An Inspiration Of Time With God For Today

For you know the generous act of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor so that by His poverty you might become rich. –2 Corinthians 8:9 (NRSVCE)
Image Courtesy: Mission For The Homeless

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

Jesus said to His Disciples: “There was a rich man who had a manager and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property, so he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management because you cannot be my manager any longer.’

Then the manager said to himself. ‘What will I do, now that my Master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’

So summoning his masters debtors one by one he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my Master?’

He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’

He (the manager) said to him, ‘Take you bill, sit down quickly and make it fifty.’

Then he (the manager) asked another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’

He (the manager) said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’

His Master commended the dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly; For the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.

I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.

“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful in much and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.

If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? If you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?

No slave can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

The Law and The Kingdom of God

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this and they ridiculed Him, so Jesus said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others but God knows your hearts, for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God.

The Law and the Prophets were in effect until John came, since the Good News of the Kingdom of God is proclaimed and everyone tries to enter it by force but it is easier for Heaven and Earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter in The Law to be dropped.”-Luke 16:1-17

“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.” –Luke 16:18

The Rich Man and Lazarus

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen, who feasted sumptuously every day. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; Even the dogs would come and lick his sores.

The poor man died and was carried away by the Angels to be with Abraham.

The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades (Hell) where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He (the rich man) called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.’

Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received good things and Lazarus in like manner evil things; Now he (Lazarus) is comforted here and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so and no one can cross from there to us.’

He (the rich man) said, ‘Then Father (Abraham) I beg you to send him (Lazarus) to my father’s house — for I have five brothers that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place (Hell) of torment.’

Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets, they should listen to them.’

He (the rich man) said, ‘No, Father Abraham but if someone goes to them from the dead they will repent.’

He (Abraham) said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'” –Luke 16:19-31

Related: For Today’s Bible Readings and More, Visit: -USCCB

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.