The Parable of the shrewd steward
Did Jesus commend a dishonest steward.
Luke 16:1-15
The parables of Jesus are the “open secrets (mysteries) of the kingdom of heaven”. Parables are ‘spiritual’ truths — truths about spiritual things which cannot be seen with the eye of sight, only seen with the eye of faith. Jesus said that he spoke in parables to make known what would otherwise be unknowable. And yet, hearing the truth of God requires more than functioning ears to understand the parables. It requires a work of God’s Holy Spirit. It requires nothing short of a work of grace in the human heart to understand the heavenly truths contained in them. And yet the hearer is responsible to respond to the messages of the parables. In contrast, the responsibility for unbelieving rests with the sinner and can never be blamed on some inherent obscurity in the message. The prophet Isaiah predicted how people would respond to the message of the gospel. People would not reject it because the message was too difficult to understand . They would reject it because it was only too clear. (Matthew 13:14–15 ; Isaiah 6:10).
In Luke 16, Jesus tells two parables—the unrighteous steward and that of the rich man and Lazarus—to show that God’s perspective on riches and our perspective are often opposed. If we want to be truly rich, we need God’s perspective on money.
Jesus tells the first parable to the disciples (16:1), but the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening in and scoffing at Him (16:14). So the ensuing instruction and the second parable are aimed primarily at the Pharisees. The entire chapter should make us all stop and think carefully about our attitude toward money. God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isa. 55:9), especially with regard to money. Since we’re all prone to the world’s ways, we need to think carefully about what Jesus is saying so that we follow God’s way to true riches rather than the world’s way to deceptive wealth and ultimate, eternal poverty.
All of Jesus’ parables are challenging, but this is surely the most challenging. However, if we study it carefully, it will reward us with important spiritual insights.
Somebody defined money as, “an article which may be used as a universal passport to everywhere except heaven and as a universal provider of everything except happiness.” People think that if they just had more money, life would be better because then they could buy all the things they wanted and that would make them happy
A brief look into the chapters that precedes chapter 16 reminds us that in Luke’s gospel Jesus has had a great deal to say about material possessions. What Jesus says about possessions in chapter 16 is thus built upon the foundation laid in the previous chapters. We can, I believe, summarize Jesus’ teaching up to this point with the following principles:
(1) Jesus turned the way men should view money upside-down.
(2) True repentance and faith will dramatically change the way a follower of Christ thinks and acts with regard to material possessions—from getting it and keeping it (e.g. “bigger barns” - Luke 12:18), to giving it away.
(3) The reason for this radical change in one’s thinking about money is that the true disciple comes to realize that money cannot get him the things that are really important, only Christ can.
(4)Money and material things are temporal—they don’t last. The best that we can do with money is to use it now to produce those things which will last. By using money on earth as God instructs us we lay up lasting treasure in heaven.
With this backdrop, let us press on to the parable of the “unjust steward,” seeking to learn the lessons which God has for us in it.
The Parable of the Unjust Steward
(Luke:16:1-8)
1 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ 5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’ 7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ 8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly.
A certain rich man had a steward working for him who squandered his possessions He must have helped himself to too much that belonged to his master This man was consuming much of his master’s wealth, but producing very little. He was not working for his master, but for himself. Unlike Joseph, who saw his stewardship as a sacred trust, and who thus refused to “use” his master’s wife, this steward seems to have helped himself to everything that was within his reach. Also there were people who knew the master and who cared for him and informed him what the steward was doing.
Word got to the steward’s master, who fired the man, effective at a future date. During this short time, the steward was expected to get his master’s accounts in order so that he could be replaced. This short period of time was not intended for the steward’s benefit, but for the master’s. The steward, however, was highly motivated. He was too old to “dig ditches” and he was “too proud to beg”. He must think of some way that he can make use of his master’s goods during this short time to prepare for his own future.
