Parable of the Manager

Faithful with the Finances: God's Call to Stewardship

Bible Passage: Luke 16:1–13

Summary: In this parable, Jesus teaches about a shrewd manager who, realizing he is about to be unemployed, takes bold steps to secure his future. This story reveals important truths about the use of resources, the character of God, and the call to be faithful stewards in the face of worldly pressures.

· “Luke 16 teaches that wealth and possessions, like allegiances to masters, spouses, and Torah, are given their rightful place in life and fulfill their purpose when they are made subservient to the sovereignty and service of God.”

How we steward our resources, and those of others over whom we’ve been given stewardship responsibilities, is a sort of “test” as to whether we can handle the true wealth of God’s kingdom.

Teaching: This passage teaches that stewardship is not just about money but encompasses all the resources God has entrusted to us. It challenges the audience to think wisely and strategically about their possessions and to use them in ways that honor God and build His kingdom.

How this passage could point to Christ: In the context of scripture, Jesus is the ultimate steward, faithfully managing His mission on earth and ultimately offering His life for our salvation. Just as the shrewd manager planned for the future, Jesus calls us to invest our resources in a way that reflects His priorities and purposes.

Big Idea: God calls us to be shrewd and faithful stewards of our resources, reflecting His generosity and care for others through our financial choices.

1. Stewardship's Starting Point

Luke 16:1-4

In these verses, we can see the concept of stewardship by examining the manager's desperate situation and his creative, albeit unethical, response. Highlight the urgency in our own lives to recognize and take action in our financial dealings. Emphasize the call to be proactive stewards who seek to align our resources with God's purposes, even while in difficult situations.

· The key problem with the manager in this parable is mismanagement and unethical stewardship (“the manager was accused of wasting [the rich man’s] possessions…[of being] dishonest” [vv. 2, 8]).

· As with the parable of the bags of gold, we are told that biblical stewardship includes giving an account to God and people of how we steward what’s entrusted to us (vs. 2).

2. Strategic Stewardship for the Future

Luke 16:5-9

Maybe in this section, you could discuss the manager's shrewdness in forgiving the debts to secure his future, as a lesson on the wise planning of resources. Encourage the congregation to consider how they might use their financial influence to build relationships and further God's Kingdom, reflecting Christ's strategic mission on earth.

· The puzzling twist in this parable is vs. 8A—“the master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly.” Shrewdly denotes wise, sensible, and prudent stewardship.

SPECIAL NOTE: This very difficult commendation does not justify dishonest stewardship, financial trickiness, or financial manipulation. Such is a misunderstanding and misapplication of the parable’s twist. Rather, the commendation shifts the focus to an attitude, namely, “If ‘children of this age’ understand how the world works and use it to their benefit; why do ‘children of light’ not understand the ways of the kingdom of God?”

3. Steadfast in Small and Great

Luke 16:10-13

You could conclude with these final verses by focusing on the call to faithfulness in small and great matters. Stress the importance of trustworthiness, reflecting on how our daily financial choices reflect our loyalty to God. Draw connections to how Jesus exemplifies perfect stewardship and calls us to mirror His generosity and integrity.

Jesus’ closing exhortation following the parable is a warning to not let that which God has given us to steward assume the place only God should have in life (vs. 13).