Luke 16:1-15 provides us the parable of the shrewd manager. What does this mean for us as believers, or as church leaders?
Here is my current paraphrase:
An executive was told that one of his reports was “taking some liberties” with his expense account. This manager was hauled into his boss’s office and told to pack up his stuff and get out. The manager was terrified, because the job market was bad, and he was too proud to accept a position of lower title. So he quickly contacted some of the corporation’s customers, saying, “I am losing my job, but I will cut your bill in half before I go, if you will help me find a job”, to which they readily agreed. When the executive found out, he praised the dishonest manager for being clever.
When I think about this, what strikes me is not the dishonesty of the manager, but the willingness of his boss and his customers to accept this practice. It tells me that then as now, worldly people are motivated by money, and they are willing to overlook improprieties, if it means that they can profit from it. Continue reading “Shrewd Managers”