Luke 16.11 observes if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?

What does it mean to be untrustworthy with worldly wealth? Does it mean stealing money from others? There is already a command against stealing. Does it mean accumulating financial debt? There are already warnings about debtors being servants to lenders.

In the context of the teaching it appears to mean loving money more than God. It means trusting in money for our security more than trusting in God Who controls all things.

Jesus told the story of a man who was a thief and was fired after being caught. To help him survive without a job the thief further stole from his boss by changing his boss’ accounts so that people owed him instead of the boss. Jesus said this guy was shrewd or smart and resourceful at taking care of himself. Yet he was a man on a mission to miss the kingdom of God.

Jesus warns us that if we too are so engaged in trying to ensure our future by focusing on the accumulation of money we risk missing the kingdom of God.

We do have a propensity to worry more about mortgage payments and retirement funds than we do with the number of people who are going to heaven. Eternity is a long time. We all live forever we just don’t all live together in the same place.

Those who love God most and seek first His kingdom will live with Him forever but those who love money most and seek first their own welfare will live forever in torment and suffering.

The person who forgets to make God first is like the person who spends all they have today without putting any money into some form of retirement program. When that person gets to age 70 they will have nothing to live on and are most likely unable to provide for themselves (think no social security).

So too will that person be who places all their emphasis on wealth and security without making the building of God’s kingdom their first and highest priority. When this person stands before God and He assess their life based upon His ROI they will have nothing to offer and so will be cast away like the man who returned his talent to the king without so much as a bit of interest to show for it.

God certainly loves us but let us not think we are unaccountable for how we live in obedience to His commands. What kind of God would He be if He didn’t care at all how we lived? He certainly cared about how He lived among us as Jesus being careful to obey everything His Father commanded lest He disqualify Himself as Savior of the world.

God cares so much about disobedience He crucified His Son for ours, He didn’t just forgive everyone’s sin, He sacrificed His Son over our sin. How much more will He do to those who refuse to take up their cross and follow Jesus?