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"And I tell you, make friends this unjust money, so when it is spent, you will be received in their eternal tents."

I always found this scripture very strange.
It's like saying: <i>"If you're afraid to loose job and home, just make a lot of friends from the money you have, you do it for yourself, but you will receive a heave[/align]nly reward for that behavior!"</i>

However, the aramaic New Testament (called peshitta) clears things up.
The root-word for 'tent' is used several times.
Luke 7:6, 9:58, 16:9, Matthew 8:8,20

Like for instance "Foxes have holes, birds have a shelter..." (often translated with breeding places which is just a few months a year)
The Aramaic word for shelter, is exactly the same as in Luke 19:6. (tent)

Even Luke 16:4 explains what 'the shelter' is about. It's about loosing your home because of getting fired!

"4 I know what I will do when I am put under the trusteeship so that they will receive me into their houses!"

The lesson of Jesus: if you want to keep your job, you spend the money in business environment so that you will be found smart and will be offered a job (in those days, jobs were often together with accommodations).

So, now this 'weird' verse in normal language?

"And I tell you, make friends this unjust money, so when it is spent, they will provide you a place (shelter)"

in short, Jeshua (Jesus) gave a usefull tip, how to keep a position. Of course, he added the spiritual value as well.

Greetings egbert

edited to delete question...(resolved)


:confused:

gogh,

I think the thread title reference should be verse 9 and not verse 6.


Luke 16:9
Also, I say to YOU, Make friends for yourselves by means of the unrighteous riches, so that, when such fail, they may receive YOU into the everlasting dwelling places.


The issues and implications raised by egbert are definitely interesting to discuss.


For instance:

Acts 2:43
Indeed, fear began to fall upon every soul, and many portents and signs began to occur through the apostles. 44 All those who became believers were together in having all things in common, 45 and they went selling their possessions and properties and distributing the [proceeds] to all, just as anyone would have the need. 46 And day after day they were in constant attendance at the temple with one accord, and they took their meals in private homes and partook of food with great rejoicing and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and finding favor with all the people. At the same time Jehovah continued to join to them daily those being saved.


This scripture seems to indicate the kind of things necessary to initiate the start of Christianity.

If any religion was to try and do this kind of activity today it would very quickly be given the label of "communism" and get enormous resistance and persecution.

Western civilization has been trained to abhor this.

Try and imagine this scenario actually playing out in todays society.



In Christ

abe

Isaiah 49
Your sons have hurried up. The very ones tearing you down and devastating you will go forth even from you. 18 Raise your eyes all around and see. They have all of them been collected together. They have come to you. “As I am living,” is the utterance of Jehovah, “with all of them you will clothe yourself just as with ornaments, and you will bind them on yourself like a bride.


Acts 2:47
At the same time Jehovah continued to join to them daily those being saved.



In Christ

abe

Hi brother,

Thanks for your remark.
This is a common explanation of the parable.
I don't see a relation to acts 2:43.

The bookkeeper, did not want to beg or to do hard labour. So, he made friends with money.

My explanation is based on the Aramaic text of Luke (Luke was a Syrian).
The point is: Why would money buy us a place in heaven? If I give it away to the poor, yeah, ok, but in this case, the bookkeeper just gave reductions to the clients of his employer in order to get a good reference.

It would implicate, that if I make friends with money, so that -they- will receive me, God will give me an 'eternal dwelling place?'

The source text, for 'dwelling' or 'shelter' also is used at several other places. Birds have 'shelters'? And the roman soldier who asked Jesus to heal his boy, said: "I'm not worth it that you should get in my 'shelter' (or translated with 'under my roof')

So, now Luke 16:9 could be translated differently, the meaning also gets (imho) more sense.

Egbert,

How does what Jesus Christs says immediately prior to this fit in?


Luke 16:8
And his master commended the steward, though unrighteous, because he acted with practical wisdom; for the sons of this system of things are wiser in a practical way toward their own generation than the sons of the light are.


In Christ

abe

The 'sons of light' b.t.w. was a name of the cult of the essenes. But I doubt Jesus was referring to them.

However, verse 10 and 11 also give context.
10 Whoever in the little is faithful, in the great also is faithful; and he who in the little is unjust, in the great also is unjust.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous money, who will intrust to you the truth?

Here is the link to spiritual value. Stewards (book keepers) will be fired if they don't work. In those days, being fired gave a bad reference and a possible homeless situation (Romans 14 also speaks about employees).
<---------------->
Be faithfull with earthly money. (you'll always have a home)
Be faithfull with the truth. (from above, to get what you are supposed to receive)

Egbert,

If I was to do what the steward did with his masters unrighteous riches in Canada I could be charged with fraud.

It would not be considered faithful by this countries laws.

I think the message Jesus Christ is sending with this illustration may have a deeper meaning.


In Christ

abe