THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: - Vital Christianity

120THE IMPORTANCE OF LITTLE THINGS (16:10-15)Notice the remarkable expressions which our Lord uses about little things inconnection with this parable:"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, andwhoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if youhave not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you withtrue riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property,who will give you property of your own?No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love theother, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannotserve both God and Money.The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. Hesaid to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, butGod knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable inGod's sight” (vv. 10-15).Our Lord here teaches us the great importance of faithfulness in "little things." “Littlethings" are the best test of character, that is, unfaithfulness about "little things" is the symptom ofa bad heart. Dishonesty about money is a sure sign of a heart not being "right in the sight ofGod." The man who is not dealing honestly with the gold and silver of this world, can never beone who has true riches in heaven. “. . . if you have not been trustworthy with someone else'sproperty, who will give you property of your own?” (v. 12)There are people who have the false notion that true religion may be separated fromhonesty and that integrity in matters of doctrine may cover swindling and cheating in matters ofdaily practice. Although salvation is by grace and justification is by faith, this does not mean thattrue religion sanctions any trifling with moral and ethical values and standards. True, biblicalfaith will always be known by its fruits. This means that where there is no integrity, there is nograce.We also see here the uselessness of attempting to serve God with a divided heart. OurLord Jesus Christ says,