When an employee is  caught out for not acting in his employer’s best interests it will often lead to his dismissal. Rewind 2000 years and we find something similar but with a very interesting outcome. What this passage doesn’t mean is (1) that Jesus approves of stealing’ or (2) that a worthwhile end justifies the means.

What the passage does mean is that there is a fine but important difference between a dishonest man’s shrewdness and a shrewd man’s dishonesty. The fact that this story involves a bad man’s shrewdness makes the argument more compelling … how much more compelling is a good man’s shrewdness.  The message is about the importance of being ‘shrewd’ in the use of material things now for eternal good.

Far too many believers use their money for this life. This is not being ‘shrewd’. There are three realities to consider. Firstly, wealth will fail … you can’t take it with you. Secondly, material things in this life are a stewardship … we don’t really own anything. Thirdly, if you let it, money can become your master. The ‘good news’ of what Jesus has accomplished on the cross, received by faith, changes attitudes toward material things. Jesus died to set us free forever.