How Are Your Investments Doing?

Right now many people are worried about their investments. With the stock market gyrating up and down, people are analyzing their mutual funds and wondering how their fund manager is doing with their investment.  Will they get back what they invested?  Will they gain a profit, or suffer a loss?  One thing is for sure, the fund manager will be judged based on how much he earned with what he was given.  Jesus teaches us a parable with a similar theme. 

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

16 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’5 “So he called in each one of his master’s  debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “‘Nine hundred gallons[a] of olive oil,’ he replied.“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ 7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels[b] of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ 8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

This is a difficult parable to interpret because it almost seems as though Jesus is uplifting a dishonest man as an example to the disciples.  This is why interpreting the bible "literally" is problematic, especially with Jesus' parables. Sometimes Jesus uses worldly illustrations to portray a spiritual truth. Paul does the same thing when he talks about "slaves".  While not advocating slavery, he uses it for teaching about what it means to follow Jesus. So what is Jesus teaching here?

1. First, the dishonest steward knew he would be called into account for what he had done with what he had been given.  Similarly, we all will be called in account for what we have done with the gifts we have been given by God.  Have we used our talents and gifts for God's kingdom, or just to gain worldly wealth for ourselves in this life?

2. Second, the man was shrewd and resourceful with what he was given.  He didn't just sit back and watch things unravel.  He was proactive and used creative means to please his master.  Are we creative in the church?  Do we look for new ways to reach more people for Christ?  Do we market ourselves to reach to people who would never come to church?  Or, are we comfortable doing the same things we have always done for fear of losing what we have?  

3. Third, the way we handle God's resources here are earth with have eternal significance.  While a good return on our earthly investments increases our net worth, we cannot take our 401k funds with us.  What we will take with us are the things we have done in Jesus' name with the gifts and resources he has given us.  The ultimate return on our lives will be made known when we pass from this life to the next.  

Most of us have time on our hands right now with the Corona virus situation.  Take some time to think about how you are investing your lives and resources.  Are you only worried about your net worth here on earth which is finite? Or, are you investing in what has eternal significance?  There will be a day when we are called into account for what we have done with what we have been given.  May we be found faithful!