Luke 16:10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Jesus' parables and illustrations came from every part of human life: family, nature, even business. In this chapter Jesus uses some principles and practices to compare and contrast concerning the Kingdom of God: doing business for and with God. In the opening paragraph Jesus calls His disciples to be shrewd (but not dishonest), considering at all times how their actions affect the trust and respect others have for them. Here He makes it clear that honesty and sincerity are not negotiables: they are a must. He then goes on to rebuke the Pharisees with how poorly they had "done business" with the Prophets in the past, rejecting them as God's negotiators. Finally, Jesus confronts them with both their poor estimation of marriage (which is God's glowing illustration of relationship with Him) and their extreme love of material things and horrible neglect of the poor, which will lead them to break off business ties with God altogether.
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