April 2 - Lenten Devotion
10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16:10-13)
These 4 verses have 5 pairs of opposing scenarios. They test our trustworthiness, our honesty (or the lack of it) and our loyalty.
Is this passage saying we have a choice? – a choice in being a good servant and a dishonest servant? a choice between handling worldly riches and true riches ? a choice between God and mammon ?
It is so obvious that we should choose the road that pleases God and which brings great reward. Why do we choose the way of the world?
In fact, we have chosen long before we arrive at these four verses. Often unbeknown to ourselves, we have broken the first and last of the Ten Commandment (Exodus 20:3 & 17)
You shall have no other god before me.
You shall not covet... anything that belongs to your neighbour.
We have built a life with God at the background, and many things and people, including oneself, in the foreground. Choosing the way of the world then becomes a foregone conclusion and not a choice. It is part of our lifestyle.
It is not popular to talk about the Ten Commandments. Hasn’t Jesus given us the two commandments of love that summarize the Ten Commandments? Actually, the two versions are complementary, not exclusive, and they explain each other.
We are challenged by today’s passage to examine if our life is built, through God’s grace, on the foundation of the Ten Commandments. Then, we will be able to “choose” to be trustworthy, honest and serve God with love and devotion.