The Dishonest Manager

Luke 16:11 (ESV)

If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?

Luke 16:12 (ESV)

And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

Luke 16:1-13 (ESV)
He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. ² And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ ³ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ ⁵ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ⁶ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ ⁷ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ ⁸ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. ⁹ And 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. ¹⁰ “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. ¹¹ If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? ¹³ No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

• You might say money is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.
• Do you possess it or does it possess you?

1 Timothy 6:8-12a (ESV)
But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. ¹¹ But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith.

1 Peter 1:3-5 (ESV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

• Do you believe that more money is the solution?

• Do we communicate that in our giving?
• What makes someone truly poor?
• What is the greatest need of the poor?
• Are you sharing the eternal gift of Christ?
• The early church modeled generosity and benevolence within the body especially?
• As we have learned through the previous parable we should not spend our lives or His wealth on wasteful things.
• How are you stewarding the breath the Lord gave you? As well as all His other gifts?

Luke 16:1-2 (ESV)
He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. ² And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

• What if you had to give the Lord an account of your life today?
• Are you living a life worthy of your calling?
• Are you being a faithful steward?

1 Corinthians 4:2 (ESV)
Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

• Are you using the Lord’s gifts for His glory?
• Here we read of the prodigal steward who is wasteful because he forgot Who it all belongs to.
• Have you forgotten too?
• Does the stewardship of your life please the Lord?
• Are you wasting His wealth?
• Our Father’s desire is to reward us for faithfulness
• But He will discipline us for wastefulness!
• It is interesting here that it does not matter how much we have.
• How are you doing with true riches? Time? Relationships? Spiritual gifts?
• Here is the point: The dishonest manager used his opportunity wisely and prepared for the future.
• Are you preparing for eternity?
• We are blessed to be a blessing, saved to serve!
• We ultimately have been given the mission to share the Good News in love.

1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (ESV)
each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. ¹⁴ If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Luke 16:3-8 (ESV)
And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ ⁵ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ⁶ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ ⁷ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ ⁸ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 

• Jesus commends him for using the opportunity in a shrew way.
• This is definitely not advocating stealing or dishonesty.
• Jesus is saying that we should steward our opportunities to relieve the debts of other with the same passion and diligence that the sons of the world pursue money.
• The key is having an eternal perspective.

Luke 16:9-12 (ESV)

And 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. ¹⁰ “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. ¹¹ If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

• Make friends with earthly or unrighteous wealth.
• Why? So when it fails in the end you will be welcome by those you have invested in with it!
• How we treat and relate to earthly wealth is a test.
• The Lord will not entrust true riches to those who waste or hinder the Lord’s mission.
• It was so obvious in Paul’s approach to mission and ministry that money was not a priority.

Luke 16:13 (ESV)

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

• Are you trying to serve 2 masters?
• Have you ever tried to travel in 2 directions?

Matthew 5:8 (ESV)
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

• Money is our servant if God is our Master.
• We become like what we truly worship!