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27 - Friends by the Mammon of Unrighteousness - Christ's Object Lessons · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty seven, Friends by the mammon of unrighteousness. Christ's
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  Speaker 1: coming was at a time of intense worldliness. Men were
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  Speaker 1: subordinating the eternal to the temporal, the claims of the
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  Speaker 1: future to the affairs of the present. They were mistaking
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  Speaker 1: phantoms for realities and realities for phantoms. They did not,
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  Speaker 1: by faith behold the unseen world. Satan presented before them
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  Speaker 1: the things of this life as all attractive and all absorbing,
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  Speaker 1: and they gave heed to his temptations. Christ came to
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  Speaker 1: change this order of things. He sought to break the
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  Speaker 1: spell by which men were infatuated and ensnared. In his teaching.
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  Speaker 1: He sought to adjust the claims of heaven and earth,
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  Speaker 1: to turn men's thoughts from the present to the future.
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  Speaker 1: From their pursuit of the things of time, he called
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  Speaker 1: them to make provision for eternity. There was a certain
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  Speaker 1: rich man, he said, which had a steward, and the
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  Speaker 1: same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
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  Speaker 1: The rich man had l all his possessions in the
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  Speaker 1: hands of this servant. But the servant was unfaithful, and
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  Speaker 1: the master was convinced that he was being systematically robbed
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  Speaker 1: he determined to retain him no longer in his service,
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  Speaker 1: and he called for an investigation of his accounts. How
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  Speaker 1: is it? He said, that I hear this of thee,
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  Speaker 1: give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest be
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  Speaker 1: no longer steward. With the prospect of discharge before him,
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  Speaker 1: the steward saw three paths open to his choice. He
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  Speaker 1: must labor, beg, or starve. And he said, within himself,
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  Speaker 1: what shall I do for my lord taketh away from
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  Speaker 1: me the stewardship. I cannot dig to beg. I am ashamed.
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  Speaker 1: I am resolved what to do? That when I am
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  Speaker 1: put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into
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  Speaker 1: their houses. So he called every one of his lord's
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  Speaker 1: debtors unto him, and he said, unto the first, how
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  Speaker 1: much owest thou unto my lord? And he said an
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  Speaker 1: hundred measures of oil? And he said, unto him, take
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  Speaker 1: thy bill and sit down quickly and write fifty. Then
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  Speaker 1: he said to another, and how much owest thou? And
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  Speaker 1: he said an hundred measures of wheat? And he said,
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  Speaker 1: unto him, take thy bill and write fourscore. This unfaithful
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  Speaker 1: servant made others share as with him. In his dishonesty,
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  Speaker 1: he defrauded his master to advantage them, and by accepting
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  Speaker 1: this advantage, they placed themselves under obligation to receive him
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  Speaker 1: as a friend into their homes. And the Lord commended
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  Speaker 1: the unjust steward because he had done wisely. The worldly
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  Speaker 1: man praised the sharpness of the man who had defrauded him,
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  Speaker 1: But the rich man's commendation was not the commendation of God.
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  Speaker 1: Christ did not commend the unjust Steward, but he made
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  Speaker 1: use of a well known occurrence to illustrate the lesson
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  Speaker 1: he desired to teach. Make to yourselves friends by means
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  Speaker 1: of the mammon of unrighteousness. He said that when it
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  Speaker 1: shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles.
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  Speaker 1: The Savior had been censured by the Pharisees for mingling
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  Speaker 1: with publicans and sinners, but his interest in them was
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  Speaker 1: not lessened, nor did his efforts for them cease. He
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  Speaker 1: saw that their employment brought them into temptation. They were
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  Speaker 1: surrounded by enticements to evil. The first wrong step was easy,
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  Speaker 1: and the descent was rapid, to greater dishonesty and increased crimes.
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  Speaker 1: Christ was seeking by every means to win them to
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  Speaker 1: higher aims and nobler principles. This purpose he had in
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  Speaker 1: mind in the story of the unfaithful Steward. There had
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  Speaker 1: been among the publicans just such a case as that
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  Speaker 1: represented in the Parable, and in Christ's description they recognized
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  Speaker 1: their own practices. Their attention was arrested, and from the
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  Speaker 1: picture of their own dishonest practices, many of them learned
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  Speaker 1: a lesson of spiritual truth. The Parable was, however, spoken
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  Speaker 1: directly to the disciples. To them first the leaven of
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  Speaker 1: truth was imparted, and through them it was to reach others.
