Well, I suspect this won\'t change Kevin Rosenberg\'s mind about the matter (I respect your freedom to believe what you see there). But for the sake of any readers who have not come to a decision as to what God wants to say to us in this parable, I submit more evidence. Evidence that disallows (is that a word?) the interpertation that Christ requires us to seek the wealth of rich unbelievers to finance ministry and support destitute believers. Ephesians 4:28 \"He who has been stealing must steal no longer, BUT MUST WORK, DOING SOMETHING USEFUL WITH HIS OWN HANDS, THAT HE MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH THOSE IN NEED.\" Honest, proud work really does have a place in God\'s will for supporting ourselves AND the ministry. Why would Christ teach to the contrary? I stumbled across more \'disobedient\' believers who tried to pay their own way in ministry. \"It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving NO HELP FROM THE PAGANS.\" (3 John 7) I\'ve see at least three very dangerous mistakes made in the Church (Especially regarding end-times teachings). 1) Ignoring straightforward truth. Why do we purposely throw out the plain, undisputable instructions of scripture in favor of veiled, and speculative interpretations of one, maybe two, scriptures? What I mean is, why do we ignore the compelling, straightforward, undisputable meaning of one scripture, that requires no interpretation--one that would instantly disqualify any possible contrary meaning of a less clear scripture--in favor of another interpretation? 2) Taking the scriptures WAY to literal. Don\'t get me wrong, it takes the Holy Spirit to understand any truth, and it can be dangerous to spiritualize where you should not, and vice versa. But, I see so many people ignoring the precedents set down by Jesus and Paul of what they themselves spiritualized and then continue on in misguided, fleshly literal interpretations of the same things? Again, I say end-timers are especially bad about this. This is exactly why Jesus was rejected! He spiritualized and it made him look irreverant and anti-Law/ anti-Moses! It\'s no different today. Thank God, Jesus clarified what he meant when he said \'Born again\' in John 3. Even though scripture itself teaches the \'spiritual\' reality that Nicodemus didn\'t see at first, amazing enough I heard of a group of believers who would actually act out \'birth pangs\' in prayer for unbelievers they wanted saved (see Galatians 4:19 to understand their misguided motivation)! 3) Making scripture say what it doesn\'t say anything about, one way or the other. \"Do not go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man (and his teaching) over against another\" (1 Cor. 4:6) In other words, know when you\'re only speculating and let it go and keep your superior, spiritual insights, that no one else can see, to yourself. \"...whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.\" (Romans 14:22) With many scriptures, though, we have to depend on a pure heart and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to see the spiritual truths taught through the literal, physical things of this life. Taking us to the things we can\'t see through the things we can. Like much of the Law, the physical, literal things only point us to more important unseen Spiritual truth. The parables do just that, too. If you miss it you are doomed to the \"godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge\" (1 Tim. 6:20). (As a side note, the parable of the unjust steward has a profound spiritual teaching that we haven\'t even touched on. The parable is really about forgiveness (you forgiving others, that is). That\'s why the steward could only forgive part of the debt. The debtors ultimately have to have ALL the debt relieved by the master.) Be careful! May we all heed the Bible\'s warning to beware of division and it\'s resulting confusion. And not to cause it ourselves! \"...watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites...\" (Romans 16:17,18) Galatians 5:19,20. \"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious:...discord...dissensions..factions May all of us be found spotless and blameless in these. Unless I really feel compelled to do otherwise, this is my final word on the matter. God bless and may all of you be \"enriched in every way-in all your speaking and in all your knowledge.\" (1 Cor. 1:5) L. Mertes