Fidelity in the Kingdom

Jesus’ parable of the shrewd or dishonest manager in Luke 16:1-15 has always troubled me. It is a story about a manager who was accused of wasting his wealthy employer’s money. Because he fears he will be fired based on the accusations, he calls all of those indebted to this employer and, one by one, reduces the amount they owe to ingratiate himself with them. In verse eight, instead of the wealthy employer having the manager arrested for theft, Jesus says the employer commends the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. Jesus explains that the people of this world are shrewder in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. He tells believers to use worldly wealth to gain friends, so that when it is gone, they will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

Jesus doesn’t seem to be saying it is okay to steal from one’s employer – he seems to be marveling at the way people of this world act in “shrewd” ways by using money to their advantage. He teaches that Kingdom members should use money for the Kingdom. The core of his teaching is in verses 10-12:

“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. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?”

Jesus warns that Kingdom members can’t serve both God and money – God is to be served, and money is to be used. So the key takeaway is faithfulness – fidelity. Being a person of trustworthy character. He seems to make the point in Matthew 5:27-37, when he discusses marriage (adultery and divorce) and vows.

As is his norm in the Sermon on the Mount, He explains that general obedience to commands is insufficient in the Kingdom of God. In the Kingdom, the condition of our hearts is the concern. It is not enough to avoid adulterous activity; Kingdom members need to deal with the underlying issue of lust. Kingdom members don’t just abstain from convenient divorces; they stay in committed marital bonds except in narrow and specific circumstances. Kingdom members don’t just fulfill vows; their word is so reliable that vows are unnecessary.

These are certainly practical guidelines for life for members of the Kingdom – abstain from adultery, remain committed to your marriage vows, and be true to your word. However, they also point to the principle of fidelity – the character of faithfulness in our relationships and commitments. Fidelity in the life of a believer is a reflection of a changed nature – as God is faithful, so His children should reflect that characteristic.

There is no clearer picture of the contrast between God’s faithfulness and the unfaithfulness of His people than the book of Hosea. In Hosea 1:2, the prophet is instructed by the Lord to marry a promiscuous woman solely for the purpose of illustrating the unfaithfulness of the Israelites. Even after bearing two of Hosea’s children, his wife, Gomer, commits adultery with another man and lives with him. God directs Hosea to show his love to his wife, despite her lewdness. (Hosea 2:1). Hosea is required to redeem her with a payment – he must redeem his own wife back from the man with whom she committed adultery (Hosea 2:2-3). God charges the Israelites:

“There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.” (Hosea 4:1-2, NIV).

The Israelites are continuously found to be unfaithful by God despite His continuous mercy and redemptive acts. In Numbers 14:1, after the fearful report of the spies who were sent to view the land God promised to them, the Israelites rebelled and wept over their circumstances. They grumbled against Moses and Aaron. In 14:2, they cried, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness!” In 14:4, they contemplate choosing a leader to go back to Egypt. Although God forgives the people and foregoes destroying them, He declares that because of their unfaithfulness, they will not experience the Promised Land. Their children will enter the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering and tending sheep in the wilderness. (Numbers 14:33).

In Numbers 14, the lack of trust in God’s faithfulness and a lack of gratitude grounded in contentment cause the people of God to show contempt toward God, which constitutes their unfaithfulness. This is the same root problem Jesus is discussing in Matthew 5:27-37. When one finds contentment and trusts in God’s faithfulness, that will be reflected in one’s faithfulness to sexual fidelity and marriage vows, as the faithful character of the Father is borne as fruit in His children, they will be known as people of their word, just like He is faithful to His Word – their yes will be yes and their no will be no.

If you’re like me, cultivating gratitude and living in contentment is an ongoing process that requires daily commitment. Paul provides sound instruction for Kingdom members: “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:12-13). We must rely on the strength of Christ, the One who is faithful, to empower us to be faithful in all circumstances. After centuries, it still requires us to trust the God who demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).

Carol Cymbala wrote words in her song that are so appropriate on this topic:

Verse 2

When my heart looked away

The many times I could not pray

Still my God, He was faithful to me

The days I spent so selfishly

Reaching out for what pleased me

Even then God was faithful to me

Every time I come back to Him

He is waiting for open arms

And I see once again

Chorus:

He’s been faithful

Faithful to me

Looking back He’s love and mercy I see

Though in my heart I have questioned

I’ve even failed to believe

Yet He’s been faithful, faithful to me