While reading Luke 16 during my devotions, I came across a puzzling text, Luke 16:1-13. This is the familiar parable of the dishonest manager. I had read this several times in the past and have heard sermons and Sunday school teachings on this parable. However, on immediate reading I could not help but keep getting confused. Why did the master commend the servant for being dishonest? Why would people in this world be better than “sons of light” (Christians)? What does it mean to be received into eternal dwellings (heaven) by making friends by unrighteous wealth? A careful reading of the text helped answer these questions. It reminds me of the importance of reading slowly and quickly.
Discovering Eternal Shrewdness (Luke 16:8-9)
The manager was on the brink of getting fired by his master. He immediately took action to prepare for unemployment. He went to each of his master’s debtors to reduce their debts. By doing this, he made the debtors obligated to him and secured friendships so that when he is unemployed, he will have a circle of friends to go to after he is fired. He wasn’t just looking at the negative situation of getting fired. He was looking forward to what he would need to do to prepare for his unemployment.
Upon this comes the key verse, “The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness” (v.8). The key to this verse is that the master commended the shrewdness or cleverness. He was working strategically to prepare for a change in his situation. This shrewdness is what Jesus wants us to learn from. “People of this word” are often practical, calculating, and driven by self-interest. They know how to look out for their own interests and make connections for their own benefit. On the contrary, “people of the light” tend to be detached from this world, focusing on spiritual matters more than the aspects of this world. How often have we heard, “we don’t have enough to cover the expenses, but we must have faith.” Believers can learn from the world in how we manage our resources.
It is important to note that Jesus isn’t teaching us to mimic the manager’s morality. We are to learn from his methodology. If a worldly, dishonest person has the ability to plan for a temporary earthly crisis, even more should “people of the light” should use their resources for an eternal reality. Shrewdness isn’t about being sneaky. It’s about being strategically prepared.
With this shrewdness, we are to “use worldly wealth to gain friends” (v.9). We are to use the resources God has given us in a wise and eternal-minded way. The resources are “worldly wealth” because it is temporary and can be used for unrighteous purposes. We have the opportunity to redeem these resources for godly purposes. So then, “gain friends” refers to practical ways to do this. This includes helping the poor and needy, investing in God’s kingdom by supporting ministry, and aligning ourselves with God’s will and purposes with the resources we have. At the same time, we are to remember that the resources are temporary.
“When it is gone” shows that it will eventually be lost through death or other circumstances. As we invest in eternal purposes, we can be assured that we will be “welcomed into eternal blessings.” This does not mean we are given passageway into heaven because we used our resources for eternal purposes. Entry into “eternal blessings” comes only by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). This is more around the “welcome” or reception we will receive as we enter heaven. The resources we contributed may lead to those who are touched by the Gospel and will welcome you in heaven. God may provide an added welcome and approval for having lived a life of faithful stewardship.
Choosing the Right Master (Luke 16:11-13)
How, then, are we to be faithful stewards of all that God has given us? Verse 11 gives us a hint: “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” This seems like common sense. We would not entrust our wealth with someone who is known for wasting it or does not know how to invest wisely. God is, in a way, testing us to see how we handle worldly wealth. If we cannot be good stewards of what God has given to us, he will not give us greater, more valuable, and eternal riches of God’s kingdom.
After all, “…if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” All of the resources we have belong to God, and God is entrusting us to properly manage them. We should always be mindful that we are stewards, not owners, of these resources. If we are faithful, we will be given an eternal inheritance in heaven. This is not referring to whether we will enter heaven but pointing to the rewards that God will give us for faithfulness (Col. 3:23-24, 1 Cor. 3:12-15).
We often fall into the trap when we misunderstand ownership. When we believe that we own our money, we feel that we need to protect it at all costs. The money starts to own us. This leads to the “love of money” that creates anxiety. However, when we truly believe that God owns the money, we no longer need to protect it ourselves. Money is a great tool to expand the Kingdom of God, but it can also become an enslaving master.
