Filthy Lucre

Should we boycott corporations that deal in dirty money, or is all money really filthy lucre? Are our tainted tithes and offerings usable for heavenly purposes? Let’s discuss a shrewd business manager and his wise use of filthy money in Luke 16:1-13.

People versus Profits

Luke 16:1-4 Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. 2 So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’ 3 “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. 4 Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’

An absentee landowner buys land cheaply from debt-burdened farmers. The farmers now work as hired hands. The manager has great latitude. Was he more generous than the owner wanted? Did he mismanage the boss’s money? The manager schemed selfishly, to avoid manual labor or begging.

Forgiving Debts

Luke 16:5-7 “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ 6 The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’ 7 “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’

The manager forgave his boss’s debtors. Perhaps he had been overcharging them for selfish gain. He clearly had the authority to change the bill. Or, Did the owner cheat the people in the first place? Yet, the boss commends his manager for shrewdness. The manager now has grateful friends. Was he unjust? What were his motives? Debt forgiveness is a great blessing.

Righteous Purposes for Money

Luke 16:8 “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.”

Is Jesus praising misuse of money? Ought Christians use even the corrupt resources of this world for any possible good they can do? Are all of this world’s teachings about money evil? Is Jesus saying to use money in manners similar to dishonest rascals, but for eternal and godly purposes?

Does this mean we are saved by works? No, we are saved by faith, but saving faith is evidenced by good works (Ephesians 2:10; James 2:14-26). Faith without works is dead. Remember Cornelius, whose prayers and giving to the poor were a memorial in heaven? Remember poor Lazarus who suffered in this life, but would welcome us into heaven.

Dirty Money

Luke 16:9 Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.

Parables leave room for hearty conversation, deep thought and different opinions. Jesus challenges us to think about the wise use of money to benefit others. But, is not all money corrupted in some way? Jesus’ instructions were quite the opposite. He said to use unrighteous mammon to make eternal friends.

Faithful with Little

Luke 16:10-12 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?

Many people misuse money. All money is on loan from God. Even a trillionaire on earth has little compared to owning the whole Universe. Can God trust us with what He only loaned us in this life? If so, He will give us actual ownership in eternity.

Serving Two Masters

Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Does money master us or do we master money? In ancient Israel the wealth was spread equally in a planned system to minimize poverty, using a seven and fifty year redistribution, and kings were never meant to be obnoxiously wealthy. The jubilee system prevented some abuses of wealth. We can master money and bring small jubilees to the poor.