The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-03
BY
j. E. Gilbert, DID,
Secretary Of American
Society of Religious
Education.
The Unjust Steward.

ENTRUSTED (Verses 10 to l2.-That the fore.
going is the true meaning Of Jesus in Verse
will appear more clearly in what he says in
Verses 10, II and ~. He comes out here in
the plainest. terms and eommends faithfulness by
several allusions First one must be careful
OF little things. II one learns to be untrue
there he will be untrue In great things. Here
Is advice touching the secret OF most tempta-
tiohs. Second, these earthly or temporal things
bear q direct relation to heavenly and eternal
things Failing in the handling Of the former
prevents the securing of the latter. Mans con.
dition is such that he blunts those powers tina,
look upward when he wrongly uses those that
look downward. Who will be able to correct
the injury thus cffected9 Third, faithlessness
In regard to what belongs to another man pro.
vents a due estimate OF what belongs TO ones
self, and therefore diminishes the value of ones
possessions. Who will be able to overcome this
law in human nature? All these three directions
strike at the very secret springs Of action, and
suggest what Is Of supreme Importance in all in
tercourse with men. The elaboration OF the
instruction would be attended with much profit
DIVIDED Verse 1s).-Now comes one OF those
remarkable sentences in which Jesus shows his
insight into human nature and his acquaintance
with the philosophy Of right living. "No man
can serve two masters" etc. OF course he can.
not. The assertion Is a truism. Here it has
two purposes. The unjust steward could not
serve the rich man who employed him and the
mammon which he loved. His divided heart
caused him to break down. So every man w,o
attempts to work for another must remember
that he must regard the others interest, and so
truly serve him. II he does not he will fail,
and sooner or later he will come into trouble.
Here 10 the law for all wags.esrners. In like
manner the Christian must remember that he
10 to serve Christ alone Il Cor. x;3D. That
consideration will be a uniform corrective. No
man will 60 astray in any relation OF life who
endeavors always to serve God. And he who
goes with a supreme desire to accumulate prop.
erty Il Tim. W:O Is certain to forget God, fall
into sin, and end in trouble. An undivided
heart, loyal to its lawful master. Is the safe
regulator and guide Of human conduct.
C0NCLUSIoN.-Ou lesson pertains to the
every day life OF . follower Of Christ. II en-.
Joins faithfulness to worldly trusts and honesty
in money transactions. II commends the earn
est seeking OF friendship among the ungodly
by such noble character and innocent conduct
as will win approval. 1t asserts that danger
lies In disregarding little things. and that the
earthly and temporal involve the heavenly and
eternal II shows that the heart Is the seat
and source Of the outward life and must be
single in its aims and purposes, and that Q di-
vided heart, resulting In an attempt at double
service, will bring disaster. Hereafter let no
one say, as some have said. that the religion
Of jesus has little or no reference to the duties
and relations that lie all about us In this world
Jesus came to set up here kingdom Of right
eousness and he invites men to become his dsci-
pies that they may know how to live among their
fellow men. His words are full Of wisdom, and,
II applied, human society would be- speedily re-
constructed snd men would become good aid
blesssd