The children of this world are in their
generation wiser than the children of light.
—Luke 16:8
Luke 16 tells a story about a shrewd shyster who was commended, not for his dishonesty, but for his creativity. He knew how the world worked, and he worked it to his advantage.
The narrative sets up a side-by-side comparison of the energy and effort of the secular and the spiritual: “The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light,” Jesus said.
The statement is sobering: the children of this world often exert more energy and show more ingenuity in the pursuit of worldly interests than the children of light do in pursuit of eternal interests.
You’re in one of those camps: a child of this world or a child of light. The text states the position of both—and a subtle nudge for the children of light to wise up.
Wisdom is yours for the asking. (James 1:5)