Luke 16:10, ‘He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much’.
Let us be faithful in whatever field we are in – At workplace and the things which, He had given us. If we are faithful in these little things, He will give us true riches!
The Unrighteous Steward’: in Luke 16, we see,
‘1Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. 2And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3The 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; I am ashamed to beg. 4I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’ 5And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He *said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. 9And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings’.
We see the unrighteous manager was very shrewd in his dealings in the worldly things and made his life secure, by giving the discounts to the people who owned his master, thinking he would be hired by one of them. In the same way, in very little thing, i.e. little money we have, how faithful are we with spending it? Faithful – not just in terms of money but whatever is entrusted to us, whether it is time, work etc. Jesus said, ‘He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much’.
1 Corinthians 10:26, ‘for the earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains’.
Everything on the Earth and all it contains is the Lord’s. We do not have any possessions in this world. We are here, only to use them – salary, house, car etc. These are not eternal to us. We have an accountability to God, about how we use our things and how faithful we are, in using the time, money, gifts He has given us.
Hebrews 4:13, ‘And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do’.
There is nothing hidden from God. Everything is open and laid bare before Him. There is an accountability to God. In the same way, even at our workplace, in the end of the year, there is an accountability-our bosses or Top Managers will see what is the production and how well did we perform in the company, what value we added to our company, is there a real effort on what we’ve done. In everything that we do, are we true to our Lord? Are we faithful in whatever we received from Him? In Our responsibilities? If we are not faithful then God is not giving us any true riches. Let us submit to His Word.
In the Old Testament, we see
Faithfulness of Moses: Moses was a faithful servant to God.
Numbers 12:6 -8, ‘He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. 7Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; 8With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings,
We see the freedom that God had, to communicate with Moses, mouth to mouth. This faithfulness of Moses was found over a period of time, he was made faithful to serve the Lord, over time. The Lord had to break him in lot of ways, so he can be used by God.
Even in our lives, we need to be broken and let God’s will be done in our lives, to be faithful. Cry out to God, to have His heart, so we can know His will, so we can be faithful to Him in our lives.
We see here, Miriam was rebelling against Moses because of the Cushite woman, his wife. But we see how the spirit of Moses was. When God was angry with Miriam, she became leprous. But we see Moses interceding to God about Miriam, 13Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “O God, heal her, I pray!”
So, we see over a period of time, God helped Moses to be broken and was made a faithful servant and always having that attitude of a servant – broken and interceding for others. This should be the attitude of God’s servant also.
14But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again.” 15So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again’.
Moses was a truly a humble man. Even though his brother and sister rebelled against him, he was interceding on behalf of them to God. We can clearly see the faithfulness of Moses over the house of God. In Numbers 14 also, when the people of Israel were rebellious, when the spies went to see the promised land, Canaan, and were scared of the people of the land.
V12, ‘I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”
Even though when God gave an opportunity to Moses to become into a nation greater and mightier than them, Moses was only interceding for the Israelites. He says,
V18, ‘‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’ 19Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”
Moses was pleading for the people.
20So the Lord said, “I have pardoned them according to your word;
The Lord pardoned the people. In both of these instances, we see that Moses was able to intercede for them and he was also ready to give up his life for them, saying He can blot out his name from the book, he was ready to face hell for the sake of his brothers. Moses was raised up in a palace, was trained in the military of Egypt, then God had to break him, Moses became a shepherd to his father-in-law’s sheep. Those 40 years were real time of brokenness for Moses. God made Moses into a servant of His household. Moses built a tabernacle exactly as he was told by God. There might be a chance that this responsibility of building a tabernacle was given to him when he was young, he might’ve built it according to his own plan, but God had to break him. Allow God to break us, the corners of our lives, where we still, are not broken. Let us repent and be faithful and through this faithfulness, God will give us more responsibilities, in the kingdom of God. Let us have the true riches of God – ‘the nature of God, to manifest Jesus’ life, here on Earth and be filled with the Holy Spirit 24/7, every time, not getting gripped by the fears and anxieties of this life, but to have revelations of the Word’. God wants us to have these true riches! We need to be faithful in very little things, whatever God has given us.
