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Shrewd Servants

In Luke 16:1-8, Jesus tells us about a manager who is fired because he is squandering company resources. When the manager is confronted about it, he swings into action, finding a way to collect past due payables, thereby stimulating business. Jesus commends the man for being shrewd (practical, wise and sensible) in dealing with wealth.

This was always a troubling passage, in that most of us focus on the actions of the manager that deserve censure – wasting company resources, but this isn’t a passage about stealing or laziness. It's about the wisdom of using wealth and position to stimulate the economy.

The manager restructured the customers’ debts, allowing them to reenter commercial ventures. The company realized an immediate effect on the bottom line, and the manager won the loyalty of the customers and his boss. From a spiritual standpoint, Jesus is pointing us to the power of the marketplace in building the Kingdom of God.

Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us that God gives us the power to make wealth. Proverbs 11:24 tells us that he who scatters (sows or invests) riches, increases all the more. The righteous investor benefits the whole city (Proverbs 11:10-11).

Let each of us consider how we are using the resources God has placed in our hands – be it money, talent, intellect, sense of humor, etc. Are we squandering them? Or are we using them to have a positive impact on our neighbors, friends, and fellow citizens? Are we purposeful about directing our resources toward Kingdom purposes?

Let us live in such a way that those around us are drawn out of physical and spiritual bondage into a lively and engaging life on earth and the promise of a heavenly dwelling. At the end of the day, let us hear Jesus commending us as shrewd servants for our practical, wise and prudent dealings in the marketplace.

Bob Ryan is the director of Market 70 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Follow along with Bob at @minasforcities.