It is said, “Apart from the generosity of God, we have nothing. By God’s gracious favor, we have everything we need.” In other words, we are managers of God’s wealth.
In today’s Gospel, Luke 16:1-13, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man whose manager “squanders his property”. When the manager is at risk of being fired, he goes to his master’s debtors and forgives some of their debt. At this point, the story becomes baffling because the master commends the manager for acting shrewdly.
The manager was attempting to secure his future with those who might show him hospitality when he was out of work. But the rich man, in showing forgiveness, actually secured the manager’s future in a more powerful way.
No slave can have two masters, and as Pastor Beth reminded us, people matter more than profit. We are rich with God’s love and forgiveness. And we are called to “manage” those riches by giving them away to others.
Listen to the Gospel and sermon by clicking the link below.