Like a flash, it came to him. He would make use of his position and his master’s possessions in the little time that was left, in such a way as to provide for his needs far into the future. While his position and his master’s possessions would be taken from him, he could make friends who would take care of him. And so he set out to do it. He called in each and every one of his master’s debtors. Each seems to have been a party to this “scam,” but each is benefited by a significant reduction in their obligation to the steward’s master. Thus, all are indebted to the steward.
Before we consider the master’s response to being “ripped off” or our Lord’s commentary on this parable, let us take note of the wickedness of the steward, as seen in his deeds. The steward was unrighteous, both at the beginning of the parable, and at the end. The steward was not just unrighteous as a person, he was unfaithful as a steward. He was unfaithful to his task and to his master. This unfaithfulness is what necessitated his shrewdness in preparing for his future. Every indication points to the fact that the allegations against the steward (squandering his possessions) were accurate. The steward did not change for the good, he only became more shrewd in doing evil. "Shrewd" is not necessarily negative - to call a businessman shrewd is generally a compliment, meaning "taking advantage of hidden opportunities". "Cunning" is more negative, meaning "good at deceiving people" However in this case the steward’s attitudes and actions were all motivated by self-interest. He involved others in his sinful “scam.” Also Jesus Himself called him “ dishonest’ in verse 8. It is inconceivable that the rich man’s debtors were not co-conspirators with the steward. They knew what he was doing. The steward, then, appealed to their greed.
If we skim this parable quickly, we assume that the steward is dishonest because he lowers the amount each debtor owed his master (16:5-7). But the parable doesn’t tell us that the steward is dishonest because of what he does in Luke 16: 5-7. What it does say is that charges were brought to the rich man against his manager, that he was squandering his employer’s property(16:1).
In ancient Palestine, the steward was the middle man between the landholder and the merchants and tenants in the exchange of goods and services such as buying and selling grain, oil, and crops and collecting rents. If he was able to get an additional take for himself in these transactions, the master didn’t mind; as long as the master’s profits kept rolling in and the steward did not get too conspicuous in his consumption, the master was fine with the steward’s benefiting from each deal. The merchants and tenants were in a relatively powerless position, unable to directly confront the master. Their target, when they were disgruntled or felt put upon, was the steward, the master’s retainer.
The steward’s position in this complex social network was both privileged and vulnerable. He had a relatively high standard of living, a benefit of his being able to read and write and his training by the master, but he was completely dependent on the goodwill of the master. He himself states it in verse 16:3. “What will I do now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.” We might assume that he is whining here, selfishly unwilling to engage in honest labor. He is actually just stating the fact that he is not prepared by physical training or by the habit of hardship, to compete with the peasant labor pool for the hardest, most menial of jobs: digging. His strength gone, he would be reduced to begging, and, in short order, would die because of the malnutrition and disease that came with poverty. His situation is dire. Something must be done to look after his future. No one can do it but him.
The two references to “dishonesty” (16:8; 9) are probably to the charges brought against the steward at the beginning of the parable, rather than a reference to his dealings reported in verses 5-7. Moses prohibited charging interest on fellow Israelites - Exod. 22:25-27; Lev. 25:36-38; Deut. 15:7-11; 23:19-20 - But the wealthy found ways to charge interest under other guises. One way was to add the interest into the total amount of a debt, presented as part of the total, and not in separate items.
The steward is not randomly making up percentages in verses 5-7. He has already done the math behind the reductions he cites to each debtor. In first century Palestine, the more risky the commodity, the higher the interest. I am assuming that he charged 50% interest on oil because it could easily be spilled or spoil. The interest on wheat was 20% because it was a more stable commodity.
He’s desperate, but still acts shrewdly. He calls the debtors in one by one, not giving them the chance to compare notes and collaborate against him ahead of time. He may have being hoping that his actions could make it possible for him to secure another position as a steward for another member of the land owning elite, thereby saving him from a life of hard labor. Or that they would invite him to their homes once he lost his present job.
A better outcome still is the one that actually occurs, according to the parable. The actions of the steward please the debtors who now owe the master less. His actions please the master who takes pride in the shrewdness of the steward and who, besides, is now on the receiving end of goodwill from the debtors.
