16:1 耶穌又對門徒說:「有一個財主的管家,別人向他主人告他浪費主人的財物。
16:2 主人叫他來,對他說:『我聽見你這事怎麼樣呢?把你所經管的交代明白,因你不能再作我的管家。』
16:3 那管家心裡說:『主人辭我,不用我再作管家,我將來做甚麼?鋤地呢?無力;討飯呢?怕羞。
16:4 我知道怎麼行,好叫人在我不作管家之後,接我到他們家裡去。』
16:5 於是把欠他主人債的,一個一個地叫了來,問頭一個說:『你欠我主人多少?』
16:6 他說:『一百簍(每簍約五十斤)油。』管家說:『拿你的帳,快坐下,寫五十。』
16:7 又問一個說:『你欠多少?』他說:『一百石麥子。』管家說:『拿你的帳,寫八十。』
16:8 主人就誇獎這不義的管家做事聰明;因為今世之子,在世事之上,較比光明之子更加聰明。
16:9 我又告訴你們,要藉著那不義的錢財結交朋友,到了錢財無用的時候,他們可以接你們到永存的帳幕裡去。
16:10 人在最小的事上忠心,在大事上也忠心;在最小的事上不義,在大事上也不義。
16:11 倘若你們在不義的錢財上不忠心,誰還把那真實的錢財託付你們呢?
16:12 倘若你們在別人的東西上不忠心,誰還把你們自己的東西給你們呢?
16:13 一個僕人不能事奉兩個主;不是惡這個愛那個,就是重這個輕那個。你們不能又事奉上帝,又事奉瑪門。」
16:14 法利賽人是貪愛錢財的;他們聽見這一切話,就嗤笑耶穌。
16:15 耶穌對他們說:「你們是在人面前自稱為義的,你們的心,上帝卻知道;因為人所尊貴的,是上帝看為可憎惡的。
16:16 律法和先知到約翰為止,從此上帝國的福音傳開了,人人努力要進去。
16:17 天地廢去較比律法的一點一畫落空還容易。
16:18 凡休妻另娶的就是犯姦淫;娶被休之妻的也是犯姦淫。」
Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 “‘Nine hundred gallons[a] of olive oil,’ he replied.
“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“‘A thousand bushels[b] of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
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.”
14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
16 “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it. 17 It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
18 “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
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主耶穌書這段比喻不是鼓勵人做「不義的管家」,而是告訴人要做一個忠信可靠的人,要善用上帝所交託的財富,不是隨意揮霍、投機取巧,像這樣一位不義的管家!主人會糊塗,誇獎這不義的管家做事聰明;但是上帝國並不是這樣!
也因此主耶穌會說:「倘若你們在不義的錢財上不忠心,誰還把那真實的錢財託付你們呢?倘若你們在別人的東西上不忠心,誰還把你們自己的東西給你們呢?一個僕人不能事奉兩個主;不是惡這個愛那個,就是重這個輕那個。你們不能又事奉上帝,又事奉瑪門。」
意思就是說,作為上帝的僕人或管家,要看中上帝過於金錢,不可以有貪財的心,要忠忠實實為上帝將上帝委託的事物辦好,在上帝的國中,才能承擔起上帝所託付的重責大任!
而對上帝的忠心,應該人對婚姻的忠心一般,所以才會提到後面的話:「凡休妻另娶的就是犯姦淫;娶被休之妻的也是犯姦淫。」
然而法利賽人表面上是敬虔,其實心是遠離上帝,看重的是財富的積攢,和自己的名聲。然而成為主耶穌的門徒,卻要有放下財力和名聲的準備,單單愛主勝於一切,這就是忠心!