“The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some have wandered away from the faith and have impaled themselves with a lot of pain because they made money their goal.”1Tim.6.10 CEB
We live in a world where money matters, and some people will do anything for money. It’s amazing how well trusted relatives, friends or employees can change suddenly when offered the chance to make money at the expense of their loved ones, friends, or employers.
For example , what should you do when a well trusted brother starts stabbing you in the back everyday? He pretends to like you and calls you everyday but behind your back he has ganged up with others to “steal, kill and destroy” everything you have worked for, including your family. He is busy plotting, planning, and scheming your downfall, whilst laughing with you on the phone, just because he has been promised some money by his co-conspirators. This “Serial Judas” does not have a conscience and probably hates you secretly because of what you have or become.
Apostle Paul describes them in Phillipians 3:19 like this:
“ Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.”NIV
Sibling rivalry, envy, and backstabbing is as old as man himself. The first brothers in the Bible, Cain and Abel were so competitive that Cain hated his brother enough to kill him. He became the first murderer in the Bible. So, we should not wonder why sibling rivalry and envy is at an all time high nowadays. Unfortunately, whilst one sibling is riled up, full of envy, evil thoughts and intentions, his innocent brother is extremely gullible, trusting and has no clue that he is envied and despised.
The Bible has a warning for those that are too trusting of their relatives. In Jeremiah 12:6, the Bible says:
“Your relatives, members of your own family—even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you.Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.” NIV
Sibling rivalry sometimes results in factions in the family. Several siblings may gang up against their own brother, and sometimes involve outsiders in helping to destroy their brother. William Shakespeare was right in his book “Macbeth” when he wrote:
“ There is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face”.
You can never tell what a wicked person is thinking of, even when he is smiling at you. The person you trust can actually be a traitor.
The Bible has choice words for these treacherous siblings. In Psalm 50:16-21:
“But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to declare My statutes, or take My covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instructions and cast my words behind you? When you saw a thief, you consented with him and have been a partaker with adulterers. You give your mouth to evil and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother , you slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you and set them in order before your eyes.” NKJV
That is certainly food for thought!
We shouldn’t marvel at such scenarios because there is nothing new under the sun. Jesus Christ addressed this issue in Luke 16: 1-13. It’s called the “Parable of the Dishonest Manager.” The Bible says:
“Jesus also said to the disciples, “A certain rich man heard that his household manager was wasting his estate. He called the manager in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give me a report of your administration because you can no longer serve as my manager.’ “The household manager said to himself, What will I do now that my master is firing me as his manager? I’m not strong enough to dig and too proud to beg. I know what I’ll do so that, when I am removed from my management position, people will welcome me into their houses. “One by one, the manager sent for each person who owed his master money. He said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil.’ The manager said to him, ‘Take your contract, sit down quickly, and write four hundred fifty gallons.’ Then the manager said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘One thousand bushels of wheat.’ He said, ‘Take your contract and write eight hundred.’ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted cleverly. People who belong to this world are more clever in dealing with their peers than are people who belong to the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it’s gone, you will be welcomed into the eternal homes. “Whoever is faithful with little is also faithful with much, and the one who is dishonest with little is also dishonest with much. If you haven’t been faithful with worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? If you haven’t been faithful with someone else’s property, who will give you your own? No household servant can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” CEB
In this Parable, the Rich man discovered that his Manager was mismanaging his estate, so he gave him notice that he was about to fire him. Obviously, the Dishonest Manager was not expecting this to happen, otherwise he would have been stealing his master’s money before that time and have some stolen money stored up, probably in the attic!
Since he was too proud to beg and too lazy to engage in manual labor, he thought of a scheme that would ensure that once his master kicks him out of his position and all the benefits he was used to, he would not be homeless and living on the streets. He quickly called his masters creditors and told them to reduce the amount they owed his master, thereby putting him in their good books and assured of their help when he needed it. Most especially, they will welcome him to their homes as a guest, because of the “crooked favor” he had done for them.
Now, things get interesting!
The Master of the Dishonest Manager actually commended him for his craftiness and crooked ways! Now, let’s remember that Jesus was the one telling this Parable. So, does it mean that Jesus approves of the actions of the Dishonest Manager?
God Forbid! Far from it!
What Jesus meant when he said in verse 8 that:
“People who belong to this world are more clever in dealing with their peers than are people who belong to the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it’s gone, you will be welcomed into the eternal homes.”
He was lamenting the lukewarmness of Christians in preparing for their heavenly home. Most are bogged down with the cares of this world. Others are busy storing up wealth for themselves when they should be storing up heavenly treasures by the good works that they do. Remember what the Bible says in Mathew 6:19:
““Stop collecting treasures for your own benefit on earth, where moth and rust eat them and where thieves break in and steal them. Instead, collect treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust don’t eat them and where thieves do not break in and steal them. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” NKJV
Finally, Jesus concludes this Parable by telling us about faithfulness in little things. When you are faithful and honest in handling small matters, then you can be trusted to handle bigger things. Also, faithfulness to God is to the exclusion of other things.
You cannot serve God and Mammon.
