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THE KING’S BUSINESS
12). The parables in Luke IS are a rebuke o f the Pharisees, with special reference to their heartless, contemptuous treatment o f “ s in n e r s th e parables o f Luke 16 are also a rebuke o f the Pharisees, but with special reference to their covetousness (v. 14). This parable should come home to us all, for we are all stewards, stewards o f God (1 Cor. 4 :1 ; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 4:10). All that we sometimes call our own, really belongs to Him (Hag. 2 :8 ; Ps. 50:10-12). Faithfulness is what is required o f a steward (1 Cor. 4 :2 ). The steward o f the parable was accused o f wasting his mas ter’s goods. The same accusation may be justly brought against many o f God’s steward’s today. They may #be wasted by sin, by luxurious living, by non-use (Luke 15:13, 30). Friday, January 2 1 . Luke 16 : 3 - 13 . Here we find two results to the faithless steward o f his wasting his Lord’s g ood s: (1 ) He. was called to account and filled with perplexity and dismay. (2) He had his stewardship taken from him. The same two punishments will overtake any of God’s stewards who prove faithless (Luke 19:20-26; 12:20; Matt. 25:24-28; see also Matt. 25:30). “ Unrighteous mammon” means money. It is so called because It so often ministers to evil (1 Tim. 6:9, 10). Making friends “by means o f the mammon o f unrighteousness” (R. V .), means to so use our money for the godly poor that we may have their love, and that they may receive us into the “ eternal tabernacles” (v. 9 R. V .) to which they go (cf. Matt. 19:21; 25:35-40 ; 6:19; 1 Tim. 6 :17-19; Prov. 19:17). The steward o f the story had no right to use his master’s goods so as to make friends for himself, _but the steward o f God has a right to bestow the goods o f his Master upon the needy; that is just what they are entrusted to him for (Matt. 24:45; 1 Peter 4:10). Our entrance into the kingdom o f God will be more abundant because o f our generous use o f God’s money upon the needy (Matt. 19:21). Our entrance is, o f course, by faith, but real faith “worketh by love” (Gal. 5:6; Jas.
2:18 R. V .). Faithfulness in little things is just as much a proof o f character as faithfulness in great things; and so is unfaithfulness in little things just as much a proof o f lack o f character as unfaithful ness in great things. If. we wish God to promote us to some higher place o f useful ness, we should make ourselves conspicu ously useful where we are. I f we are not faithful with the poor wealth in this world, God cannot entrust to us “fhe true riches." Saturday, January 22 . Luke 16 : 13 - 18 . Greed for gold often goes hand in hand with, great professions o f piety. It was so with the Pharisees; they made great parade o f their loyalty to the slightest pre scription o f the Mosaic law, they tithed mint and anise and cummin, but they vio lated .the central truth o f the law, love to God and man. They “were lovers o f money” (R. V .). In love to their souls God had pointed out to them their ruling sin, but “they scoffed at him” (R. V .). The worshipper o f the Almighty Dollar is ever a scoffer at God*s teaching, and yet Jesus did not give the Pharisees up; He gave them another warning, and.what a search-' mg one, “Ye are they which justify your selves in the"Sight o f man; but God knoweth your hearts” (R . V .). It is o f little use to justify ourselves in the sight o f men, the all important question is, are w e. right in the sight o f God. Not one o f us is in ourselves. The outward life may be fair, but God looks below that; He looks at the heart. Few men would care to have their hearts photographed and displayed even to their fellow-men, but “ God knoweth our hearts.” So it comes to pass that “that which is highly esteemed amongst men, is an abomination in the sight o f Qod.” W e are very foolish to take much pleasure in the high estimates which men put upon us, God knoweth our hearts. I am glad that He does know my heart, for He can thus see the full extent o f my need and so supply it. There is a way, however, in which we can be righteous even in God’s sight; that is by faith in Jesus (Rom. 3:21, 22, 25, 26 ; 4 :5 ). The law does not abate
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