23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that

your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front

of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it

while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to

the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be

thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the

last penny.

He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and

charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And

he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the

account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3 And the

manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the

management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed

to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from

management, people may receive me into their houses.’ 5 So, summoning his

master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my

master?’ 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures[a] of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill,

and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do

you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your

bill, and write eighty.’ 8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his

shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own

generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by

means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the

eternal dwellings.

10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is

dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been

faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And

if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that

which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate

the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the

other. You cannot serve God and money.”

The Law and the Kingdom of God

14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they

ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves

before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an

abomination in the sight of God.

1 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the

mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found

faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by

any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of

anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges

me. 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord

comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose

the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from

God.

15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By

no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as

obedient slaves,[fn] you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin,

which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But

thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient

from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and,

having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am

speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you

once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading

to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness

leading to sanctification.

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21

But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now

ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been

set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to

sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the

free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.