The Unrighteous Steward

“THE UNRIGHTEOUS STEWARD”

Luke 16:1-9

Fr. Christopher M. Nerreau

Illustration: Have you ever watched the tv show where people bring in antique items and they are appraised. After evaluating an item an expert will say something like – “This is a fine piece, worth $5,000.00 but if you get the right person maybe $6,000.00. In other words the piece is worth $5,000.00 but if you find a sucker you could get more. You see they place money above people. We do the same when we try to sell our home, or car. The first question we ask is not what is our home or our car worth, we ask – “What do you think I can GET for it.”

• If I were to ask you – “What is the topic Jesus spoke of most often while here on Earth?”

o The Kingdom of Heaven?

o The Salvation of God?

o Sin, Righteousness?

• Believe it or not the answer is money. Christ spoke about stewardship, money and material wealth more than anything other topic. You can compile all of His thoughts on money into a single statement found is (v.13).

Proposition: Christians cannot serve both God and wealth; we will be devoted to one and despise the other. (v.13)

Interrogative sentence: Are you a good steward of what God has given you?

Sermon Preview: Today Jesus is going to challenge us on our understanding of material wealth through the decisions of a unrighteous steward who was:

1. SQUANDERING HIS MASTERS POSSESSIONS (v.1)

2. SCARED OF HIS MASTERS PRONOUNCEMENT (v.2-3)

3. SHREWD IN LIGHT OF HIS PREDICAMENT (V.8)

Transitional Sentence: Let’s begin by looking at how the man was…

I. SQUANDERING HIS MASTERS POSSESSIONS (v. 1)

Explanation: THE BIBLE SAYS: Luke 16:1 “There was a rich man who had a manager…and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions.”

The manager had no riches of his own; he was living on the riches of his boss. He was “squandering” his masters “possessions”…

SQUANDERING – TO SPEND FOOLISHLY, TO WASTE (current tense)

POSSESSIONS – ASSETTS (PROPERTY, LIVESTOCK)

• In those days the rich had not relations with the poor working class, they would hire managers to deal with the working class for them. In a similar way to that of a stock broker, the manager would set the prices of goods to be sold and made his living on whatever he could charge above and beyond the cost of the goods being sold.

• It is interesting that this story is told on the heels of the story of the Prodigal Son who was also a poor steward. Like this man the prodigal was wasting his Fathers money and not his own.

Illustration: We love to spend other people’s money, look at credit theft, or gamblers who say – “I am playing with “house” money.” Something about it makes us feel empowered, as if there were no consequence for having done so.

Application:

• Do you do this? Spend others money foolishly?

• Have you ever considered the fact that God owns “EVERYTHING!” God created the Heavens and the Earth. If God owns everything, then you own nothing. Do you want to rethink your answer to my first question?

• Isn’t it true that you Squander the Lord’s possessions – “your time, talents and treasure.

• This is not some stranger we are discussing, it’s you and it’s me.

Transitional Sentence: So we see the how the manager squandered the possessions of the rich man, now lets turn our attention to how he…

II. SCARED OF HIS MASTERS PRONOUNCEMENT (v. 2-3)

Explanation: Having been called into the office of the rich man and having been found out, the manager is now fired. He begins to experience great fear about his future. How will he make a living as an old man?

THE BIBLE SAYS – “(v.2) And he called and said to him, “what is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager. (v.3) What shall I do... I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg.”

• Here we see the dilemma of the man, he is too old to start making his living through hard labor and having tasted the high life was too proud to beg.

• Here we see that this man is overcome with the reality of LIFE WITHOUT THE RICHES OF HIS MASTER.

Illustration: I can remember when I first moved out of my house into an apartment. I stayed up very late that night, watched football with the tv real loud. I drank a cold beer, watched a movie, and left my dishes out on the table. It was great, but when I did finally go to bed, I began to panic as I realized- “I am on my own” it was very scary. Like the unrighteous steward I could do whatever I wanted but I was alone!