HOLY SHREWDNESS

Whoever can be trusted with very little
can also be trusted with much,
and whoever is dishonest with very little
will also be dishonest with much.

Luke 16:10 (read 16.1-13) - NIV

To understand this parable it is necessary to know the financial system of that time. Managers had no fixed salaries, but were compensated by commissions based on a percentage of the amount of the fees that were charged. The more the financial movement, the more the profit! A portion of the outstanding balance of each account belonged to the masters and the other part to the managers. The manager of the parable was accused of "impropriety" and ran the risk of being dismissed. His strategy to not starve was to make friends with the debtors. He called in the debtors and forgave them of the amount equivalent to his commission on the outstanding balance. The master was pleased to receive his part of the owed fees and appreciated the cunning of the manager who was able to make the debtors pay up. The master did not disapprove of the manager, because he himself suffered no loss. The manager gained new friends and the appreciation of the master. He made peace with both sides.

There was no dishonesty in the story. Jesus praised the good sense of the manager. In this parable everyone profited. The master received what was his. Debtors were forgiven half of the amount of their debts. The manager won friends who could be supportive of him in case of need.

Holy shrewdness is nothing more than a good dose of common sense. The manager was clever enough to give up his commissions in exchange of his long term well-being. It was better to gain friends than to try to collect his commission. He used what was rightfully his to win the goodwill of debtors.

Putting money as the main goal is to be dishonest with the riches of this world. Material wealth is not ours and must be administered for the common good. Greed is dishonesty. The true riches are the people we can benefit by using the resources at hand.

Holy shrewdness is to relinquish immediate benefits and invest in the common welfare. By being supportive to others, we are also investing in ourselves. When we are slaves to money we become enemies of humanity. Intelligence is a liability when it is used to seek personal advantages at the expense of others. Corrupt politicians and economic exploiters are enemies of the people as well as scammers and thieves. To serve money for present gains is to sacrifice the future.

Religion plays this game when it appeals to the "advantages" of being a believer. Targeting only personal salvation and work to accumulate spiritual "merit" is another form of greed. To be faithful in small things is to give up rights and act for the good of others. Serving others is serving God. Herein is "holy shrewdness."

LUKE 16:1-13 – NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV)

Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

“‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’

“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’

“‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.

“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”