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  Speaker 1: Much of Christ's teaching the disciples did not at first understand,
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  Speaker 1: and often his lessons seemed to be almost forgotten. But
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  Speaker 1: under the influence of the Holy Spirit, these truths were
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  Speaker 1: afterwards revived with distinctness, and through the disciples they were
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  Speaker 1: brought vividly before the new converts who were added to
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  Speaker 1: the church. And the Savior was speaking also to the Pharisees.
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  Speaker 1: He did not relinquish the hope that they would perceive
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  Speaker 1: the force of his words. Many had been deeply convicted,
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  Speaker 1: and as they should hear the truth under the dictation
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  Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit, not a few would become believers
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  Speaker 1: in Christ. The Pharisees had tried to bring Christ into
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  Speaker 1: disrepute by accusing him of mingling with publicans and sinners.
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  Speaker 1: Now he turns the rebuke on these accusers. The scene
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  Speaker 1: known to have taken place among the publicans he holds
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  Speaker 1: up before the Pharisees, both as representing their course of
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  Speaker 1: action and as showing the only way in which they
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  Speaker 1: can redeem their errors to the unfaithful steward. His lord's
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  Speaker 1: goods had been entrusted for benevolent purposes, but he had
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  Speaker 1: used them for himself. So with Israel, God had chosen
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  Speaker 1: the seed of Abraham with a high arm. He had
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  Speaker 1: delivered them from bondage in Egypt. He had made them
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  Speaker 1: the depositories of sacred truth for the blessing of the world.
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  Speaker 1: He had entrusted to them the living oracles, that they
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  Speaker 1: might commit undicate the light to others. But his stewards
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  Speaker 1: had used these gifts to enrich and exalt themselves. The Pharisees,
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  Speaker 1: filled with self importance and self righteousness, were missupplying the
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  Speaker 1: goods lent them by God to use for his glory.
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  Speaker 1: The servant in the parable had made no provision for
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  Speaker 1: the future. The goods entrusted to him for the benefit
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  Speaker 1: of others he had used for himself, But he had
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  Speaker 1: thought only of the present. When the stewardship should be
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  Speaker 1: taken from him, he would have nothing to call his own.
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  Speaker 1: But his master's goods were still in his hands, and
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  Speaker 1: he determined to use them so as to secure himself
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  Speaker 1: against future want. To accomplish this, he must work on
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  Speaker 1: a new plan. Instead of gathering for himself, he must
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  Speaker 1: impart to others. Thus he might secure friends, who, when
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  Speaker 1: he should be cast out, would receive him. So with
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  Speaker 1: the Pharisees, the stewardship was soon to be taken from them,
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  Speaker 1: and they were called upon to provide for the future.
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  Speaker 1: Only by seeking the good of others could they benefit themselves.
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  Speaker 1: Only by imparting God's gifts in the present life could
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  Speaker 1: they provide for eternity. After relating the parable, Christ said,
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  Speaker 1: the children of this world are in their generation wiser
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  Speaker 1: than the children of Light, that is, worldly wise men
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  Speaker 1: display more wisdom and earnestness in serving themselves than do
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  Speaker 1: the professed children of God in their service to him.
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  Speaker 1: So it was in Christ's day, so it is now.
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  Speaker 1: Look at the life of many who claim to be Christians.
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  Speaker 1: The Lord has endowed them with capabilities, and power and influence.
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  Speaker 1: He has entrusted them with money, that they may be
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  Speaker 1: co workers with him in the Great Redemption. All his
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  Speaker 1: gifts are to be used in blessing humanity, in relieving
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  Speaker 1: the suffering and the needy. We are to feed the hungry,
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  Speaker 1: to clothe the naked, to care for the widow and
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  Speaker 1: the fatherless, to minister to the distressed and downtrodden. God
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  Speaker 1: never meant that the widespread misery in the world should exist.
