Take Your Bill and Write - Luke 16:6

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 in chapter sixteen and verse six of his book Luke wrote how Jesus said the steward told the debtor, “take your bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty” where we read:

And he said, An hundred measures of oil.

And he said unto him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

The verse reads, “And he said, An hundred measures of oil.” Luke began with the words, “and he said” or “and the first debtor uttered, declared and proclaimed to the steward”, “an hundred measures of oil” which means “a hundred baths, which is about eight to nine gallons, of olive oil which is used as fuel for lamps or healing for the sick”. Luke shared how Jesus said the “rich man's” “first debtor” proclaimed that he owed him “a hundred baths” of “olive oil”.

The verse goes on to say, “And he said unto him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.” Luke added the words, “and he said unto him” or “and the steward uttered, declared and proclaimed to the first debtor”, “take your bill” which means “accept, receive and get your writing document, note, bond or account”, “and sit down quickly” or “and be seated shortly or hastily”, “and write fifty” which means “and delineate or form in letters on a tablet, parchment, paper or other material fifty baths of olive oil”. Luke shared how Jesus said the “steward” instructed this “debtor” to write that he only owed “fifty baths of olive oil” to the “rich man” rather than the one hundred he actually owed.

When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the “steward” halved the bill of the “first debtor”. Instead of the one hundred “baths” of “olive oil” that were actually owed to the “steward's master”, the steward had him write that he only owed him “fifty”. Now this seems “criminal” upon first glance because it is “cheating” the owner out of his rightful due. However, this “steward” knew by halving this man's bill, it would gain favor for him in the future. God desires every person to be concerned with their “future”, particularly their eternal future, by having a personal relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. Those who are wise will prepare in advance, like this steward, for their “meeting” and “accounting” with God, and woe be the unprepared.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus said the steward another debtor, “how much do you owe?” 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".