Living Honestly?

Do you think dishonest people usually get away with their dishonesty?

And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. - Luke 16:8

Sometimes the lesson in the Gospel reading isn't very clear.

Jesus is telling a story.  Some say it is a parable, while others say it is an account of a real event.  Perhaps they think that because it seems to end with a message that doesn't sound like something a Rabbi would teach.

Be dishonest?  Learn form those who are dishonest?

The children of light, the followers of Jesus, need to know how the world works, how people cleverly manipulate situations and other people to get ahead and make things happen.

The fact that the dishonest manager was praised for his shrewdness is an indication that the rules of the world are not always what we might expect.  We say that dishonesty doesn't pay, but it can among others who are dishonest.

Maybe it doesn't last long.  If I know you are willing to cheat me, I won't trust you, and eventually, I might turn against you.

So, the lesson here may be to be alert to what the world does, but there is another point as well.

If we read on, we see that the Pharisees were listening to what Jesus was saying, so it is possible, he was looking to catch their ears and tempt them to comment.

Regardless of the intent, the message I take away is a simple one.  Be aware of what is going on around me.

If I don't understand how the shrewd and dishonest people work their magic, I am doomed to become a victim of it, and that wouldn't be good, would it?

So, beware, my friends.  There are people out there who are not living honestly.


(I am off on our Kairos Retreat Weekend, so pray for the women who will come as guests and I will check back in on Monday.)

More to come...