What Jesus Did! 'Living Under the Deadline' — Luke 16:3-7

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

[Continuing the story about the unscrupulous manager, Jesus said,] "The manager thought to himself, 'Now what? My boss has fired me. I don't have the strength to dig ditches, and I'm too proud to beg. Ah, I know how to ensure that I'll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.'

"So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe him?' The man replied, 'I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.' So the manager told him, 'Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.

"'And how much do you owe my employer?' he asked the next man. 'I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,' was the reply. 'Here,' the manager said, 'take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.'"

— Luke 16:3-7 NLT

Key Thought

How does living under a deadline impact you? If you are at all like me, your most productive days of work are always the ones right before you leave on a trip. You know you have to get the important "stuff" done, so you don't let the less important "stuff" get in your way or distract you. In Jesus' story, this man has a deadline. He is going to have to devise a strategy for how to live while knowing that a deadline is approaching quickly. We, too, live under a deadline. We don't know when Jesus is coming, so we need to live each day with that sense of significance, focus, and urgency that comes from having a deadline.

Today's Prayer

Father God, please give me a clearer sense of what time it is in the world and in my life. Help me feel the sense of urgency I need as I await the glorious coming of Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Ephesians 5:15-18
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
  • Matthew 16:27

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Illustration

Illustration of Luke 16:3-7 NLT — "The manager thought to himself, 'Now what?"

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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