Posted on 14-Nov-2014
Written by Corporal Brendan Eu Che-Jie of 12th Kuala Lumpur Company
October 23rd, 2014
When Jesus was on Earth, he often told parables, which are to teach us more about the kingdom of God through stories. When you hear a parable, we can usually relate it to our life and use it to bring ourselves closer to God.
One of such parables is the parable of the shrewd manager (Luke 16), which was told to his disciples and also one of the few parables where an unholy man is used to illustrate unholiness, mainly told against the Pharisees. The parable begins with a rich man calling his steward before him to inform him that he will be relieving him of his duties for mismanaging his master’s resources. A steward is a person who manages the resources of another. The steward had authority over all of the master’s resources and could transact business in his name. This 
requires the utmost level of trust in the steward. Now, it may not be apparent at this point in the parable (but is made more evident later on), but the master is probably not aware of steward’s dishonesty. The steward is being released for apparent mismanagement, not fraud. This explains why he is able to conduct a few more transactions before he is released and why he is not immediately tossed out on the street or executed. The steward, realising that he will soon be without a job, makes some shrewd deals behind his master’s back by reducing the debt owed by several of the master’s debtors in exchange for shelter when he is eventually put out. When the master becomes aware of what the wicked servant had done, he commends him for his “shrewdness.”
God has given us many talents in our lives, and He expects us to use it for good, as he told us in Matthew 6:19-20. For example, we are called to spread the Gospel, to introduce Jesus to the lost, to those who need His love. God had given us the Bible to read and to equip ourselves so we should spread the good news to others. We also shouldn’t take our lives for granted, because God can take us away anytime. When Jesus told the parable, it was aimed at the Pharisees because they were using their power to their advantage and not for God’s glory. However, the Pharisees did not heed Jesus’ warning and instead sneered at Jesus. We ourselves should try to use the life Jesus has in a way ‘loaned’ to us in a way that benefits us and God. We should also watch our actions as we will soon face God and also as the Bible says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3).
When we serve in The Boys’ Brigade, we should take in mind of all the talents and skills God has given us and use it for the growth of the company and not for our own advantage. For example, just simple things like encouraging members and helping in Praise and Worship can just move a company to a greater level.
Page Created: 14th November 2014
Last Updated: 14th November 2014