Luke, with his characteristic concern for the prudent use of money, places after this parable a group of sayings that narrows its focus to the responsible use of wealth. (16:10-13).
But is this parable only or specifically about the use of wealth? Or is it, more broadly, about the need to take decisive action to prepare for the coming judgment?
In the telling of this parable, Jesus did not minimize the evil this man did, nor did He in any way commend him for doing evil, but His master did commend him. Probably, the biggest surprise of the parable is that the master, who has just been “ripped off” by his steward, is able to praise his steward. This praise is not for the good that he has done his master, nor for the ethical aspects of his deed, but simply for the shrewdness which he displayed.
The critical question here is this: How can a man who has just been “ripped off” by his employee, a man who has suffered a substantial and irretrievable loss, commend a crooked employee? The answer to this question is given by our Lord in verse 8. Jesus’ answer is the key to the interpretation of this passage, so let us consider it very carefully.
“And his master praised the unrighteous steward because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind [literally, “their own generation”] than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8).
The first part of verse 8 is the conclusion of the parable. The story concludes with the account of the master’s praise of his steward’s shrewdness. In the second half of verse 8 our Lord begins His commentary on the parable. How are we to understand and apply this parable? What does it mean? The answer comes from our Lord, who begins to interpret this story in the second half of verse 8 with an explanation of why the master can praise the shrewdness of his unrighteous steward. Jesus said - “the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.”
Our Lord’s words here indicate several important realities.
(1) Both the unrighteous steward and his master appreciated (valued) the same thing—shrewdness. You don’t commend a man for something you don’t like
(2) Both the unrighteous steward and his master were members of the group which our Lord characterized as “the sons of this age.” The contemporary expression, “it takes one to know one” fits here. The master could recognize and appreciate “shrewdness”
because he valued it and he practiced it, and as such he was “one” with his steward.
(3) Neither the master nor his steward were members of the group identified as the “sons of light.” I take it that this means neither of them knew God—they were unbelievers.
I do not think that I am going too far afield to say, then, that the master commended his steward’s shrewdness because he knew that he would have done the same thing in the same circumstances.
Now, the critical question: Did Jesus praise the steward for his shrewdness? We can easily see that the master praised his steward’s shrewdness, and we can even understand why he would do so. But would Jesus join with the master in his praise of this man’s shrewdness? The answer is a dogmatic, No! This answer, in my opinion is clear. Let me enumerate the reasons why this conclusion is an inescapable one.
(1) Jesus never commended nor advocated shrewdness to His disciples here. The word “shrewd” or “shrewdly” is found twice in the parable (v. 8), but not in the Lord’s interpretation and application of it (vv. 9-13). Never does our Lord imply or state that Christians should be shrewd, in any way that approximates the shrewdness of this “unrighteous” steward.
(2) The concept that is most frequently found in our Lord’s interpretation and application of the parable is faithfulness. Faithfulness and shrewdness are, in this text, are opposed to each other. The steward “had to” be shrewd because he had been unfaithful. Disciples that are faithful do not need to be shrewd.
(3) Shrewdness does characterize Satan (Genesis 3:1) and the unbelieving world (Luke 16:8), but it should not characterize the Christian. The steward and his master are both identified by Jesus as unbelievers. Does the Bible ever teach us to act like the world? Does it not teach us the exact opposite? We are to be “wise as serpents” and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16), but we are not to be shrewd as this steward was.
(4) Jesus’ words of explanation are a description of how wicked men think and act, but not a commendation of this nor a recommendation of it to the saints. In the book of Proverbs, we can find a number of statements which describe the wicked “ways” of evil men, but in none of these instances do we find their conduct being recommended to us as that which we should imitate, but rather that of which we should be aware, and which we should avoid:
The rich man’s wealth is his fortress, The ruin of the poor is their poverty (10:15).
A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner; Wherever he turns, he prospers (17:8).
A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom To pervert the ways of justice (17:23).
A gift in the secret subdues anger, And a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath (21:14).
