Devotion for the Week

Devotion based on the scripture from September 21, 2025.

True Riches

Being stuck in unjust systems is exhausting. Perhaps they are designed to frustrate and impede any efforts to undo their power. The manager in Jesus’ parable does what he can to make the most of his precarious position, but his resolution still leaves a lot to be desired. Does the rich man remain in his wealthy and powerful position? What about all the others who still owe the estate? Why does the manager, and not the rich landowner who holds all the cards, become the object lesson?

It seems Jesus is getting serious here about our relationships with money, riches, and power: “You cannot serve God and wealth” (Luke 16:13). That much is clear. But perhaps Jesus is drawing our attention to the larger implications of God’s economy and what it means to lean on one another for the sake of justice in our world. Luke’s gospel began with Mary’s song, after all, extolling the ways the poor will be lifted up in the kin-dom Jesus brings. In this new reign, all resources are brought into the service of those who need them most. Faithful living here and now might look different from what we’re accustomed to when we consider what God has in mind, especially when we are used to unhelpful contemporary mantras like “Might makes right” and “Winner takes all.”

True to Mary’s song, Jesus indeed turns our world upside down, which distresses those of us who appreciate good order. But in the end, this turning does what is needed to make the world right. In our world today, we may struggle with the forgiveness of debts and the redistribution of wealth, but Jesus doesn’t. God brings the true riches of justice and love for all and will not fail to do what is needed to make sure every last beloved person on earth has what they need to truly live.