Lesson For The Week (Oct. 19)

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
不義管家的比喻

0000
Introduction導引
Have you ever felt like someone was taking advantage of you or using you? How did you feel? What did you do?
你曾否覺得被人占了便宜或被人利用？你的感受如何？你的反應又是如何？

0
Vocabulary字彙 (沒按照順序)
account (n) 帳戶
dishonest (adj) 不誠實的
dismiss (v) 解雇
shrewd (adj) 精明的
ditches (n) 排水溝
affairs (n) 事務
ashamed (adj) 感到羞恥
eternal (adj) 永恆的
in debt (phr) 負債
slave (n) 奴僕
barrels (n) 大桶
despise (v) 輕蔑

Selected reading 選讀經文:

Luke 16:1-15 路加福音16:1-15

(Good News 版)

0
1 Jesus said to his disciples, "There was once a rich man who had a servant who managed his property. The rich man was told that the manager was wasting his master's money, 2 so he called him in and said, "What is this I hear about you? Turn in a complete account of your handling of my property, because you cannot be my manager any longer.' 3 The servant said to himself, "My master is going to dismiss me from my job. What shall I do? I am not strong enough to dig ditches, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 Now I know what I will do! Then when my job is gone, I shall have friends who will welcome me in their homes.' 5 So he called in all the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, "How much do you owe my master?' 6 "One hundred barrels of olive oil,' he answered. "Here is your account,' the manager told him; "sit down and write fifty.' 7 Then he asked another one, "And you, how much do you owe?' "A thousand bushels of wheat,' he answered. "Here is your account,' the manager told him; "write eight hundred.' 8 As a result the master of this dishonest manager praised him for doing such a shrewd thing; because the people of this world are much more shrewd in handling their affairs than the people who belong to the light." 9 And Jesus went on to say, "And so I tell you: make friends for yourselves with worldly wealth, so that when it gives out, you will be welcomed in the eternal home. 10 Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones. 11 If, then, you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with true wealth? 12 And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what belongs to you? 13 "No servant can be the slave of two masters; such a slave will hate one and love the other or will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." 14 When the Pharisees heard all this, they made fun of Jesus, because they loved money. 15 Jesus said to them, "You are the ones who make yourselves look right in other people's sight, but God knows your hearts. For the things that are considered of great value by people are worth nothing in God's sight.0

Questions for Discussion 問題討論
1. Besides Jesus’ disciples, who heard Jesus teach this parable? (Luke 16:14)
除了耶穌的門徒之外，還有誰聽到耶穌教導這個比喻？(路16:14)

2. Why did the master plan on dismissing his manager? (Luke 16:1)
為什麼主人打算把他的管家解雇？(路16:1)

3. When the manager heard that he was to be dismissed, what did he do? (Luke 16:4-7)
當管家聽到他將被解雇時，他做了什麼事？(路16:4-7)

4. Why did the master praise the manager? (Luke 16:8)
主人為何要稱讚管家的作法？ (路16:8)

5. What point was Jesus trying to make?? (Luke 16:9) Do verses 10-12 help you understand this point better?
耶穌所要指出的要點是什麼？(路16:9) 10-12經文中是否幫助你更明白這個要點？

6. What is the problem with trying to serve two masters? (Luke 16:13)
想要同時服事兩個主人的問題在哪裡？(路16:13)

7. How were the Pharisees deceiving people? (Luke 16:14)

法利賽人如何欺騙人？(路16:14)

8. How did Jesus want the Pharisees to change? (Luke 16:15)

耶穌要法利賽人如何改變？(路16:15)

A time to reflect 回應
1. Have you been faithful with the small things the master has given you? Money, resources, talent?

你是否在主人給你的小事上忠心？在金錢上、資源上、才幹上是否都忠心？
2. Are you a slave to money, or have you made God master and Lord?

你是否為金錢的奴隸，還是你已讓上帝掌管你，作你的主？

Past Lessons:
http://www.ortv.com/english/ebs_c/ebs_e.htm