Luke 16: 1-13, Valuing Our Wealth

Luke 16: 1-13, Valuing Our Inner Riches

v. 10-11, “The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted also in great; and the man who is dishonest in little things is dishonest also in great things. If then, you have not proved trustworthy with the wealth of this world, who will trust you with the wealth that is real?” (NIV)
“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches?” (NRSV)

How do you use your consciousness?** The stated scripture passage tells the story of a rich man who fired his manager for “squandering his property” (v. 1) We can think of the rich man as a symbol of the Self/God Within, and the manager as a symbol of the ego/conscious sense of self. Our ego does manage the resources of our psyche/soul as it makes choices of thought which become action.

Sometimes, the ego’s thought dismisses valuable pieces of the psyche/soul. Fleeting images, perceptions, sensations, intuitions, or felt experiences may be ignored or denied if they seem to conflict with the ego’s position or view. When the ego thinks that it’s thought is all there is of value, it squanders the riches of the Self as it ignores or demeans them. Think about what of your own inner riches you have overlooked or dismissed or demeaned already today. What are the feelings and inner experiences that got glossed over, denied, or rationalized away?

The scripture reminds us that how we respond to little things is how we respond to big things; and true riches are entrusted only to those who do well with the “wealth of this world” or “dishonest wealth”. As a symbol, the “wealth of this world” is the knowledge and intelligence of the body. The body operates at the level of sub-conscious or unconscious knowing. It is instinctive, reflexive, and automatic. It sends us information unbidden; sensations, stirrings, desires, longings, hunches, emotions, and passions appear of their own volition. For this reason, the wealth of the body/mind has been viewed negatively.

We need to respond to the information from our body/mind in a way that is honest and faithful to our true nature and larger self/Self. Whatever sensations, emotions, or feelings arise, they are expressions of and information from the embodied psyche/soul. With consciousness, our ego can ask and look to see what is coming into manifestation from the larger Self. We are faithful and trustworthy when we consciously relate to and integrate this wealth.

Take a few minutes to reflect on your conscious, ego attitude towards your larger self/Self. How are you trustworthy and honest with yourself? Where are you dishonest with yourself? What is the truth of how you manage the wealth of you body/mind? Where do you treasure and cultivate aspects of the Self? Where, when, and with who do you dismiss your inner riches? Set sacred intention to be more trustworthy and honest in dealing with your self/Self.


** From the perspective of analytical psychology, consciousness refers to the sense of self or ego one has. When something is conscious or known in the body and mind, it is connected to ego which has self-awareness. The Qabalistic tradition considers consciousness to be synonymous with life itself. It views consciousness as the life force that manifests in self-consciousness, sub-consciousness, and supra-consciousness. In Jungian thought, these equate to ego, personal unconscious, and the Self.