Today's gospel reading is one of my favorites:

GospelLk 16:1-13 or 16:10-13

Jesus said to his disciples,"A rich man had a stewardwho was
reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said,'What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship,because you can no longer be my steward.

'The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do,now
that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that,when I am removed from the stewardship,they may welcome me into their homes.

'He called in his master's debtors one by one. To the first he said,'How much do you owe my master?'He replied, 'One hundred measures of olive oil.'He said to him, 'Here is
your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.'Then to another the steward said, 'And you, how much do you owe?'He replied, 'One hundred kors of wheat.'The steward said to him, 'Here is your promissory note;write one for
eighty.

'And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting
prudently."For the children of this worldare more prudent in dealing with their own generationthan are the children of light. I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

The person who is trustworthy in very small mattersis
also trustworthy in great ones;and the person who is dishonest in very small mattersis also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,who will give you what is yours? No
servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other,or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon."

or

Jesus said to his disciples:"The person who is trustworthy in very small mattersis also trustworthy in great ones;and the person who is dishonest in very small mattersis also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,who will trust you with true wealth? If you
are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other,or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon."

Kind'a messed up, isn't it? I love to watch preachers squirm about this gospel. I think it is straight forward. There is a practical wisdom necessary to survive in this world. Jesus recognized it. He tells us to that he is sending us out as sheep among wolves and for this reason, be "wise as serpents, harmless as doves."