“For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15)
Jesus taught a parable about an unjust and dishonest manager or steward. When faced with dismissal, the man took steps to insure his future by making friends with the debtors who owed his master in an attempt to make friends and secure a new position. He did this by reducing the amounts that the debtors owed. This was dishonest because he was altering the account books and defrauding his master of his property, money and the interest due him on the resources he loaned or sold. Jesus does not commend him for his dishonesty but for his shrewdness in insuring future security. If the wicked can do this with their resources, money, the righteous can do better by using their God-given resources to build up the Kingdom of heaven.
Jesus ended the parable with a sharp rebuke to the Pharisees, one which ought to speak to our hearts. All that men in our world idolize, money, fame, power, hedonistic pleasure is not just useless in the Kingdom of God, but downright offensive to Him. When we value these things to the point where we seek to use them to exalt ourselves and enhance our lifestyle, we have strayed from God into idolatry. We think that the things we value and the things they can get serve us. Yet they truly become gods we serve.
Despite what we think or feel or what the world would have us believe, all the resources, money and property we have belong to God, not us. He expects us to manage them wisely for His purposes. We are not to squander or waste them but we are to use them to advance the His Kingdom. We are to give freely expecting nothing in return. In addition we are to forgive freely, to extend mercy, grace and compassion to all those in need. Often this is difficult and costly but our desire should be to lead the lost, the downtrodden, and the broken-hearted to faith in Jesus.