Faithful in Unrighteous Mammon

Luk 16:10 — Luk 16:12

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?

Few passages stir up as much cognitive dissonance as the verses here! And this is right after Jesus exhorted the reader to "make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness" (refer to devotion on Luke 16:9)!

But here, Jesus explains Himself in v.12. 

So this passage is not an excuse for us to be devote our lives to mammon or worldly matters. How can it be when both James and John condemn worldliness and even more obvious, Jesus Himself later in this passage (Jam 4:4; 1Jo 2:15-17; Luk 16:13)? But the crux of the matter is the fact that as Christians, we need to be exemplary in our conduct, and as stewards of God's blessings, we need to exercise due integrity. Notice that in context, Jesus was primarily targeting the Pharisees, who were mostly abusing their spiritual status for worldly gain. If one is not able to control himself and be "faithful" in worldly matters by doing that which is right and just, one is not fit to handle spiritual matters or deserving of spiritual blessings.

It is interesting to note that Jesus was described as being "in favor with God and men" (Luk 2:52) and one of the qualities of elders was that "he must have a good report of them which are without" (1Ti 3:7a).

So don't go away with the idea that because worldliness and godliness are incompatible, just because Paul said that "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2Ti 3:12), that  Christians will have to be constantly "at war" with the world! The world may look for trouble with us, but we are supposed to "live peaceably with all men". (Rom 12:18) 

Thus, be "faithful" in mammon, be exemplary, employees, employers, students, in whatever our hands find to do, "do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men" (Col 3:22). Yet in all that, look not to worldly reward but to our eternal inheritance and glory in heaven.