A STORY ABOUT MONEY... KEEP THE CHANGE
LUKE 16:1-15
INTRODUCTION... Bark worse than the Bite, Campus Life, December 1980, p. 19
What is the most outrageous thing you would do for $10,000 cash? That’s the question posed by Chicago radio station WKOX, which attracted responses from more than 6,000 full-tilt crazies. The eventual winner: Jay Gwaltney of Zionsville, Indiana, who consumed an 11-foot birch sapling—leaves, roots, bark and all. For the event, he donned a tux and dined at a table set elegantly with china, sterling, candles and a rose vase.Armed with pruning sheers, the Indiana State University sophomore began chomping from the top of the tree and worked his way, branch by branch, to the roots. His only condiment: French dressing for the massive birch-leaf salad.The culinary feat took 18 hours over a period of three days. When it was all over, Gwaltney complained of an upset stomach. Evidently the bark was worse than his bite.
READ LUKE 16:1-15
I. THE SITUATION
I think that this story that we’ll look at today is one of those that Jesus told to make a very specific point. In fact, I do not think that Jesus made this story up. I think Jesus was telling His disciples about some events that happened between a rich man and his manager. He did this to help drive His point about money home. It would almost have to be a real story because in the story, the rich man commends the manager for being dishonest. We know that is not something Jesus would include in one of His own stories, but He is using this story for a specific purpose.
The story centers on a manager in the services of a rich man. When I read this story, I always think of Joseph in Potiphar’s house in the Old Testament. Joseph was the manager of the household and servants and businesses. It was the same with this fellow. This man was #2 over the estate of the rich man. It was the area of finance that got him into trouble... he faced an audit... and lost his job.
The man is scared out of his mind! There is no help for him once he’s gone. There is no welfare or unemployment line. Once he is fired, he’s on his own. He thinks of a plan to help himself. He calls in several men who owe the rich master and reduces their debt, making himself some good friends in the process. These people will surely take him in when he hits the streets! He does this debt reduction to make friends. The master realizes what this man has done and commends him for being shrewd. The manager had prepared places for himself to go.
II. THE COMPLICATION
The complication and the problem is that we don’t understand what this parable means. What does this parable mean for is and our money? What does Jesus mean in verse 9 when He says, “use worldly wealth to gain friends”? That doesn’t sound like Jesus! What is the point of the parable?
III. THE RESOLUTION
The key to the whole parable lies in verse 9, though this verse does cause us problems because it seems like bad advice and doesn’t sound like Jesus. In looking at this parable, if we can determine what Jesus means in verse 9, then the rest of the parable will fall into place.
ILLUSTRATION... My survey (p)
What do we do with our money in our culture? Well, I took a little survey the other night as I watched TV. I made a note of the TV ads and what they were for. In one evening of watching TV, I am encouraged to buy new cars, buy new homes, and buy a pen for $19.95 that would cost me $150.00 in a store. I am encouraged to go to stores and buy the latest fashions, tools, and toys. I can buy life insurance for just $26 dollars a day! I am to spend spend spend all that I earn on these things.
ILLUSTRATION... US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/news.release/cesan.txt
What do we spend our money on?
1. Housing 2. Transportation 3. Food 4. Insurance 5. Health Care 6. Entertainment 7. Clothing
Jesus says, “use worldly wealth to gain friends.” On the surface, we may immediately think that Jesus wants us to have lavish parties and give wonderful gifts to the people around us. We should plan expensive vacations and take everyone we know with us. Is that what Jesus is saying? I don’t think that is what Jesus had in mind.
Jesus meant for us to use our money to help those around us by serving them. We have been trained to think that the money we have is used to buy things. That is what our culture tells us. We have been trained to think that the money we have is for our use and our use only.
What about the homeless?
What about supporting a local youth organization that helps kids... YMCA, Boy Scouts, ,Girl Scouts?
Why not make sure you tithe to the church so that we can reach out to the community?
What about giving gifts to those you know are in need?
Jesus’ words have a whole new meaning when we think of them in this way. Jesus is telling us to use our money to help people, and to gain their friendships. And when our money is all gone, we will be left with eternal riches and our friends at our side in Heaven because they came to believe because of our good gifts.
Jesus goes on in the parable to expand His teaching. He lets us know that our money is to be used to help people, make friends because of good deeds, etc. He continues to teach. He says that how we use our money is a matter of faith and trust. The matter of finances is a small thing. Jesus lets us know that those who are trustworthy in small matters will be trusted with bigger ones.
ILLUSTRATION... AW Tozer in “I Talk Back to the Devil”
"Money often comes between men and God. Someone has said that you can take two small ten-cent pieces, just two dimes, and shut out the view of a panoramic landscape. Go to the mountains and just hold two coins closely in front of your eyes--the mountains are still there, but you cannot see them at all because there is a dime shutting off the vision in each eye." It doesn’t take large quantities of money to come between us and God; just a little, placed in the wrong position, will effectively obscure our view.
CONCLUSION
* Money is not just for things, but for helping people too
* Managing money is a matter of trust and faith between you and God
* Be devoted to God rather than to money
