Using God’s Money in the Devil’s World

If you have your Bibles, please take them and find Luke 16:1.  I want to share a message with you entitled, “God’s Money in the Devil’s World.”

 

We are studying the gospel of Luke here at EBC on  Sunday mornings.  Please don’t think today’s sermon is some special occasion for a special audience.  It is simply the next text as we left off from last Sunday at the end of Luke 15.

 

Again, we are going to see another one of Jesus’ parables.  While some parables can be found in other gospels, today’s is unique to Luke.

 

Also, it is hard parable to understand.  Most commentators agree that it is the most difficult to understand in Luke’s gospel.  Therefore, today, I am going to do the best I can in teaching it to you.

 

Here is what I think is the best understanding and main point of this text.  For followers of Christ, we are to be as responsible as we can be with God’s Money in the Devil’s World specially with generosity to others and planning for the future.

 

Here is one more think before we look at this text.  One of the reason today’s parable is so difficult is because Jesus use a bad example to teach us a good lesson. 

 

However, that is not new for us.  Think about the lesson, “Don’t drink and drive.”  That is a good lesson from a bad example.  Hopefully, remember this, that Jesus can use a bad example to teach a good lesson, will help us today.

 

 

1. The Parable of the Unjust Steward, Luke 16:1-7

1 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’  3 “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’  5 “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So 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?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

 

Before we get to verse 1, look at verse 8.  In that verse you find the phrase “unjust steward.”  This is how the parable gets its traditional name.

 

Notice in verse 1 that Jesus was speaking to His disciples.  Therefore, this parable is meant for followers of Christ and to reveal mysteries about the way God’s wants us to live.

 

The parable begins with a certain rich man who had a steward.  We don’t use that word often, but other translations use the word “manager.

 

This manager was in charge of the rich man’s wealth. We might think along the lines of a financial planner.

 

Some people who knew the rich man and his manager brought an accusation to the rich man that his manager was not doing a good job.  In fact, the accusation was that he was wasting his goods.

 

This is the reason he was called an unjust steward.  Other translations say unrighteous manager of dishonest manager.

 

As a result, look at verse 2. The rich man called him in and made him give an account of his behavior. 

 

Consequently, the rich man had one thing to say to the unjust steward.  YOU’RE FIRED!

 

However, because of the rest of the parable, it seems that the unjust steward had a little time with the rich man’s business before he gone completely.  The text indicates he went to some of the rich man’s business partners.

 

Why did he did this?  He realized an awful reality. He no longer had a job.

 

Therefore, he thought through several options.  First, he thought manual labor, but knew that wasn’t for him.

 

Second, he thought about becoming a beggar.  However, he was too proud for that.

 

Verse 4 said another idea came to him.  He would go to the rich man’s business partners and make friends with them by doing something favorable to them so that they might remember him when he was jobless.

 

In verses 5-7, we have to examples.  First, the unjust steward told this man to only payback to the rich man half of the olive oil he owed him. 

 

Second, the unjust steward went to another man who owed the rich man wheat.  He was told to only pay back 80% of what he originally owed.

 

One of the difficulties of this parable is to figure out how the unjust steward got away with this.  I would say that the difference in what was paid back was either his commission or interest.

 

Regardless, these two business partners now the viewed the unjust steward as favorable.  He decreased their bill but yet the rich man wasn’t out anything.  He gained nothing, and he lost nothing.

 

 

2. The Point of the Unjust Steward, Luke 16:8a

8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.

 

In verse 8, the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. However, this verse is full of questions.

 

Is the master the rich man in the parable or Jesus?  I would say the rich man.

 

What made the manager unjust?  Remember why he was fired?  He was wasting the rich man’s wealth.

 

What had he done that was shrewd that deserved commendation?  Maybe, we should try to understand the word shrewd.

 

As I have referenced others translations this morning in trying to understand this parable, consider the King James Version.  Instead of shrewd, it uses the word wise.

 

I would say the master commended the steward for dealing wisely.  How so?

 

He planned for the future by treating benefiting the rich man’s business partners?  How was this wise?

 

Look back at verse 4.  By giving them a break, they might remember him when he was out of job and needed a place to live.

 

Do you remember what I told you was the main point of this parable?  As followers of Christ with God’s money in the Devil’s world, we should be responsible with our resources specially by being generous to others and planning for the future.

 

That is what the unjust steward did.  He cut their bill being generous, and the was planning for the future by endearing them to him.

 

At the end of verse 8, Jesus said we can learn a lesson from lost people. They are often more responsible with their money in planning for the future than Christians are.

 

 

3. Our Practices because of the Unjust Steward, Luke 16:9-13

9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?  13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

 

So what should we take away from this parable?  What should be our application or practices?

 

First, look at verse 9.  Use God’s money in the Devil’s World being generous to others so that you may be rewarded in heaven.

 

Make friends for yourself.  In other words, spend you money on others rather than self.

 

When you fail or literally the money fails and is no longer good, they, being your friends that you have evangelized and discipled, will welcome to you in heaven. 

 

Don’t bribe people, but spend your more generously on others with a spiritual goal in mind.  When we do this, we are investing in eternity.

 

Second, look at verses 10-12.  Use God’s money in the Devil’s World responsibly so that God will give you more.

 

God will give me more money?  Not necessarily, but maybe.

 

These verses seem to indicate God will give more responsibility to those who are faithful in using the resources they have responsibly like being generous to others and planning for the future.

 

Finally, if ever you think you must choose between money and God, choose God.  You can’t serve both.  They are mutually exclusive.