In each of these cases, life is being described as it is, not as it should be. So it is in the parable of the unjust steward. Jesus is telling a story which describes the skill which unbelievers have of working within their generation to make money, and to look out for themselves.
(5) As in all other areas of Christian living, God’s blessing in the area of finances is not based upon man’s skill or shrewdness, but on His faithfulness to His promises. If the responsibility of man is to be found here, it is to be found in the area of faithfulness, not shrewdness, which he characterized as typical of unbelievers.
(6) “The things which are highly esteemed by men are detestable to God.” In verse 15 , and Jesus tells us that God’s values contradict man’s values. He said that the things men commend, God condemns. The unbelieving master and his steward may commend shrewdness, but God condemns it. What God condemns, He does not commend. The parable, then, does not teach shrewdness as God’s way for His followers, but a way to be avoided by His followers.
(7) The Lord’s application of the parable in verses 9-13 is characterized more by contrast with the world than comparison to it. The only area of comparison, in which the disciple is clearly urged to be “like” the steward is in the matter of making friends with unrighteous mammon, and even in this there are many differences between the way the steward acted and the way in which disciples are to act.
But why does Jesus spend so much time telling us about the steward, if we are not to be like him in being shrewd? This is an excellent question, with some fascinating answers.
First, Jesus is teaching by contrast. He has told this story so that we can see, in very practical terms, what we are not to be like.
Second, this steward’s shrewdness was (and is) typical of the way unbelievers act. If Christians are to put off worldliness—worldly ways of thinking and acting—then we must be clear on what worldliness is. This story gives us a very clear picture of one dimension of worldly thinking.
Third, in this parable Jesus exposes the hypocrisy and wickedness of the Pharisees.
The Pharisees, we will be told shortly, were “lovers of money.” As such, they greatly valued having it, and thus they resorted to some very unscrupulous means of obtaining it. They were “shrewd” in the matter of making money, and they were also proud of it. Thus, when Jesus began to tell this story, the Pharisees must have thought to themselves that when it came to the skill of making money, they were the epitome of astuteness, of skillfulness, of shrewdness.
It was undoubtedly with some misgivings that they listened to Jesus as He told of the cunning shrewdness of this steward. His shrewdness was pressing the line of ethics very hard. But the real shock came when Jesus spoke those final words of explanation in verse 8. Jesus here characterized shrewdness as sinful, as typical of the way unbelievers (sons of this age) think and act. If they thought themselves to be shrewd (and surely they did), then if Jesus’ explanation were allowed to stand their shrewdness was proof, not of their spirituality, but of their sinful lives. Their shrewdness Jesus used as an indication of their unbelief. No wonder the Pharisees were upset as these words (v. 14).
But what if we spend our lives climbing the ladder of success only to find out that it’s leaning against the wrong wall? What if we get rich in the viewpoint of the world only to discover that we’re really poor in God’s sight.
A faithful steward will use his Master’s money to provide true riches for eternity.
We all know that we cannot take our money with us when we die. But Jesus is telling us that there is a way you can take it with you, namely, by wisely investing the resources that God has entrusted to you now in things that matter for eternity. He draws four contrasts that help us not to miss the point.
1. Faithful versus unrighteous: Be faithful, not unrighteous, in financial matters.
The first contrast, in verse 10, is between “the one who is faithful” and “the one who is unrighteous.” Jesus is saying, “Do not be unrighteous as the steward in the parable was, but be faithful stewards,” as those who will give an account to the Master. There are two crucial concepts here:
A. The concept of stewardship: God owns it; I manage it.
Implicit in Jesus’ teaching, both here and elsewhere, is that God owns everything and we are stewards or managers of what He has entrusted to us. We are stewards of our time, our abilities, and our possessions and money. In the parable, the steward was squandering his master’s possessions (16:1). There is much debate over whether his action of reducing the bills of his master’s debtors was illegal or legal. Some argue that his master had cleverly violated the Jewish laws against charging interest, and that the steward was rectifying the situation and putting the master in the awkward position of going along with the adjusted bills or else openly being guilty of charging interest. Others say that the steward was stealing from his master. We can’t know for sure
And yet, while staying within the letter of the law and acting within the authority given to him, the steward was not acting in his master’s best interests, but in his own. Even though the master lost a lot of money through the steward’s actions, he grudgingly had to praise him for his shrewdness. But the fact is, although shrewd, the steward was still unrighteous or unfaithful because he was using his master’s money for his own selfish ends, not for the master’s profit.