Faithfulness of Elisha: We see how Elisha was called and how he followed Elijah and his faithfulness in,
1 Kings 19:19, ‘19So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him. 20He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him’.
Elisha was faithful in his earthly work. He was plowing with 12 pairs of oxen before him. When Elijah threw his mantle on him, Elisha returned, sacrificed and gave it to the people and he followed Elijah and ministered to him. Elisha was a faithful servant of Elijah. We notice the spirit of Elisha. He was closely watching and moving closely with Elijah.
2 Kings 3:11, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.” – He was serving him faithfully.
2 Kings 2:1 -2, ‘And it came about when the Lord was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here please, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
Elisha was tested. Elisha was still closely following Elijah. He was persuaded to wait but Elisha was not ready to leave him. He wanted the double portion of the Spirit which Elijah had. We see the zeal and faithfulness which Elisha had.
V4, ‘Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho’.V6, ‘Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on’. Now fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8Elijah took his mantle and folded it together and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.9When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. 12Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over’.
We see how faithfully and zealously Elisha was following Elijah, the thirst and hunger that he has, to get the double portion of the Spirit what Elijah had. He was pursuing Elijah from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho to Jordan and finally He received it!
Are we having this zeal for the Lord? To be filled with the Holy Spirit? We see the pains he took in following Elijah, everywhere. Are we taking these pains in our lives in order to have Holy Spirit? Personally, in our inner lives, let us submit ourselves, wherever the small, small unfaithfulness is there. Submit to God, to have Holy Spirit.
Ten Virgins:
Matthew 25:2,4,’ Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent’. 4but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps’.
We see the prudent did something more than the foolish ones. They took more oil in flasks along with their lamps. Oil is the Holy Spirit. They were taking precautions so that their lamps would be lit, when the bridegroom comes. Are we striving in our inner lives to get this oil so that our lives are burning lamps to others? Striving to work out on areas we are unfaithful in our lives? Really repent on our sins and come into terms where, God doesn’t see the areas where we are not Christlike. Be ready when God comes, having the extra oil. The foolish ones went to buy the oil when the bridegroom came and then the door was shut and were not allowed in.
V12, ‘But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour’.
Let us work out our salvation, in our hidden lives.
Parable of the Talents:
v14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.
The talents were given to the slaves, according to their abilities.
16Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them. 20The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’24 “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
The salves with five and two talents were very faithful, with what they were given, and were careful, in gaining more talents. But the lazy slave, with his one talent he did nothing, and that talent, was taken away from him and was given to the one who has the ten talents! Are we like this lazy slave? When God has entrusted His work to us, are we doing His work?
26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’29 “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
There is an abundance of true riches, if we are faithful in little things, that God has entrusted to us!
Luke 16:11, ‘Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?
It says here, if we are not faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to us? nobody will entrust you!
V13, ‘No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Either we will be serving God or the money. Nobody can serve two masters. Where is our interests? On Worldly things? Let us closely examine our hearts, what are we after? If we submit ourselves to God, He will surely reveal it to us, where our heart and our interests are!
V14, ‘Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. 15And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God’.
We also tend to justify ourselves before men, but God knows our heart. Everything is open and we are accountable on the judgement day, on whatever possessions He has given us. Are we faithful? If we are faithful, He will give us true riches!
Faithfulness of Jesus: Jesus Our High Priest
Hebrews 3:1-2, ‘Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; 2He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house’.
Jesus was faithful to Him, who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. Consider Jesus, we can closely watch Jesus, in our lives also, how He lived in this world and how He was faithful. We see the superiority of Christ more, over Moses. Moses was a servant of God. Christ is a son of God. We are also getting an opportunity of being His household.
V3-v6, ‘For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. 4For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end’.
Jesus was faithful over His house. When we follow Jesus closely here, we are also getting an opportunity to be His household, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope, firm until the end! Thank God for sending His son into the world.
Hebrews 2:17, ‘17Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted’.
We might be tempted in lot of ways and Christ also was tempted; He is able to help us when we are tempted. Let us not throw away our confidence, let us cling on to Him, let us repent of all the areas where we are not faithful, in our lives. If we are faithful, God will give us His true riches – His nature, His anointing of Holy Spirit, the revelations from His Word. Thank God for His Word.
