Read Luke 16:1-13 with your family.

Money is one of the hardest conversations to have in the church. It was like that in Jesus’ day too. For some, getting rich was a sure sign that God favoured them. However, Jesus taught people that God didn’t value money, God valued relationships and how we shared what we have with each other.

Today’s lesson is considered to be the most confusing parable ever told. Many scholars admit they have no idea what is really go on or why it was included in the Gospel. Others have tried to understand it better and show that God values the relationships the steward was forming more than the money that the rich man lost as a result of having what was owed him reduced.

The last line is really the important one: we cannot serve the God of heaven and the God of getting rich. (people are pretty sure ‘Mamona‘ was the Syrian god of wealth). We have to pick how we use our money. If it is to help others, then we are doing what God wants us to do with what we have. However, if we are only using our money to make more money for ourselves, we are not following God.