One of the key concepts of being a steward is that the steward does not own what the master or owner has entrusted to him. He merely manages it for the owner’s purposes. If the steward begins to act as if he owns it, spending the owner’s resources for his personal betterment rather than for the owner’s benefit, he is an unrighteous, not a faithful, steward.
The principle of stewardship is a fundamental concept of Christian living. When you keep it in focus, it radically affects how you live. Paul says, “It is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy,” or faithful (1 Cor. 4:2). To be faithful as a steward, you must keep in mind at all times that you do not own your money; God does. You do not own your car; God does. You do not own your house; God does. You do not own your own life; God does. To forget or ignore God’s purposes and to live as if what we have is ours to use for our purposes is to abuse our stewardship by being unfaithful.
Now I am going to make a radical statement. I believe that the concept of tithing has fostered the erroneous notion that ten percent belongs to God and the rest is ours to use as we please Also the New Testament standard for giving is not ten percent, but “as the Lord has prospered you” (1 Cor. 16:2). If under the Law, ten percent was required, then under grace, ten percent should be the bare minimum. While the Lord allows us to enjoy the bounty of His material blessings (1 Tim. 6:17), He also wants us to focus on storing up the treasure of a good foundation for the future by being generous and ready to share (1 Tim. 6:18, 19). To give sporadically on impulse or to give a pittance with no view to eternity is not to be a faithful steward.
B. The concept of accountability: Some day I must give an account to God for my stewardship.
Every business manager knows that the owner will be checking the books to see how things are going. If the business has been earning a profit for the owner, then the manager may get a reward. But if the manager has been skimming off the profits to finance his lifestyle, he’s going to be in trouble when the books are examined. The idea of accountability is inherent in the concept of management or stewardship.
Crucial to being a good steward is understanding the owner’s purpose for his business. In the world, the purpose usually is to make all the money you can. But what is our Master’s purpose? Jesus tells us in verse 9: “Make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Mammon comes from an Aramaic word meaning riches. By “the mammon of unrighteousness,” Jesus means money, which the world uses for unrighteous purposes, but which believers can use for God’s purposes. Jesus means that just as the unrighteous steward used his master’s money to make friends for himself, so that when he got fired they would welcome him into their homes, so we should use our Master’s money to make friends for ourselves in heaven.
Each of us must ask ourselves the sober question, “Am I managing the resources God has entrusted to me with a view to giving an account some day in light of His purpose of being glorified among all the nations through the spreading of the gospel?” God is a generous and gracious Father, who gives to us not only enough for our basic needs, but also for our enjoyment. So, it is not wrong to enjoy many things beyond the bare essentials. But, if we grasp the concept of faithful stewardship and accountability, our focus will not be on our own financial success, but rather on the financial “success” of God’s enterprise, namely, the gospel.
2. Temporal versus eternal: Lay up treasures in heaven.
The second contrast consists of three contrasts that all point to the same thing, namely the temporal versus the eternal. Jesus contrasts “a very little thing” with “much” (16:10); “unrighteous mammon” with “true riches” (16:11); and, “that which is another’s” with “that which is your own” (16:12). The “very little thing,” “unrighteous mammon,” and “that which is another’s” all refer to temporal resources, or money. It belongs to another, namely, to God, as we have seen. “Much,” “the true riches,” and “that which is your own” all refer to eternal treasures laid up in heaven, which no man can take from you (thus you truly possess them [Matt. 6:20]). Thus Jesus is saying that the faithful steward will provide true riches for eternity in contrast to this unrighteous steward who provided himself only with temporal provisions.
