Unrighteous Mammon and True Riches
In yesterday’s post, Faithful in Little and Much: Unfaithful in Little and Much, I made mention to the fact that Luke 16:10 was a prelude into a parable that has primarily a spiritual application, though a noteworthy earthly one as well. Jesus said, He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least in unjust also in much (Luke 16:10). In part, this statement is saying, if you are faithful to do what you said, what you committed to, what you know is right in small and seemingly lesser important ways, then you will likely to so in bigger ways. But, if you can’t do right, by the small stuff, you won’t do right by the big stuff either.
Unrighteous Mammon & True Riches Explained
Today’s verse piggyback’s on that. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? (Luke 16:11) The unrighteous mammon, meaning those things pertaining to this world… this earth. And true riches, meaning those things pertaining to the heavenly …the kingdom of God.
If you are not faithful to do right by the lesser things, pertaining to this world, who is going to trust you to do right by the greater things, pertaining to the kingdom of God?
Two Examples
If you can’t work your secular job with integrity (show up to work when scheduled and carry out your duties at or above expectations), who’s going to entrust to you to a position of responsibility within your
local church? How do you resolve the inner conflict of being a slacker at work and believing yourself to be giving your all at church? You can’t. The quality of unfaithfulness, untrustworthiness will show up.
If you can’t love the people in your everyday life, how are you going to love Jesus Christ? John talked about that. How do you talk about people, look down on people, walk past people like they don’t even exist, or outright hate anybody and say you love God? If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen (1 John 4:20)? You can’t. You have to be faithful over little before much; and faithful over the secular, before the spiritual. God will not entrust his sheep to someone who will not shepherd our souls well.
A Final Word
I’ve heard Christian downplay their responsibilities to this world, as if how they live in this world, doesn’t matter. The bible doesn’t support that. Your faithfulness concerning the unrighteous mammon, treasures of this world matter. How you steward resources given you, how you show up in the lives of others, how you carry out your responsibilities or commitments: they all matter. Faithfulness in those regards, could be evidence of the wisdom of God and power of God.
Conclusion
Today, as I studied this lesson, the Holy Spirit brought this prayer to me, which I want to share with you. May we not concentrate so much on what God has ahead for us, but more on what we have in front of us: concentrate less on chasing the “true riches” except we have proven to be faithful over the “unrighteous mammon”. That doesn’t mean give up your vision, just understand that you have a work to do in the interim. Jesus knows when and whether to entrust to you more.
