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 I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much”, and in chapter sixteen and verse eleven of his book Luke wrote how Jesus asked, “who will commit to your trust the true riches?” where we read:
If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon,
who will commit to your trust the true riches?
The verse reads, “If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, ...” Luke began with the words, “If therefore” or “whether wherefore, consequently, then and these things being so” “you have not been faithful” which means “the people who were listening to Jesus had not existed as believing, confiding and trustworthy” “in the unrighteous mammon” or “with the unjust, sinful and deceitful treasure, wealth and riches”. Luke shared how Jesus said because “faithfulness” in both small and large things is important, if the people listening to Him were not “trustworthy” in “unjust and deceitful wealth and riches” the following question is to be asked.
The verse continues, “... who will commit to your trust the true riches?” Luke added the words, “who will commit to your trust” or “what person whether male or female will believe in, have confidence in and entrust to those listening to Jesus” “the true riches” which means “the opposite to what is fictitious, counterfeit, imaginary, simulated or pretended and uncertain treasure and riches”? Luke shared how Jesus asked what person would “entrust” the people listening to Him “certain and definite” wealth if they were not “faithful” in “deceitful riches”.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we discover this question presented by Jesus concerning “true riches”. Whether a person receives these “riches” depends upon whether they are “faithful” with “unrighteous and deceitful wealth”. God's desire is to bless people with “true riches” which last for eternity, and their “faithfulness” with the “unrighteous and deceitful wealth” they are given upon the earth will determine whether they receive His “everlasting” “wealth”. God sent His Son Jesus to the earth to die on the cross for the sins of the world, and those who put their faith and trust in Him will receive not only forgiveness of their sins, but their “faithfulness” with what He provides on earth will open the door for them to receive His “true riches” as well.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus said, “if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?” 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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