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  Speaker 1: He never meant that one man should have an abundance
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  Speaker 1: of the luxuries of life, while the children of others
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  Speaker 1: should cry for bread. The means over and above the
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  Speaker 1: actual necessities of life are intrusted to man to do good,
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  Speaker 1: to bless humanity. The Lord says, sell that ye have
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  Speaker 1: and give alms, be ready to distribute, willing to communicate.
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  Speaker 1: When thou makest to feast, Call the poor, the maimed,
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  Speaker 1: the lame, the blind, Loose the bands of wickedness, undo
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  Speaker 1: the heavy burdens, Let the oppressed go free, break every yoke,
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  Speaker 1: Deal thy bread to the hungry, Bring the poor that
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  Speaker 1: are cast out to thy house. When thou seest the
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  Speaker 1: naked cover him, satisfy the afflicted soul. Go ye into
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  Speaker 1: all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.
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  Speaker 1: These are the Lord's commands. Are the great body of
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  Speaker 1: professed Christians doing this work alas. How many are appropriating
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  Speaker 1: to themselves the gifts of God. How many are adding
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  Speaker 1: house to house and land to land. How many are
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  Speaker 1: spending their money for pleasure, for the gratification of appetite,
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  Speaker 1: for extravagant houses, furniture, and dress. Their fellow beings are
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  Speaker 1: left to misery and crime, to disease and death. Multitudes
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  Speaker 1: are perish with that one pitying look, one word or
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  Speaker 1: deed of sympathy. Men are guilty of robbery toward God.
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  Speaker 1: Their selfish use of means robs the Lord of the
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  Speaker 1: glory that should be reflected back to him in the
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  Speaker 1: relief of suffering humanity and the salvation of souls. They
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  Speaker 1: are embezzling his entrusted goods. The Lord declares, I will
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  Speaker 1: come near to you to judgment, and I will be
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  Speaker 1: a swift witness against those that oppress the hireling in
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  Speaker 1: his wages. The widow and the fatherless, and that turn
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  Speaker 1: aside the stranger from his right will a man rob God.
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  Speaker 1: Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say wherein have
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  Speaker 1: we robbed thee in tithes and offerings? Ye are cursed
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  Speaker 1: with a curse, for ye have robbed me even this
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  Speaker 1: whole nation. Go too now, ye rich men. Your riches
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  Speaker 1: are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten. Your gold
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  Speaker 1: and silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall
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  Speaker 1: be a witness against you. Ye have heaped treasure together
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  Speaker 1: for the last days, Ye have lived in pleasure on
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  Speaker 1: earth and been wanton. Behold the hire of the lays
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  Speaker 1: who have reaped down your fields, which is of you
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  Speaker 1: kept back by fraud crieth, and the cries of them
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  Speaker 1: which have reaped are entered into the ears of the
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  Speaker 1: Lord of Sabayot. Every one will be required to render
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  Speaker 1: up his entrusted gifts in the day of final judgment.
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  Speaker 1: Men's hoarded wealth will be worthless to them. They have
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  Speaker 1: nothing they can call their own. Those who spend their
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  Speaker 1: lives in laying up worldly treasure show less wisdom, less thought,
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  Speaker 1: and care for their eternal well being than did the
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  Speaker 1: unjust steward for his earthly support less wise than the
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  Speaker 1: children of this world. In their generation are these professed
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  Speaker 1: children of the Light. These are they of whom the
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  Speaker 1: prophet declared in his vision of the Great Judgment day.
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  Speaker 1: A man shall cast the idols of his silver and
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  Speaker 1: the idols of his gold, which they made, each one
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  Speaker 1: for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats,
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  Speaker 1: to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into
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  Speaker 1: the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth
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  Speaker 1: to shake terribly the earth, Make to your selves friends
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  Speaker 1: by means of the mammon of unrighteousness. Christ says that
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  Speaker 1: when it shall fail, they may receive you into the
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  Speaker 1: eternal tabernacles. God and Christ and Angels are all ministering
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  Speaker 1: to the afflicted, the suffering, and the sinful. Give yourself
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  Speaker 1: to God for this work, use his gifts for this purpose,
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  Speaker 1: and you enter into partnership with heavenly beings. Your heart
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  Speaker 1: will throb in sympathy with theirs. You will be assimilated
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  Speaker 1: to them in character. To you, these dwellers in the
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  Speaker 1: eternal tabernacles will not be strangers. When earthly things shall
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  Speaker 1: have passed away. The watchers at Heaven's gates will bid
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  Speaker 1: you welcome, and the means used to bless others will
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  Speaker 1: bring returns. Riches. Rightly employed will accomplish great good. Souls
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  Speaker 1: will be one to Christ. He who follows Christ's plan
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  Speaker 1: of life will see in the courts of God those
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  Speaker 1: for whom He has labored and sacrificed on earth. Gratefully
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  Speaker 1: will the ransomed ones remember those who have been instrumental
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  Speaker 1: in their salvation. Precious will heaven be to those who
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  Speaker 1: have been faith in the work of saving souls. The
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  Speaker 1: lesson of this parable is for all. Every one will
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  Speaker 1: be held responsible for the grace given him through Christ.
