Ensign: Be Intentional!

 

 

Ensign: Be Intentional!

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isaiah 18:3

AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS 27 September 2013

Some translations refer to “the shrewd manager”, and the King James that I use refers to “the dishonest steward”. Whatever you call him, the main character – as much as anyone can be the main character of one of Jesus' parables outside of God the Father – of the first parable in the sixteenth chapter of Luke at first impresses us as being the last person God would reward for his good deeds. Indeed, in verse one where “the [steward] was accused [by someone else] unto him that he had wasted his goods”! So to speak, he cooked the books, his employer caught him doing it, and he was about to get canned!

But the story doesn't end there. Verse three had the dishonest steward picking himself up and taking action – this is important, he didn't look for a handout and was willing to work – by going around to each of the people that owed his employer money (“his lord's debtors” of verse five) and making it less of a burden, due immediately. On the time-honored principle that something is better than nothing when dealing with outstanding debt (how modern-day debt consolidation and mortgage refinancing works), the steward – who in our Sunday sermon Pastor Gerald gave referred back to the original Greek and came up with shrewd as being identical in meaning to “intentional”, “wise”, and “prudent”.

For those of us without ready access to an English/Greek dictionary, this places the employer's business manager in a position where he's honored … for doing his job! Verse eight: “And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” Translation: you can even learn something from the people who don't believe in God at all. Sure he (or me or you) is caught doing something wrong, but if we have the power to make it right, then it's our duty to do so! Am I the only person that sounds unfair to? THIS is when you have to see the big picture – even at his worst sufferings, after he'd lost his children and his flocks and his herds and his health, Job had his doubts (please see the book of Job) but he never outright denied God.

Jeez … I understand why Gerald said this was a hard text to craft a sermon from! Believe me, I don't try to do sermons. This is the passage we tend to remember for verse thirteen: “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Or “God and money”, depending on your translation.) That almost as though the poorer economically we are the richer spiritually we are. That's bunk. Humble people in the eyes of the world do not necessarily translate into spiritual people. James even talks about how believing God – or believing in God, there's a difference – is not enough, because devils believe in God “and tremble”. (James 2:19)

You and I don't have to tremble, any more than the intentional steward did. Oh, I imagine he was a little freaked out at the prospect of losing his job, but he took action. You and I can all take action – truth, that doesn't matter in regards to our salvation through grace – to improve where we are right now, and it is scary, I admit that. This will not only make us grateful (for when we read the whole parable we see that the steward got his job back) but the people around us grateful too. Most if not all of us who accumulate debt are so grateful – and right now I need reminding of this, please pray for me – to settle for less than what we owe. And to God we owe EVERYTHING, and our only payment can ever be to love Him as He first loved us.

I intend to, David

P.S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch with all of you in my address book, and I hope to be an encourager too! If you find that I’m not or you want me to get lost, just let me know, thank you!

We praise You, Lord, for this beautiful day You have given us! Please pray with me for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence and for physical and spiritual communities around our world.

Lord, we need Your strength to fight the natural disasters and human ills to ultimately treat the cause and not just the symptoms; until we who have power change, this world You have made us stewards of won’t either.

Thank You, Lord, for all those in leadership and service here and abroad. Thank You for the opportunities we have been given as well as the promise of new life through Your Son. And may we all seek and have a blessed week! Amen.