The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of you? give an account of your stewardship; for you may be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord takes away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much do you owe unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much do you owe? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take your bill, and write fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light”, and in chapter sixteen and verse nine of his book Luke wrote how Jesus said, “make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness” where we read:
And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness;
that, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
The verse reads, “And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness;” Luke began with the words, “and I say unto you” or “and I, Jesus, utter, declare and proclaim to those listening to Him”, “make to yourselves” which means “prepare, produce and provide for those listening to Jesus' own selves” “friends of the mammon of unrighteousness” or “associates and neighbors pertaining to the treasure and riches belonging to morally wrong, iniquity and deeds violating law and justice”. Luke shared how Jesus instructed the people listening to Him to “produce and provide” for their own selves “associates and neighbors” with the “riches and treasures” that belong to “iniquity” and “wrong”.
The verse continues, “that, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” Luke added the words, “that, when you fail” or “so at the time and moment the people listening to Jesus cease, stop, leave and quit”, “they may receive you” which means “the associates and neighbors will grant access to, receive hospitality and favorably the people listening to Jesus” “into everlasting habitations” or “into without beginning and end and never ceasing tents, tabernacles or shades”. Luke shared how Jesus said those who “make” to themselves “friends of the mammon of unrighteousness” will be received into their “everlasting homes” when they “cease or stop” their current situations.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn about Jesus' instruction toward the people listening to Him concerning what to do with “money” and “resources”. The idea was to use “resources” to “make friends”, and those who do so will be “accepted” when the times of troubles and difficulties come. The wise person understands the “value” of a relationship with God through receiving His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”, and they use their God given “assets” to build relationships with other people. Trials, troubles, uncertainties and difficulties will arise in a person's life, and when they do, the people in whom a person has invested will be the ones who help them in their time of need.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus said, “he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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