Hi Lightning Eye,
"The children of this world are, in their generation, wiser than the children of light."
Although my original quote differed slightly, that is the exact quote from the 'King James Version' [KJV] of the bible. I prefer this version to the modern translations. Somethings always get lost or changed when translating from one language to another. And 'modernising' the scriptures adds another degree of separation to the original meaning... although some versions are better than others.
There are many ways to interpret spiritual teachings and scriptural quotes. They are layered and multi- dimentional so they can be interpreted on various levels. This doesn't mean that only one is right and all others have to be wrong.
People who are of the earth, "earthy" [ OPs? ] know well the shrewd ways of the world and the motivations of men. They are more shrewd in their worldly knowledge than the children of the light are in their spiritual knowledge. The 'children of this world' are more self aware in their 'generation' of worldly, lower psychic forces than the "children of the light" are aware of their spiritual identity and their generation of spiritual forces. Could one interpretation of this passage include Jesus' making an oblique reference to people who have not originated in spirit? I think it could. The whole passage is shrouded in an allegory after all. Just because the whole parable deals with the goods of this world and debts etc, doesn't mean it doesn't have deeper meanings. Everything is about consciousness and different states of consciousness. As different people embody different states of consciousness one meaning could refer to people of different evolutions. ie. ensouled people spiritually evolving and soulless people not spiritually evolving.
Montalk answered Dreamosis with a quote from Matthew to illustrate the presence of OPs and again the 'Matthew' quote could also refer to states of consciousness within ourselves. [both interpretations are not mutually exclusive]
The inner fire of the holy spirit separates and consumes the "chaff" of the ego- self from the "wheat" of soul consciousness during a time of harvest [now]. It is a cyclical time of "judgement" [now] when the opportunity to surrender the lower- self into the flame of the inner Christ is given to the people of earth. We just have to be willing to go through the process of seeing through the animal of the 'not- self' and sacrificing it on the altar of the christ flame within. It may also be a time when for some people [eg. the OPs?] time is up. Montalk alluded to that difference between people by quoting Revelation 20:14- 15. And, by quoting Mouravieff, he explained that it could just as easily refer to the different elements of consciousness within ourselves as well as the dissolution of OPs. I don't think we must wait for physical death to experience some of these separations of consciousness within ourselves. The fire [written about in Matthew and Revelation] can do it's work [if we will do our work] while we are embodied too. The 'refiners fire' can refine the 'wheat' of soul- consciousness as it separates and dissolves the 'chaff' of ego- consciousness now.
Incidentally, in the KJV of the bible Luke writes " You cannot serve both God and mammon." Although the scripture goes on to say that the Pharisees were lovers of money, the preceeding passage at Luke 16:14 does not say "money".... it says "mammon." ie... the things of this world. Or... materialism and the materialistic consciousness. So, "mammon" refers to the worldly consciousness as a "thing" of this world. Some people prefer the "things of this world" [the ego- consciousness] over a real honest relationship with God and other people.
If we seek to serve both the worldly ego- consciousness in self and the world, and we also seek to serve the inner christ consciousness then we will not succeed. The tension must be resolved by becoming who we really are. No man can serve two masters and find spiritual identity and peace.
I also quoted Jesus earlier saying "No man ascends to the father except he who has descended from the father"
I wasn't referring to John 14:6 as PhiConcept thought. I was referring to John 3:13. The exact quote is : "No-one has ascended into heaven but he who has descended from heaven.... even the son of man which is in heaven." In this case i don't think my paraphrase mangled the quote too badly but it was incomplete. There are several ways to interpret this passage and the "OP" idea is just one.