The Parable of the Shrewd Manager 1 UST Jesus also said to his disciples,“Once there was a rich man who had a household manager. One day someone informed the rich man that the manager was doing such a bad job that the rich man was losing lots of money. BSB BSB: Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.
2 UST So he called the manager to come to him and said to him,‘What I hear you have been doing is terrible! Give me a final written report of the things you have been managing, because you will no longer be my household manager!’ BSB BSB: So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’
3 UST Then the manager said to himself,‘My master is going to dismiss me from being his manager, so I have to think of what to do. I am not strong enough to work by digging ditches, and I am ashamed to beg for money. BSB BSB: The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.
4 UST I know what I will do so that people will take me into their houses{ and provide for me} after he dismisses me from my management work!’ BSB BSB: I know what I will do so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’
5 UST So he asked everyone who owed his master money to come to him one by one. He asked the first one,‘How much do you owe my master?’ BSB BSB: And he called in each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first.
6 UST The man replied,‘3, 000 liters of olive oil.’ The manager said to him,‘Take your bill, sit down, and quickly change it to 1, 500 liters!’ BSB BSB: ‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Take your bill,’ said the manager, ‘sit down quickly, and write fifty.’
7 UST He said to another man,‘How much do you owe?’ The man replied,‘1, 000 baskets of wheat.’ The manager said to him,‘Take your bill and change it to 800 baskets!’ BSB BSB: Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he replied. ‘Take your bill and write eighty,’ he told him.
8 UST { When} the master{ heard what his manager had done, he} praised the dishonest manager for being so clever. The truth is, the people who belong to this world are more clever than the people who belong to God in how they relate to those around them. BSB BSB: The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.
9 UST I tell you, use the money you have in this world to make friends for yourselves. Then when that money is gone, those friends will welcome you into their homes, which will last forever. BSB BSB: I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.
10 UST People who faithfully manage small amounts of money will also be honest with much greater amounts. People who are dishonest in the way they manage small amounts of money will also be dishonest with much greater amounts. BSB BSB: Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
11 UST So if you have not faithfully handled the money{ God has given you} in this world, he will certainly not trust you with the true riches{ of heaven}. BSB BSB: So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?
12 UST If you have not faithfully managed property that belongs to other people, you should not expect anyone to give you property of your own. BSB BSB: And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?
13 UST No servant is able to serve two different masters at the same time. If he tried to do that, he would hate one of them and love the other one, or he would be loyal to one of them and despise the other one. You cannot devote your life to serving God if you are also devoting your life to acquiring money and other material possessions.” BSB BSB: No servant can serve two masters. 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 both God and money.”
The Law and the Prophets 14 UST When the Pharisees{ who were there} heard what Jesus was teaching, they made fun of him because they loved to acquire money. BSB BSB: The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.
15 UST But Jesus said to them,“You try to make other people think that you are righteous, but God knows what you are really like. Keep in mind that God considers to be detestable many things that people praise as very important. BSB BSB: So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.
16 UST The laws that God gave Moses and the things that the prophets wrote were in effect until John the Baptizer came. Since then, I have been preaching the good news about how God will rule as king. Many people{ are accepting my message and} are very eagerly trying to become part of the kingdom of God. BSB BSB: The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
17 UST All of God’ s laws, even those that seem insignificant, are more permanent than heaven and earth. BSB BSB: But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
18 UST Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery, and any man who marries a woman whose husband has divorced her is also committing adultery.” BSB BSB: Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
The Rich Man and Lazarus (John 5:39–47)
19 UST { Jesus also said,}“Once there was a rich man who wore expensive purple and linen clothes. Every day he gave lavish feasts. BSB BSB: Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.
20 UST And{ every day} people laid a poor man whose name was Lazarus at the gate of the rich man’ s house. Lazarus’ body was covered with sores. BSB BSB: And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores
21 UST { He was so hungry that} he wanted to eat the scraps of food that fell from the table where the rich man ate.{ While he was lying there,} dogs came and licked his sores. BSB BSB: and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 UST Eventually the poor man died. Then the angels took him to be with{ his ancestor} Abraham. The rich man also died, and people buried his body. BSB BSB: One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.
23 UST In the place of the dead, the rich man was suffering great pain. He looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus sitting very close to Abraham. BSB BSB: In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.
24 UST So the rich man shouted,‘Father Abraham, I am suffering very much in this fire! So please pity me and send Lazarus here so that he can dip his finger in water and touch my tongue to cool it!’ BSB BSB: So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’
25 UST But Abraham replied,‘Child, remember that while you were alive on earth you enjoyed many good things. But Lazarus was miserable. Now he is happy here, and you are suffering. BSB BSB: But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.
26 UST Besides that, God has placed a huge ravine between you and us. So those who want to go from here to you there are not able to. Furthermore, no one can cross from there to where we are, either.’ BSB BSB: And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’
27 UST Then the rich man said,‘If that is so, Father Abraham, I ask you to send Lazarus to my family home. BSB BSB: ‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house,
28 UST I have five brothers{ who live there}. Tell him to warn them so that they do not also come to this place where we suffer great pain!’ BSB BSB: for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.’
29 UST But Abraham replied,‘{ No, I will not do that because} your brothers have what Moses and the prophets wrote long ago. They should obey what they wrote!’ BSB BSB: But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’
30 UST But the rich man replied,‘No, Father Abraham{, that will not be enough}! But if someone from those who have died goes back to them and warns them, they will turn from their sinful behavior.’ BSB BSB: ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.’