Isn’t it ironic that to us, money is a big deal, but to God it’s “a very little thing”!
God views our money as a very little thing. It is the litmus test by which God tests us to see if we can handle true riches. If we are faithful in managing the money God gives us for His purposes, He will entrust eternal souls into our care. We will have eternal rewards in heaven, even if we don’t have much in terms of earthly possessions. The ironic thing is, you are 100 percent certain to lose all the money you accumulate on this earth—it will fail (16:9). You are 100 percent certain to keep all the rewards you lay up in heaven—they are your own (16:12), they are in a place where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in to steal (Matt. 6:20). And yet, most of God’s people major on laying up money on earth and minor on laying up treasure in heaven! Wealth can do us no good, unless it help us toward heaven.”
3. God versus Mammon: Choose your Master.
In verse 13, Jesus draws the third contrast, that we either can serve God or mammon (money), but not both. So we must make a basic decision as to our choice of masters. Clearly, the unrighteous steward was living for money, but disciples of Jesus should be serving God. It is a delusion to think that you can own money. That is not one of the choices. Either God owns you, including your money, or your money (mammon) owns you. Those are the only choices.
The term unrighteous (or worldly) wealth seems to strike readers the wrong way. But Jesus is not saying that believers should gain wealth unrighteously and then be generous with it. “Unrighteous” in reference to wealth can refer to
1) the means in acquiring wealth;
2) the way in which one desires to use the wealth;
or 3) the corrupting influence wealth can have that often leads people to commit unrighteous acts.
Given the way in which Jesus employs the term, the third explanation seems the most likely. Wealth is not inherently evil, but the love of money can lead to all sorts of sin (1 Timothy 6:10).
So, the principle that Jesus is trying to convey is one of a just steward rather than an unjust one. The unjust steward saw his master’s resources as a means for his own personal enjoyment and advancement. Conversely, Jesus wants His followers to be just, righteous stewards. If we understand the principle that everything we own is a gift from God, then we realize that God is the owner of everything and that we are His stewards. As such, we are to use the Master’s resources to further the Master’s goals. In this specific case, we are to be generous with our wealth and use it for the benefit of others.
Most of us would like to think that there is some middle ground, where we can mostly serve God, but also keep one foot in worldly wealth. We’re like the guy who said, “They say it’s better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable. But couldn’t something be worked out, such as being moderately wealthy and just a little moody?” But Jesus draws the line in the sand and makes us ask, “Who is my Master: God or mammon?”
Jesus draws the contrasts: faithful versus unrighteous; temporal versus eternal; God versus mammon. Finally:
4. Shrewd or stupid: Use present opportunities to provide for inevitable future realities.
In the fourth contrast, the unrighteous steward got it right and the sons of light tend to get it wrong. Jesus is saying that unbelievers are often more shrewd in figuring out how to secure temporal wealth than believers are in figuring out how to secure eternal riches. By shrewd, Jesus does not mean dishonest, but rather, as Webster defines it, “clever, discerning awareness; practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment” (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary [Merriam-Webster].
How was the unrighteous steward shrewd? In at least two ways.
First, he was shrewd in that he seized an opportunity while he still had time to act. He saw the handwriting on the wall: his days were numbered! He was going to get fired. So he quickly went into action, using his authority while he still had time, to get on the good side of his master’s debtors.
Second, the unrighteous steward was shrewd in that he used his present resources to provide for his inevitable future realities. He knew that he was going to be fired. While many would have despaired, he went into action, using what he had to provide for his future security.
There are two pointers in that verse to show why this is infinitely more shrewd and infinitely more wise than the shrewdness of the deceitful manager.
The first clue is the word eternal: “that they may receive you into eternal dwellings.” In other words, Jesus is telling these disciples not just to secure their earthly future. That’s all this guy could do: “Hopefully they’ll give me a little help when I’m jobless.”
Here’s the second pointer: the little phrase “when it fails.” In other words, all this so-called shrewdness of the deceitful manager is going to come to nothing. It’s based on wealth that will fail.