As we learn to be wise in how we handle our wealth from the world, we must not fall into the trap of serving money itself. “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and money.” Having money is not evil. Managing money wisely is not evil. Pursuit of money and the love of it as an end in itself is in direct conflict with serving God. We should serve God with the resources entrusted to us. How we use money should be purposeful and focused, aiming to receive eternal rewards. We should not serve our own interests but seek God’s interests. When we focus on accumulating wealth for ourselves, it takes away from our devotion to God. We cannot serve both masters.
Avoiding the Trap of Greed (1 Timothy 6:5-10)
I was in the financial industry for 14 years and saw first-hand what serving money looks like. In investing banking, extremely smart people used their wealth of knowledge to exercise greed. They were good at making millions in a single transaction. They secured lavish bonuses. However, the result was people who looked down on others who had less than them. It was endless hours in the office addicted to making more money. For some, it was ending up being arrested for engaging in illegal transactions. This was an environment full of endless pursuit of greed and lack of hope.
This is the sort of situation 1 Timothy 6:9 was referring to: “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Wanting to get rich is not the problem. It’s where the heart is. Are we pursuing money for the sake of increasing our wealth? For the sake of self sufficiency? Or is it to put ourselves above others? These self centered motives are what lead us away from God and towards sin and destruction.
In fact, this passage says, “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” The drive towards self sufficiency will drive you away from sufficiency in God. Because you are relying only on yourself (and your money), you become increasingly anxious that your needs are met. You can’t sacrifice any time away from your work or investment activities because every minute you aren’t engaging in investment activities means loss of opportunity for gaining more wealth. Even Christians are vulnerable to this temptation – as I have seen first hand.
What is the alternative? Gaining “godliness with contentment” (v.6). We don’t bring anything into this world. God gives us everything that we have. For those bankers who are addicted to making more, the more “shrewd” move would be to be content with basics like “food and clothing.” Rather than pursuing gain in the bank account, we can have the peace of having enough. Contentment actually eliminates the endless pursuit and lack of hope often seen in the financial industry. It allows us to trade the “many griefs” with the security of God’s care. After all, even as we are worth more than sparrows, God provides for the sparrows and us alike. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)
Taking Hold of Truly Life (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
As Christians we can take a warning from 1 Timothy 6:17: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth”. Wealth can lead to a sense of superiority or self-reliance. When we have more, we start thinking that we are better than others. We easily start thinking that everything we have is a result of our own efforts. We forget that it is God who entrusts resources to us. This gives us a false sense of security and hope. Money is temporary and can be “gone.” True security and hope are only found in God, who is the ultimate provider.
What is the alternative? “…do good, … be rich in good deeds… be generous and willing to share” (v.18). Instead of accumulating riches for ourselves, we are to use our resources for good. This is equivalent to “using worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves” (Luke 16:9). By doing good deeds and being generous and willing to share, we invest in eternal things. We are directly serving Jesus by helping the needy (Matt. 25:40). Sacrifices that we make for others are pleasing to God (Heb. 13:16). Generosity results in thanksgiving to God (1 Cor. 9:11).
When we do good deeds and are generous, we are “[laying] up treasure for [ourselves] as a firm foundation for the coming age” (v.19). Our motivation is in the eternal, echoing what Jesus taught about “eternal dwellings.” Doing good deeds and being generous is seen as an investment in heaven. We are building a firm foundation on top of the salvation we received.
This “life that is truly life” is where the shrewd manager’s logic takes us. It is a life where your security isn’t tied to uncertain wealth that can be lost. You can place your trust in the Father who numbers the hairs on your head. By aligning our resources with God’s purposes, we are putting it where it can provide a foundation of hope. Good deeds and generosity with an eternal purpose always lead to hope. This is how we “take hold of the life that is truly life” (v.19), by aligning our resources with God’s eternal kingdom rather than just our bank accounts.