Jan 4 - The Resolution

                                          

 Read Luke 16:1-15

 

Lu 16:4 I am resolved what to do,…

He was smart. He was also a crook. His boss suspected he had been stealing money from the company and was having the books audited. An audit would reveal he was a crook and he would be fired! He needed to come up with a plan. He was not about to go out and dig ditches or any other manual work. It would be too humiliating for him to become a beggar.  Eventually he came up with a new scheme.

Who was he? He was the unjust steward in a parable that Christ used as an example of how money can corrupt people.

In the King James Bible the word resolved occurs once. It is in this parable in Luke. Here we find the unjust steward comes up with a resolution of what he would do. It was a dishonest solution, but then he was a crook so what would you expect.

We need more details about how the unjust steward came up with his dishonest scheme. In Luke 16:1 A rich man is told his steward has been wasting his goods. The steward was spending his masters money as if it was his own.

In verse 2 the rich man calls him in and says he has heard stories so he wants an account of where the money went and threatens to fire the steward.

3. The steward is concerned about losing his job because he is too lazy to work and too proud to beg.

4. He comes up with a plan “I am resolved what to do…”

His plan is to call all the guys who owe his master and offer to reduce their bill if they pay on the spot. That will cheat his master even more but at least all the creditors will “receive me into their houses”.

By verse 8 the master learns about the unjust stewards plan and commends him for being so “slick”.  I Imagine it goes without saying the master then said what Donald Trump often says “You’re Fired!”

By now you are probably wondering what the parable was about and what it has to do with New Year’s resolutions. Explaining the meaning of the parable will also answer how it is connected to resolutions you may want to make, even if it is a few days after New Year’s Day, it is never too late to set better goals for ourselves.

Lu 16:10 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.

Here Christ explains the difference between the faithful and the unjust. How does it apply to us? Where are the places in our lives where we allow ourselves to be a little unjust. Do we take little things from work and excuse it because we think we are underpaid? Do we engage in a little gossip or smutty talk when at work or with our friends? Are we faithful with the finances God has given us or do we spend too much on electronic toys, expensive clothes, adult toys, or excessive frills? Where in our lives have we allowed ourselves to be a little unjust and found excuses why it is OK? That was what the unjust steward had done.

Lu 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful

in the unrighteous mammon,

who will commit to your trust the true riches?

The steward in our parable probably had to find a new occupation. Who would hire him to handle their money when they learned he was a crook? In verse 11 there is a connection between unrighteous mammon and true riches, or material riches and spiritual riches. Is this teaching that a person who is unfaithful, even in little things of the world will not be able to be faithful in spiritual things? I think so. Hypocrites eventually give themselves away.

Mt 12:34 …for out of the abundance of the heart

the mouth speaketh.  

(Also see Luke 6:45)

Thirdly, and the main point of the parable is a man cannot serve two masters. The unjust steward was serving himself, and not his master. Who do you serve? How you handle money is a good indicator. If you have allowed the pursuit of riches, or pleasure, or material goods, or fame, or any other thing to be your master, this parable simply says you can’t serve two masters.

Christ finished His parable with this summary in verse 13. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. He had chosen this parable to suit his audience, Pharisees and Scribes, who were covetous and were more interested in mammon than true righteousness.

So what does any of this have to do with resolutions? An old hymn may help us. 

“I am resolved no longer to linger,
Charmed by the world’s delight,
Things that are higher, things that are nobler,
These have allured my sight.”

We should all examine our souls and perhaps add a couple more resolutions to our list. Somehow finding a better job, bowling a 300 game, or losing 10 pounds no longer seem like the most important things we should resolve to do this year.

Mt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God,

and his righteousness;

and all these things shall be added unto you.