During the Bible Study last week I questioned that whether that "shrewdness" would be neutral or negative as compared with wisdom. I was wrong- that shrewdness, though not as precious as wisdom, was encouraged by Jesus.

Shrewdness, an earthly virtue, was discussed only about four times in the Bible. In David's Psalm (2 Samuel 22:27, Psalms 18:26) we read that "To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd." And Jesus told us to be "as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" for we are like "sheep among wolves" in this world (Matthew 10:16). It is hard, but we Christians have got to think quickly enough and are flexible to deal with the wolf-like earthly traps.

If shrewdness was a hard virtue to achieve, heavenly wisdom was even harder. Solomon did not exactly asked for "wisdom" as in the Chinese translation, but for a "discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong." (1 Kings 3:9) What I get from Solomon's prayer is that to be wise, one has to recognize (1) that all things belongs to God, that Solomon realize that the citizens of his kingdom were not "his" but "yours (God's)"; (2) that wisdom itself does come from God, that right and wrong has nothing to do with our judgment but is solely determined by God. In other words, to be wise one ought to see things not of the earthly means but see things the way which God sees them.

And indeed there are a great difference between God's way of seeing things and the world's way of seeing things. Going back to the parable, "What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight." (V.15) It is easy to say that we should give up earthly resources to God, like money, time, energy and fame, but it's really hard to do so. We need faith to walk with God. Faith enables us to become "sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1)

Jesus told us to use worldly wealth to gain friends for ourselves, just like the way the faithless steward sent out money to the debtors. I see various reasons of this teaching:

(1) Earthly resources will fail us, friendships are more precious- this is an earthly, yet true teaching. The shrewd steward knew this well. Those financial belongings were not yours until the moment you spend it. Cash on hand or in bank that you never spent before you die are not valuable. Financial Securities could lose half their market value overnight. Not to mention Lehman bonds. Friendship, on the other hand, could not be capitalized in any accounting standards but could even grant more economical benefits to you. "Cast our bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what evil may happen on earth." (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2) One ought to be shrewd to learn this.

(2) We ought not to love money or other earthly resources. "No servant can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and money." (v.13) If one's eyes were not in God but these earthly pleasures and securities, he is serving the Devil and not God. If we are not prepared to give up what we have, we are putting ourselves in dangerous positions to failing God. One ought to be wise to know this difference.

(3) God has all the earthly resources, and lavishing is possible. God says in Psalm, that "for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it." (Psalms 50:10-12) God is in control on all the earth and we should not be mean to and accumulate money for our own selves but to be willing to spend as much as God give in order to let a sinner repent and be saved. It takes faith to see more than earthly people see and to believe firmly that God is in charge, and that hope is not temporal.