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  Speaker 1: Life is too solemn to be absorbed in temporal or
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  Speaker 1: earthly matters. The Lord desires that we shall communicate to
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  Speaker 1: others that which the eternal and unseen communicates to us.
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  Speaker 1: Every year, millions upon millions of human souls are passing
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  Speaker 1: into eternity, unwarned and unsaved. From hour to hour in
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  Speaker 1: our varied life, opportunities to reach and save souls are
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  Speaker 1: open to us. These opportunities are continually coming and going.
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  Speaker 1: God desires us to make the most of them. Days
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  Speaker 1: weeks and months are passing. We have one day, one week,
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  Speaker 1: one month less in which to do our work. A
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  Speaker 1: few more years the longest, and the voice which we
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  Speaker 1: cannot refuse to answer, will be heard saying, give an
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  Speaker 1: account of thy stewardship. Christ calls upon every one to
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  Speaker 1: consider make an honest reckoning. Put into one scale Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: which means eternal tres, treasure, life, truth, heaven, and the
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  Speaker 1: joy of Christ in souls redeemed. Put into the other
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  Speaker 1: every attraction the world can offer into one scale. Put
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  Speaker 1: the loss of your own soul and the souls of
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  Speaker 1: those whom you might have been instrumental in saving, into
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  Speaker 1: the other. For yourself and for them. A life that
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  Speaker 1: measures with the life of God. Weigh for time and
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  Speaker 1: for eternity. While you are thus engaged, Christ speaks, what
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  Speaker 1: shall it profit a man if he gain the whole
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  Speaker 1: world and lose his own soul? God desires us to
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  Speaker 1: choose the heavenly in place of the earthly. He opens
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  Speaker 1: before us the possibilities of a heavenly investment. He would
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  Speaker 1: give encouragement to our loftiest aims, security to our choicest treasure.
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  Speaker 1: He declares, I will make a man more precious than
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  Speaker 1: fine gold, even a man than the golden wedge of fear.
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  Speaker 1: When the riches that moth devours and rust corrupts shall
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  Speaker 1: be swept away, Christ's followers can rejoice in their heavenly treasure,
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  Speaker 1: the riches that are imperishable. Better than all the friendship
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  Speaker 1: of the world is the friendship of Christ redeemed. Better
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  Speaker 1: than a title to the noblest palace on earth, is
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  Speaker 1: a title to the mansions our Lord has gone to prepare.
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  Speaker 1: And better than all the words of earthly praise will
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  Speaker 1: be the Saviour's words to his faithful servants. Come, ye,
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  Speaker 1: blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you
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  Speaker 1: from the foundation of the world. To those who have
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  Speaker 1: squandered His goods, Christ still gives opportunity to secure lasting riches.
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  Speaker 1: He says, give and it shall be given unto you.
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  Speaker 1: Provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in
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  Speaker 1: the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither
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  Speaker 1: moth corrupteth. Charge them that are rich in this world,
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  Speaker 1: that they do good, that they be rich in good works,
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  Speaker 1: ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store
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  Speaker 1: for themselves a good foundation against the time to come,
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  Speaker 1: that they may lay hold on eternal life. Then let
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  Speaker 1: your property go beforehand to heaven. Lay up your treasure
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  Speaker 1: beside the throne of God. Make sure your title to
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  Speaker 1: the unsearchable riches of Christ. Make to yourself friends by
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  Speaker 1: means of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when it shall fail,
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  Speaker 1: they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles. End of
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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty seven.