Today's Passage - Luke 12:41-48

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 12:41-48   "The Lord answered, 'Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, "My master is taking a long time in coming," and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.'"   The Lord brought up a question here: "Who then is the faithful and wise manager"? We must understand that role of the disciples in the Kingdom of God is to be managers. Managers do not manage their own affairs, but they manage the business of the master. We must know our position of manager in the Kingdom of God in order to have the right attitude when we serve God.   Before I understood this concept, I often felt it was difficult to be a Christian, especially in the matter of offering money. I often argued with the Lord, saying that tithing one tenth is the rule of offering that He has set up, but rest of the nine tenth should rightfully in my total control. I often debated with the Lord inside me and was rather unhappy. One time when I was praying, I suddenly realized that everyone I own really belongs to God, and God has asked us to manage and use the resources He gave us in our daily life. Also, what the Lord asked from the managers is faithfulness. What is faithfulness? According to our definition, if I give you one thousand and you return one thousand to me, that is faithfulness; according to the Bible, however, faithfulness has the connotation of growth. The Lord said that a master gave money to three servants, five thousand to one, two thousand to one, and one thousand to the last one, and then he dispatched them out of town. When the master came back, the one got five thousand earned five thousand, the one got two thousand earned two thousand, and the master praised them as faithful servants. The one who got one thousand, however, didn't earn anything, and was rebuked by the master as a wicked and lazy servant. Apparently, faithfulness has the connotation of growth; we need to grow in all things entrusted by the Lord, and that is the faithfulness that God asks from us.   Let us think about it: Do we understand that we are a manager? Are we growing in all things that God has entrusted us?   Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, I thank you because we were bought by you at a high price, and everything I own belongs to you. I ask that you help us to be your faithful manager in our daily life, and to grow and to do our best in everything that you have entrusted us. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!