The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-05-07


Is unrighteous also In much" Luke 1910.
Again in one chapter land here
only we have before us two OF the
Masters more famous parallels. the
unjust steward and the rich man and
Lazarus. Both are parallels Of warn
ing against the common sins Of hypoc-
risy and gluttony. Luke links this
teaching with the. events In connec-
ton with our Lords teaching about
the lost things There is clearly a
close connection. The parable of the
lost things was spoken directly to the
Pharisees and scribes, that now be-
fore us to the disciples The fail
ure of the Pharisees as stewards of
the things Of God, the divine law,
calls from Jesus, for those gathered
as his disciples, teaching that will
prepare them to fulnll perfectly the
stewardship responsibilities. The story
is both positive and negative, is
direct against covetousness, and its
main purpose to US is how to use
money, while we have II, SO that II
may bring us recompense In the
eternal world when 1t is gone ". 81.
Immoral Acts Not Approved.
!. The UnriShteous Steward, w. Is.
Our Lord does not, of course, intend
that this steward Is to be our pattern
In every respect. He is taking
son of the world" ". s r. W and
showing US that, in the use Of money
entrusted to his care, he is making
provision for the future. He is pre-
pairing himself against the time when
his stewardship is taken from him.
How much more shall son Of the
light" be shrewd, SO to use the money
entrusted to his stewardship, that
when II 10 taken from him, he has
provided for the future. The record
does not imply that Jesus approved of
the mans immoral actions. He Is US
ing the example Of an uprighteous
steward rs q contrast to show how
much more Ia to be expected from God
or cody men, Luke 1876, Z; 11:5-S;
Matt. 1911, H. Recognizing these
facts, the story is perfectly simple and
STRAIGHTFORWARD. The dishonest son
Of his age" has a wrong method,
though his motive from this point of
view is . wise and prudent one, clever
in our modern use of that word. This
does not condone his fraud, nor does
our Lord commend him. The contrast
is established in the parable between
men wholly Of their age, and men.
profsssedly, at least sons Of light. In
their dealings with eternal things they
had not shown the same astuteness
as the former. Luke is deals with the
heartless contempt Of the Pharisees
for those who are lost, while the
parallels of this chapter deal with
neutrality-suspicious. Il Cor. SGD.
! On Higher Level.
( u. The Use Of Money, w. els. The
value Of this parable is In the actual
teaching of Jesus which follows the
parable. That is Introductory, empha-
sizing the need for wisdom on the
part OF all stewards. After that we
are on a higher level and In a clear
er atmosphere. Unrighteous mann
mon means money, and to make
friends by means of the mammon OF
unrighteousness" (R. W 10 so to
use our money fos the cody poor as
TO win their love and that they may
receive us into the eternal tasernacles
to which they shall go, see Matt. 10:
81; 25:33-40; 6:19; Tim. 6:17-19;
Prov. 1917. AS has been said. Jesus
does not commend this steward for his
wrong use of his masters money, but
tho atauard NJ Cod has thu riOht IN
bestow his Masters goods upon the
needy as that is the very reason they
have been bestowed upon him-en-
trusted to his care. Matt 24:45;
Pet. 4:10. Our entrance into the king
dom will be more abundant because Of
our liberality with Gods money, Matt.
1921. This does not preclude faith,
but rather, real faith worketh by love.
Gal Sc. James 2:1S (R. W. II
we are faithful with that entrusted to
our stewardship, God will entrust US
with the true riches" Our earthly
riches belong to another ". IL II. W.
and we cannot serve two masters"
/ This story moves within the realm of
material wealth, g. g., of mammon. IL
illustrates the higher wisdom Of how
mammon is TO be used by the stew
ards OF the kingdom of God. Verses
IS and l6 OF this chapter reveal to US
our Lords reason for such an illustra-
ton. II was directed against the COW
etous and false stewards, the Phari-
sees, who "scoffed at him because they
were lovers OF money! We are to
use money so as to make friends, not
friends for this present life, but for
that life which lies beyond the grave.
Stewardship principles are always
the same. no matter what the amount.
he that is unrighteous in very little
is unrighteous also In much" This
argument is followed by two ques-
tons The answer to the first is that
no one ever commits the stewardship
OF spiritual things TO those who are
unfaithful in material things A man
shows by his faithfulness In material
things whether he is 10 be entrusted
with spiritual stewardship. The sec
ond question is answered In that men
do not give that which is their own TO
those who have not been faithful as