The British film ‘Landscape of Lies’ won a festival award, although it was never meant to be made, it was merely a cover for a tax scam. This ironic story opens a reflection on one of Jesus’ most puzzling parables, the dishonest manager (Luke 16), whom his master praised for shrewdness. The sermon shows that money is a tool, a test, and a telltale sign of whom we really serve, and that it can be used in ways that carry eternal significance. Listen before both your money and your time pass away.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In the parable in Luke 16:1-8 the master praises the dishonest manager. What exactly does he praise him for, and what in his conduct does he not praise?
- Jesus says the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than the people of the light. What might this have meant to the disciples and Pharisees who believed in eternal life?
- Jesus tells us to use worldly wealth to gain friends, so that we will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. What does it mean for you that money is a tool and not a goal?
- The sermon pictured people in heaven thanking someone for money, time or an open home. Who might thank you one day, and how does that change the way you look at your spending?
- The sermon described managing money as a test of faithfulness. How is your honesty tested in small matters such as taxes, receipts or invoices?
- You cannot serve both God and money. What is one concrete step you can take this week so that your money or time helps someone come to know God?
