The unscrupulous manager wasted his master’s possessions and was still more unscrupulous when he called the debtors and reduced their amount which they owed to the master. Thus he tried to earn their favour thinking that they would help him when he was thrown out of his job. This was his wicked strategy. His deceitful act was not commended but the shrewdness he exhibited in manipulating the situation was commended. He used his master’s resources to gain the favour of the debtors. He actually plundered the treasury of his master to earn a secure future. Jesus said. “ The people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of light.” The creditors also who did not have scruple to oppose the wicked ungodly suggestion of the manager are also bad. They too were real cheats who were ready to silence their conscience for the sake of monetary and material advantages .One cheat earned the favour of many other cheats.

While people of this world act wisely, people of light should also show more shrewdness in managing their affairs. They need to use God’s resources and wealth which they manage as temporary owners in a wise way. If they use it to proclaim Gospel to others, they will gain many friends in the other world. The money that they invest to spread the word of God will bring great dividends. The people who are led to the saving grace of God because of their efforts will meet them as friends in the other world and receive them with great warmth. Just as the manager in the parable used his master’s wealth, to earn friends in this world, we as God’s managers must use the resources we have been entrusted by God to earn friends for the other world. We need to use the time, talents and resources which we have received from our heavenly master to win people for God who will also joyfully receive us in the Kingdom of God.

To stretch the comparison still more further, the devil like the shrewd manager plunders the resources of God. We are all debtors to God but the devil lessens our obligations and sense of indebtedness. Hence with the devil’s false promises we tend to ignore our responsibilities to God. The false assurances and deceptive promises of the devil give a temporary feeling of comfort and wellbeing and we fall a prey to the attractive offers of the father of lies and become more and more hooked to him. Hence, initial denials of his offer will render him powerless and we will not be obligated to him any longer.

As children of light we need to be cautious and carefully manage our resources given to us in trust and ward off the wily seductive offers of the devil.

Dr. (Mrs.) Edriana Jeyasingh