When he calls it unrighteous mammon, or unrighteous wealth, he simply means this is part of the unrighteous world in which you live. So He says, “Use money — take hold of it, and use it for eternal, spiritual purposes. Namely, to provide security in eternity.”
What does that mean? How do you do that? How do you use money to secure eternal dwellings with friends?
The clue is when you look at that phrase, “when it fails.” It triggers us to remember the word fails back in Luke 12:33. Here’s what that says. “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.”
“Use your resources to do as much good as you can for the glory of God and the eternal good of others.”
First, the parable of the unjust steward is told for the benefit of the disciples. The parable is somewhat unorthodox, and the setting is unusual In this parable all the characters are wicked—the steward and the man whose possessions he manages are both unsavory characters. Jesus is not exhorting us to emulate these characters’ behavior; rather, He is trying to teach a spiritual principle.
In His application of the story, Jesus says, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8). Here, Jesus contrasts the “sons of the world” (i.e., unbelievers) and the “sons of light” (believers). Sadly, unbelievers tend to be wiser in the things of this world than believers are about the things of the world to come. The unjust steward cheated his master but in so doing made friends of his master’s debtors. Those people were later obligated to care for him once his livelihood ran out.
Then comes Luke 16:9: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Jesus encourages His followers to be generous with their wealth in this life so that in the life to come their new friends will receive them “into eternal dwellings.” This corresponds to Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount to lay up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19–21).
In referring to “worldly wealth,” Jesus is not saying that believers should gain wealth dishonestly and then be generous with it. Worldly here means “having to do with life on earth.” In your earthly life, “make friends”; that is, bless others. Use the monetary resources you have to reach out to others. The result will be friendships that endure into eternity: the souls we reach in this world will welcome us into “eternal dwellings” someday.
The principle Jesus teaches in Luke 16:9 is that everything we own should be used to further God’s kingdom. We are God’s stewards. Just as the unjust steward in the parable was “shrewd” in benefiting himself materially, so we should be “shrewd” in benefiting ourselves (and others) spiritually. We are to use the Master’s resources to further the Master’s goals. We have been entrusted with material possessions, and we are to use them for the eternal benefit of others.
If God is our Master, then our wealth is at His disposal. The faithful steward whose Master is God will employ the wealth entrusted to him in building up the kingdom of God. The New Living Translation brings out this meaning well: “Here's the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home” (Luke 16:9).
Jesus calls mammon "unrighteous." Mammon is called unrighteous not because it is inherently evil but because of the unrighteous attitudes the pursuit of money can produce. If money were inherently unrighteous, then all uses of it would be evil. But that is not Jesus' view (see 19:1-10). The attitude reflected here may be similar to that of 1 Timothy 6:10, where Paul says that the love of money is the root of all evil. Money is evil because of how it brings out distorted values in people. Pursuing money can make people selfish, leading them to take advantage of others, to treat other people as objects and to be unfaithful to God. It tends to reflect an excessive attachment to the world. So it is better not to be attached to the pursuit of wealth.
Possessions are a responsibility. Their use is a test of character, values and stewardship. The one who is faithful in little is also faithful in much. So also the other way around—to be dishonest in little things is to be dishonest in much. Faithfulness with the "little thing" of money indicates how faithful we are with the big things, the true riches of our relationships to God and to others. So if we have not been trustworthy in handling possessions that produce unrighteousness, who will trust us with true riches? The true riches in this passage seem to involve future kingdom service—that is, service for God and to others. True wealth is faithfulness in serving him.
The theme of responsibility continues as Jesus raises the question about being faithful with something that belongs to another so that later one can receive reward for oneself. If someone is unfaithful as a steward, why should that person be entrusted with ownership? Handling wealth is a preparatory lesson for other responsibilities before God.
So Jesus warns that we cannot have two masters. In the end we will have to choose between serving God or mammon, to love one and hate the other. The implication is that we had best make the choice early. Choose God over mammon.
