1. Squander Who is the good guy? The older brother said 15:30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him! Selfish acts and gracious acts can look like squandering

2. Possessions and debt in Luke’s Gospel 1:53 He has filled the hungry, but has sent the rich away empty” 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me … 4:19 to proclaim the Jubilee“ 6:20 "Blessed are you who are poor, 6:24 "But woe to you who are rich, 8:3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod's household; and others were helping to support them out of their own possessions. 11:4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. In the parable of the rich barn builder 12:20 God said to him, 'You fool! 12:21 "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God.“ Jesus said: 12:33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Jesus said: 14:33 Any of you who does not give up all his possessions cannot be my disciple. Being rich at the expense of the poor is unrighteous

3. Interest rates Olive oil 400 gallons + 100% interest = 800 gallons Wheat 800 bushels + 25% interest = 1000 bushels Large interest rates benefit the rich at the expense of the poor

4. oikonomos Economist House keeper Steward Treasurer (Chancellor of the Exchequer) Manager

5. Luke 16: Unrighteous steward 1 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.' Call to faithful giving of unrighteous money

6. 5 "So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6 "'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied. "The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.' 7 "Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?' “ 'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he replied. "He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.‘ 8 "The master commended the unrighteous 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. Call to faithful giving of unrighteous money

7. 9 I tell you, use unrighteous Money 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 unrighteous with very little will also be unrighteous with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling unrighteous Money, 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 servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.“ Thank God for his written Word to us Call to faithful giving of unrighteous money

8. Honour more than wealth There’s a rumour that a Steward has misappropriated his master’s funds The master is dishonoured (not in control of his staff) The master resolves to dismiss the steward (who would be unemployable by other masters) The Steward writes off the interest payments owed by his master’s debtors The master is honoured by generosity & it being assumed that he is back in control of his staff The steward may now either keep his job or get a new one since his reputation for loyalty and good service has been recovered. Call to faithful giving of unrighteous money

9. Selfish acts & gracious acts can look like squandering Depends on who is in charge Being rich at the expense of the poor is unrighteous in God’s Kingdom Having faith and being faithful are key in God’s Kingdom Strength for today - Bright hope for tomorrow Call to faithful giving of unrighteous money