Dig Deeper
Luke 16:1-3
‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’
I’ve always had slightly odd taste. It started young. As a three-year-old, my favourite food was cambazola cheese. When I was four I was obsessed with Bradford City football team. And at five my favourite item of clothing was a pink and yellow woollen balaclava that I insisted on wearing all year round. It wasn’t until I threw an infant tantrum at not being allowed to wear it to a wedding that my mother finally “lost” it in a house move.
It may not surprise you, therefore, to hear that my favourite parable isn’t the Prodigal Son or the Good Samaritan. It isn’t the Mustard Seed or the Sower. It isn’t even the Lost Sheep. My favourite parable is the Parable of the Dishonest Manager. Now, I don’t blame you if you’re wracking your brains to try and remember which one that is. It certainly wouldn’t make onto Jesus’ greatest hits album. It’s more of a B-side parable. Why? Because, honestly, it’s a bit of a weird one. It’s a confusing story about a guy who cheats his master and gets commended for it. Doesn’t sound much like Jesus does it!
But…dig beneath the surface and you’ll find it’s an absolute cracker. A game changer. A show-stopper. When Jesus’ disciples asked him why he kept talking in all these confusing parables, he told them it was so people wouldn’t understand what he was saying. He wants us to dig deeper. To mine the gold. To wrestle with his words. To find the truth.
So this week we’re going to look at this absolute doozy of a parable and find the life changing message in it.
Prayer – Thank you Jesus for telling stories that teach us about God. Holy Spirit, please help us this week as we unpack your word. Let your truth shape who we are and how we live.