A Good Lesson From A Bad Example

Mar 29, 2023

"The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd."

- Jesus, Luke 16:8

"Don't get even… get even better!"

- Anonymous

A few weeks back, my seven-year-old granddaughter, Roux, brought home a stack of library books. Now, every week, this is a big deal because her five-year-old sister, Shiloh, cannot wait to look at the books. Roux knows this and so - because she's a little sinnerling - enjoys holding them over Shiloh's head and refuses to let her see them until she's read them.

She likes "holding the better hand" - she's got all the cards and she knows it. Well, this time, when Roux refuses to let Shiloh see them, Shiloh smiles, looks at her, and decides to play her hand (a power play of her own). She says, "Roux, today while you were at school, Gramma picked me up from school and took me out for lunch and ice cream at Handel's - your favorite spot!" And suddenly Roux, feeling over-matched and out-played, started crying...Ha! Shiloh leaned back and smiled. The truth is...so did I!

I found myself smiling for the same reason Jesus did in Luke 16.

Jesus tells one of the gnarliest parables in the Bible about a shrewd manager who, when he found out he was going to be fired for mishandling his employer's money, devises a scheme for his future provision. The manager takes the debts of the rich man's clients and discounts them by about 20%, which some scholars believe was about the price of his commission, in order to create an obligation on the client's part to return the favor to this manager after he was fired.

Here's the rub: instead of condemning the manager's shrewdness, Jesus seems to compliment his resourcefulness.

In Luke 16:8-9, Jesus says,

"The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. Here's the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly resources are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home."

- Luke 16:8-9

This is a good lesson from a bad example!

Jesus is not commending the manager's dishonesty, he's complimenting his resourcefulness.

How many times do you and I find ourselves being taken advantage of in our world?

We are short-changed, over-taxed, and outplayed; we are unfairly treated way more than we are treated fairly in our world. Jesus says, in this case, "Don't take this lying down, be resourceful!"

Like Shiloh, when faced with a crisis, be resourceful, not dishonest, but resourceful, smart like a fox, wise in the ways of the world so that, by using our resources in Christ-like ways, we will not only help others, make friends, secure our future, but apparently, it will make Jesus smile!