The Unjust Steward

 


Readings: Amos 8:4–7, 1 Timothy 2:1–7, Luke 16:1–13

Life in the Marketplace

The Bible readings this week might feel like they don’t belong together. Amos thunders against injustice, Paul urges prayer for all people (even rulers), and Jesus tells a puzzling story about a dishonest manager.

But if we listen closely, a thread runs through them all: how do we live faithfully in a world that often rewards unfaithfulness?

And here’s the image that ties them together: life as a marketplace. We are all stewards, managers, buyers, and sellers in one way or another—handling money, influence, time, and relationships. The question is: Whose economy are we really living by?

Amos and the False Scales

Amos condemns those who “trample the needy” and use dishonest scales. It’s not just an ancient problem. Crooked scales are alive and well:

  • A company that inflates numbers to impress shareholders.

  • A worker who cuts corners and hopes no one notices.

  • A society that prizes profit over people.

And sometimes, it’s subtler. It’s when people are treated as statistics instead of souls. Employees reduced to headcounts. Customers reduced to profit margins. Students reduced to test scores.

But people are not numbers. They are image-bearers of God. They need to be treated like people—listened to, respected, cared for—not just managed, calculated, or used. Amos reminds us that God notices when the scales tip against the humanity of others.

Paul: Prayer as a Different Currency

Paul urges Timothy to lead the church in prayer—for everyone, including rulers. Why? Because prayer is the Christian’s currency in a world obsessed with money and power.

Think about your workplace. The unspoken currency might be productivity, efficiency, or profit margins. But Paul says: bring another kind of wealth into the room—prayer.

  • When a colleague gets under your skin, pray instead of gossiping.

  • When your boss frustrates you, intercede instead of complaining.

  • When leaders fail, lift them before God instead of giving in to cynicism.

This is not easy, especially when those people treat us like numbers or obstacles. But prayer rehumanizes. It reminds us that people—managers, colleagues, rulers, even those who hurt us—are more than their roles. They are people loved by God. And when we pray for them, we are pledging our allegiance to God’s kingdom, not to the world’s way of dehumanizing others.

Jesus and the Shrewd Manager

Then there’s Jesus’ story about the dishonest manager. On first read, it feels like He’s praising corruption. But the point is different: the manager saw his time was short, and he acted decisively.

Jesus is saying: If worldly people can be so clever about temporary things, shouldn’t God’s people be just as wise about eternal things?

Think about it.

  • We plan for retirement, carefully investing for 20 or 30 years down the road.

  • We plan our careers, our homes, our vacations.

  • But how often do we plan for eternity?

Faithfulness with “small things”—money, time, influence—shows who our true Master is. And Jesus is blunt: “You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Everyday Allegory

Here’s an allegory:

  • Your job is the field.

  • Your paycheck is the harvest.

  • Your office or workplace is the marketplace.

Every choice you make is a weighing of scales.

  • If you cut corners, you’re like Amos’ merchants with crooked balances.

  • If you treat people as numbers instead of neighbors, you’ve lost sight of God’s image in them.

  • If you refuse to pray for those who hurt you, you’re still living under the world’s currency, not God’s.

  • If you cling to wealth, you’ve chosen the wrong master.

But if you live with integrity, pray for everyone (even the difficult ones), and treat people like people—not as numbers or tools—you are preparing for eternity, just like the shrewd manager, but in the right way.

The Takeaway

Amos says: Keep your scales honest.
Paul says: Let prayer be your daily currency—even for those who hurt you.
Jesus says: Be shrewd, but serve the right master.

In the marketplace of life, we’re all stewards. The real question is simple: Whom are we serving?

✨ Reflection question for the week: In your daily work, do you see people as numbers to manage—or as neighbors to love? How might treating them as people change the way you serve God in the marketplace of life?

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