PARABLE OF HONESTY
My Dear and Precious Child,
    Jesus told His disciples about My kingdom coming into the lives of My children while they live in the earth and the elements and keys to My kingdom were often crafted into His stories.  One parable relates to becoming more wise, astute and clever in dealing with life's problems through My gifts of wisdom than the devil's ways because his ways are deceitful and dishonest.
   In that parable a rich man had an office manager who was reputed to be wasteful of the properties of the rich man.  The rich man called his manager into the office and asked him if it was true that he was wasting the resources of his boss.  The boss required an accounting of his expenditures and the amount of money owed to himself and told the manager that he was fired after he completed the accounting. (Luke 16:1-2)
   The manager thought about what he was going to do after leaving the employ of the rich man and he refused to dig ditches. He figured he was not strong enough to dig.  Then he thought about begging but was too ashamed to beg. (Luke 16:3-4)  He began to think about making sure that after he was fired from his job that he would have business associates who would be indebted to him and welcome him into their homes or offices
   The manager called on the people who were in debt to the rich man, making arrangements for each one of the debtors to only pay back a portion of what was owed.  To one man who owed the rich man 100 measure of oil, the manager handed a bill to him and told him to write down 50 measures of oil as being owed and pay it.  To another man who owed the rich man 100 measures of wheat, the manager told him to write a bill for 80 and pay it. (Luke 16:5-7)
   The rich man praised the dishonest manager for his astuteness in getting the business associates to pay at least a portion of what was owed to him.  The manager had made good associates for himself of the people who owed the rich man by settling for only a portion of what was owed.  The business associations were able to help him after he lost his job. (Luke 16:8)
   Jesus told his disciples that the children of the world are often more astute in dealing with their own kind than My children of light.  Jesus told His followers to use money for their necessities wisely and do not cheat anybody, but He told them not to rely upon money because it will fail them.  Because they had no love for money, only used it honestly for what was necessary, He said that they would be welcomed into My kingdom of heaven.  (Luke 16:9) 
   The parable is about trust.  Jesus said that a person who can be trusted in little things will be trusted with great things but the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great things, so he cannot be trusted with great things.   
   Jesus went on to tell His disciples that if they cannot be trusted with money, which is tainted, then who would trust them with genuine riches?  He added that if you can't be trusted with what is not yours, then who will give you an abundance of what is your very own?  He reiterated the truth that no one can serve two masters, he will hate the one and love the other or he will treat one with respect and treat the other with scorn. (Luke 16:11-12)
   The dishonest manager manipulated the rich man and also manipulated the business associates of the rich man.  Even though the rich man praised the office manager for being astute, the manger was dishonest and would continue being dishonest.  Even though the office manager got some of the money back for the rich man, he still was dishonest in his dealings and could not be trusted with great wealth by Me or other employers. (Luke 16:13)
   The Pharisees who loved money heard Jesus teach this parable and laughed at him.  Jesus told them that what is thought of as cleverness in the eyes of people are loathsome to Me. 
   Honesty in dealing with money and business are important to Me because how My children handle money tells Me whether they can be trusted or not with great things.  Jesus said earlier that you must be as wise as a serpent but gentle as a dove.  He was saying that My children must be at least as wise in earthly affairs as the devil; but to be sure and be as gentle as a dove in dealing with My other children as My Holy Spirit teaches you to be.  Jesus was the epitome of that description. (Matthew 10:15-16)
   My kingdom of heaven in the earth must reflect My kingdom of heaven in the spiritual dimension.  Honesty is righteousness in My eyes.
   Your Father of Wise, Astute, Clever yet Honest Ways