Introduction
In the dusty marketplace of ancient Palestine, business was conducted with handshakes and honor. A manager's word was his bond, and his reputation determined his future. But what happens when that reputation crumbles? What do you do when you've been caught with your hand in the cookie jar, and the pink slip is already being written?
Jesus tells us a story that would have made his audience gasp. It's about a crooked manager who got creative when his world fell apart. And before we're done today, we'll discover that sometimes God uses the most unlikely people to teach us the most important lessons about living for His kingdom.
The Crisis Moment
The manager in Jesus' parable faced what we might call a "come to Jesus meeting" – except he was about to lose Jesus and everything else! Accused of squandering his master's wealth, he was handed the ancient equivalent of a termination notice. No severance package. No golden parachute. Just shame and the prospect of begging in the streets.
Sound familiar? Maybe you've been there. Maybe you're there right now. When the doctor says, "We need to talk." When the boss calls you into the office and HR is sitting there with that look. When your spouse says, "This isn't working anymore." When the bank statement shows more month than money.
Crisis has a way of clarifying things. It strips away our pretenses and forces us to face reality. But here's what I want you to understand today: Crisis doesn't come to destroy you – it comes to reveal what's already inside you.
The Shrewd Solution
Listen to what this manager does next: "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 too ashamed to beg—I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.'"
Now watch this – he calls in all his master's debtors. One owed eight hundred gallons of olive oil; he cut the bill to four hundred. Another owed a thousand bushels of wheat; he made it eight hundred. This man was wheeling and dealing like his life depended on it – because it did!
Was it dishonest? Absolutely. Was it shrewd? You better believe it. And here's the shocking part – Jesus commends his shrewdness, not his dishonesty.
[WHOOP MOMENT] Y'all, let me tell you something that'll make you shout! This crooked manager understood something that too many church folks miss: When you're facing eternity, you better get busy making friends with your resources! He knew his time was short, so he used what he had to secure his future! Can I get an "Amen" if you know that our time is short too?
The master praised this dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. The people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
Biblical Examples of Kingdom Shrewdness
Throughout Scripture, we see God's people using wisdom and strategic thinking for kingdom purposes:
Joseph in Egypt didn't just interpret dreams – he positioned himself to save nations during famine. When Pharaoh needed wisdom, Joseph was ready. He used his gifts strategically to preserve God's people.
Esther didn't just win a beauty contest – she used her position to save her people from genocide. "Perhaps you have come to royal position for such a time as this." She leveraged her influence for kingdom purposes.
The Wise Men didn't just bring gifts – they brought resources that would fund the Holy Family's escape to Egypt. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh weren't just nice presents; they were providence in action.
Paul didn't just preach – he used his Roman citizenship strategically, his tent-making skills for independence, and his rabbinical training to reach both Jews and Gentiles. He was shrewd about how he advanced the gospel.
The Heart of the Matter
Jesus isn't telling us to be dishonest. He's telling us to be intentional. He's saying, "Look, if crooked people can be this strategic about temporal things, how much more ostrategic should you be about eternal things?"
The problem isn't that worldly people are too shrewd – it's that godly people aren't shrewd enough! We've confused being spiritual with being stupid. We've confused being humble with being passive.
"I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings."
This isn't about buying your way into heaven – it's about investing in heaven while you're still on earth. It's about using your resources, your relationships, your influence, and your time to build God's kingdom.
A Modern Parable: The Retired Teacher
Let me tell you about Mrs. Sarah Johnson, a retired elementary school teacher from our community. When Sarah got her pension, she could have bought a bigger house, traveled the world, or just enjoyed her golden years. Instead, she did something shrewd.
Sarah looked around her neighborhood and saw kids coming home to empty houses, parents working two jobs just to survive, and families struggling to put food on the table. So she started what she called her "After-School Kingdom."
Every day at 3 PM, her house became a refuge. Free snacks, homework help, and Bible stories. But here's the shrewd part – she didn't just feed their bodies and minds, she invested in their futures. She helped them with college applications, connected parents with job opportunities, and used her teacher network to open doors.
Twenty years later, three of those kids are doctors, two are teachers, one is a pastor, and dozens more are raising godly families. Sarah took her worldly wealth – her pension, her experience, her connections – and used it to gain friends for eternity.
When Sarah went to be with the Lord last year, the church was packed not just with church folks, but with grateful families whose lives had been forever changed. She had used her resources shrewdly, and she was welcomed into eternal dwellings by the very people she had invested in.
That's kingdom shrewdness, church! That's what Jesus is talking about!
The Call to Faithfulness
Jesus continues: "Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is dishonest in very little is also dishonest in much."
God is watching how you handle the little things because the little things reveal your heart. How you treat the server at the restaurant. How you handle your money when no one's looking. How you use your time when you think it doesn't matter.
The question isn't whether you'll be trusted with much – the question is whether you're being faithful with little. Because God doesn't promote people based on their potential; He promotes them based on their proven character.
You Cannot Serve Two Masters
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
This is where the rubber meets the road. Jesus isn't just talking about money – He's talking about allegiance. He's talking about what drives your decisions, what keeps you up at night, what gets you up in the morning.
Money isn't the root of all evil – the love of money is. Money is a tool. The question is: Are you using money, or is money using you? Are you the master of your resources, or are they the master of you?
The Call to Action
Today, God is calling you to be shrewd about eternity. He's calling you to look at your resources – your time, your talents, your treasure, your relationships – and ask: "How can I use these things to build God's kingdom?"
Maybe you're a business owner who can create jobs for people who need second chances. Maybe you're a teacher who can mentor young people toward godly success. Maybe you're a grandparent who can invest your wisdom in the next generation. Maybe you're struggling financially, but you have time to volunteer at the food bank or visit the elderly.
The point is this: Stop waiting for someday to serve God with what you have. Start today with whatever you've got.
Here's what I want you to do:
1. Take inventory – What has God given you? Not just money, but skills, connections, experiences, knowledge, time.
2. Get strategic – How can you use these resources to advance God's kingdom? Think like that shrewd manager, but with pure motives.
3. Start small – You don't have to change the world overnight. Start with faithful stewardship of what's in your hand right now.
4. Think eternal – Every decision you make with your resources is either building treasure in heaven or treasure on earth. Choose wisely.
Conclusion
The dishonest manager teaches us that crisis reveals character, but it also reveals opportunity. When your world is shaking, when everything familiar is falling apart, that's when you discover what you're really made of.
But more than that, you discover what God can do through you when you get shrewd about His kingdom. When you stop making excuses and start making moves. When you stop being spiritual about your resources and start being strategic.
Church, our time is short. The fields are white unto harvest. The kingdom of God is advancing, and God wants to use you – yes, you – to build His eternal kingdom with the temporary resources He's placed in your hands.
The question isn't whether you have enough. The question is whether you're shrewd enough to use what you have for what matters most.
Let us pray.
Father, we thank You for this challenging word today. Help us to be shrewd about eternity, faithful with our resources, and strategic about building Your kingdom. Show us how to use what we have – our time, talents, and treasure – to invest in what will last forever. Make us wise as serpents and gentle as doves as we seek to serve You with all that we are and all that we have. In Jesus' name, Amen.
