Sunday School Today: A Higher Standard

We discussed in detail the Parable of the Dishonest Manager (Luke 16:1-13) and how it relates to integrity in our daily behavior. The manager was informed by his master that he would be losing his position of authority because he was unethical in his business dealings. As a result, he went to those who owed goods to his master for repayment and made deals in order to find a way to gain favor with those persons over time. His purpose for this was that he wanted to save face with those he did business with and provide for a future opportunity where he could associate with them. His flawed character, however, would always be an issue as he would always act in an unrighteous manner (Luke 16:11-12). The actions of the soon-to-be former manager were a prime example of how many operate in the business world today. The believer in Jesus Christ should not be naive to how the world operates (Matthew 10:16), but we are to live by a higher standard, for God calls us to live with integrity and honesty. In a world where there is a lack of trustworthiness and where people are moving about selfishly in ways to just “get by,” God wants us to live a life of abundance, not in material goods or riches, but in the true richness of a life of service for Him (Luke 8:15-18).