Happy Monday, friends! Can you believe it is already Dec. 16th?!? We are on chapter 16 today and rockin’ and rollin’ through December 24th with our final chapter. How has it been for you reading a chapter a day this month?
Here we go!
The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
1Jesus told his disciples: โThere was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2So he called him in and asked him, โWhat is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.โ
3โThe manager said to himself, โWhat shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. Iโm not strong enough to dig, and Iโm ashamed to begโ 4I know what Iโll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.โ
5โSo he called in each one of his masterโs debtors. He asked the first, โHow much do you owe my master?โ
6โโฏโNine hundred gallons a of olive oil,โ he replied.
โThe manager told him, โTake your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.โ
7โThen he asked the second, โAnd how much do you owe?โ
โโฏโA thousand bushels b of wheat,โ he replied.
โHe told him, โTake your bill and make it eight hundred.โ
8โThe master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
10โWhoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been trustworthy with someone elseโs property, who will give you property of your own?
13โNo one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.โ
14The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15He said to them, โYou are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in Godโs sight.
Additional Teachings
16โThe Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it. 17It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
18โAnyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19โThere was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich manโs table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22โThe time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abrahamโs side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.24So he called to him, โFather Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.โ
25โBut Abraham replied, โSon, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.โ
27โHe answered, โThen I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.โ
29โAbraham replied, โThey have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.โ
30โโฏโNo, father Abraham,โ he said, โbut if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.โ
31โHe said to him, โIf they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.โโฏโ
Footnotes:
a 6 Or about 3,000 liters
b 7 Or about 30 tons
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