@Realness @heartathome @Appleblossom @REDLINEZ750 @Cuppatea
Luke 16:1-13
"He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’
“Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have 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 master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?
“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”"
i been pondering on what Jesus end-up teaching me about the parable of the shrewd caretaker. That unfaithful servant who got into trouble for the mismanagement of the kings estate but ended up being commended instead of sacked, forgiving debtors their debts.
i remember years ago i brought myself in my question marks to Jesus. Also about this parable - especially in my religious alter. At the time not making sense out of the parable of Jesus. So i asked Jesus you want me forgive myself where i have lots of life in wrong, and then somehow God would commend me doing that, even though, as I thought at the time, God's 'righteous requirements' where in NO way met by me in my sinful self?
How was THAT going to work? Would God not be really pissed with me depriving Him of all that 'rightful payment to Him paying my debts instead of not doing that?' How was forgiving myself in sin, still very much a sinner, get me to change me to a good standing? So the Good Life originally given by Him, but I had squandered sinning come good again doing that? MUST I NOT FIRST STOP MY SIN? (Pay my debts?)
Can you see what i mean friends? Looking at this parable with carnal/Worldly eyes. Would mena that if i would forgiving my debtors their debt to my boss this would end me in jail. And surely not commended by the boss for doing that? So why would Jesus be telling this parable like this? Especially seeing the Pharisees were about? Was the Law of God then not important to do?
Yet this is what He taught me to understand - and how true this has been in my life ever since understanding this and learning to be the same as the shrewd manager in the way i deal with myself indebted to God not taking care of His estate.
For i know that someone who is so deeply indebted that they consistently cannot pay their debt, are bankrupt, that they will NEVER be able to pay that debt but it will only get worse. This fact alone will rob the indebted person of all hope for better, job enjoyment, purpose of going to work, satisfaction with their job achievements, doing you best. Yet Forgiving them their debts will have them work hard not to do it wrong again. For at least now you enjoy life again, can have those things they could not before, and have hope for better again, as well as have an undying committent to the boss who made that possible.
Therefore would the end result therefore not be far better than NOT getting anything but no debt repayments as well as workers without dedication and commitment for you cannot pay your boss religion demanding/her debt? And so Jesus pointed out to me to forgive myself and like He does and so finally leave my indebted life behind and start anew fresh and totally dedicated to Him making all this possible, teaching me this.
Only forgiving ourselves our sins and shortcomings will have us enabled to change for the better. So glad He taught me this lesson.
Have a blessed day praising our Heavenly Father for The Lamb of God Friends! He truly is the most awesome King in any human heart!
(So many of us standing in the shoes of those in need of being rescued.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf8BBNlyapo&list=RDZf8BBNlyapo&start_radio=1
@heartathome Oh my dear that poem is absolutely awesome! Thank you so much sharing it. i'm going to read it again! (And you wrote this in 1996, the year i fell my son of lawlessness biggest time ever.) We can have such truly awesome depths of insight in His life giving Spirit.
@heartathome @DownMoreThanUp @Realness @REDLINEZ750
Gotta fly but sending cheerios....
not cereal.LOL
Thank you @Appleblossom That was a nice thing to do before you ran out. Wishing us all a happy new year!
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Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.
SANE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.