a classroom marketplace activity. I can’t remember what our child, Sophie, offered. I think hers was combined with a holiday activity, and it was some sort of tree ornament. Sierra, our middle child, made a herd of diplodocus dinosaurs out of toilet paper rolls. One of them remains on display in our home. Soren, our youngest, made googly-eyed pencil toppers from twisted pipe cleaners and stick-on googly eyes atop #2 pencils.  

On the day of the market, some students presented expensive items. Some only purchased from their friends. Our youngest sold a few items, purchased a few items, and gave away all his pencil friends that were left to teachers and others who ran out of funds. He was tickled to know all of his pencils were appreciated. Those who gathered the most “money” received exactly nothing at the end of the activity. What remained were the relationships, the memories, and the many craft items collected.  

THE SHREWD MANAGER 

The parable in Luke 16 can be confusing. Why would Jesus use this dishonest manager as an example? The fictional manager knows that he won’t have his job long, so he forgives debt to make friends and influence people. It sounds wrong. Yet, “The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:8-9, ESV). We are broken and sinful...just like the shrewd manager. We won’t continue to manage this wealth we have now forever. It is all passing away. When we give and forgive generously, using our resources to strengthen relationships, we value the person behind the debt in a God-like way. Consider paying for everyone when you are out for a meal. Using resources to pay someone else’s debt or paying their way to join you on a retreat. Or maybe apply it directly – forgive a debt.  

A TEACHING ACTIVITY 

When my son left for first grade on the day of the class marketplace, I reminded him to be kind and to compliment the items his friends made. I reminded him that the “money” he was spending would only be good for an hour – just while the activity was running – so he shouldn’t worry too much about storing up or making a fortune. I wanted him to have fun and support his classmates, teachers, and friends. I didn’t want him to focus too much on accumulating the most items. After all, we could purchase any item he might want or need.  

When we find ourselves in an unfair, messed-up marketplace, we can take heart in knowing that the wealth we see and exchange now is not the real thing. Jesus assures us that the wealth of this world is much like the “wealth” in the kids’ classroom marketplace. We are currently in a teaching activity, entrusted with someone else’s wealth, and learning to use it wisely before we can be trusted with true riches.  

Make It Personal: How could looking at your current resources and financial challenges as a teaching activity change the way you manage them? What would you change if you knew the way you used your money now would be used to entrust more or less to you in the future?  

Pray: Father God, You give us every good resource and You understand the challenges we are facing today. Please help us to have eyes to see a way to forgive and be faithful with what we have today. Thank You for the wealth around us now. Thank You for the wealth stored up for our eternal life to come. Help me to hold lightly everything I wrongly cling to. Help me to look ahead. Help me to love my neighbor and use the resources You have given me faithfully today. In Your Name I pray. Amen. 

Read: Luke 16:1-13; 1 Chronicles 29:12 

Weekly Memory Verse: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1, ESV