1-2. Jesus said to his disciples, “There was once a rich man who had a manager. He got reports that the manager had been taking advantage of his position by running up huge personal expenses. So he called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? You’re fired. And I want a complete audit of your books.’
10-13. Jesus went on to make these comments:If you’re honest in small things,you’ll be honest in big things;If you’re a crook in small things,you’ll be a crook in big things.If you’re not honest in small jobs,who will put you in charge of the store?No worker can serve two bosses:He’ll either hate the first and love the secondOr adore the first and despise the second.You can’t serve both God and the Bank.
14-18. When the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch. So Jesus spoke to them: “You are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what’s behind the appearance.What society sees and calls monumental,God sees through and calls monstrous.God’s Law and the Prophets climaxed in John;Now it’s all kingdom of God—the glad newsand compelling invitation to every man and woman.The sky will disintegrate and the earth dissolvebefore a single letter of God’s Law wears out.Using the legalities of divorceas a cover for lust is adultery;Using the legalities of marriageas a cover for lust is adultery.