Faithful in Little and Faithful in much

Proposition: God has entrusted everyone with the things they have, nothing we have belongs to us. We have a sacred Responsibility to Steward what we have been given.

Purpose: I want my listeners to walk away knowing what God has given them, and feel empowered to manage it well.

*Opening

Growing up, one of my favorite movies in the whole world was Toby Maguires Spider man 1. There was something to cool to me about Spider Mans Origin Story. he starts off as a nerdy kid who gets picked on or overlooked. I resonated because I was a quiet kid who was kind of nerdy and definitly I felt like I was overlooked or overshadowed or whatever. Now to be clear, this was not at home, this was out in the world. For all of elementart school I had two main friends, their names were Braeden and Megan. Other than that, I felt mostly overlooked. So Spidermans story of turning from this shy person who was alone and overlooked, into the most powerful person in the city was really intriuging. But he had a few rough patches, he used his powers to win the girl, he used them to make himself look good, he used them to try to and win.

Which ultimately failed him. It was the decisions he made that led to the defining moment and his biggest consequence.

**Video Clip of Spider Man 1

Uncle ben told Spider man, With Great Power, Comes great Responsibility.

This has always Reminded me of Luke 16:10 ““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.”

Today we are focusing on Luke 16:1-13 This entire passage can be summed by verse 13, but lets work through it together today.

First, lets pray.

1. What we do today, has immediate and eternal consequences

I am going to start off by reading this scripture. Luke 16:1–3 says this “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. 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.’ 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.”

In this scripture I see a couple of key things.

First I see someone who has failed and knows it, he says “what sahll I do...” To understand whats going on here, we need to know what he was managing.

Jesus said that He was managing the rich mans possesions. This means that the manager would have enjoyed some of the same luxuries that the rich man would enjoy to a slightly lesser extent. But compared to many others he would have looked like somebody who enjoyed a lavish life. So in losing this job he is really losing everything. His place to stay, his lifestyle, and ultimatly his comfort. The other thing that I can see in this man is that he is keenly aware of his own abilities and yet too proud to do what he must.

This can be all to familiar in our own lives.

When I first moved out of my parents house and was just married, my wife and I were really living paycheck to paycheck, going to peoples house for dinner so that we could save a meal, counting our groceries closely really just trying to figure out being adults. We had jobs but we were still struggling. Yet the last thing that I was willing to do was to ask for help. I see myself in this passage. Putting on a front, like we could afford it all, going out with our friends to dinner, unsure if we would have enough food at home for dinner tommorow. Then, one week my dad was insisting that there was so much extra at the corps, they could give us a food box, you might as well save the money. But he knew and could tell that we were struggling that food he gave us that week got us through to our paycheck.

I knew that I had been unable to manage our finances well and I was not willing to ask for help.

What I believe Jesus is teaching in these 3 verses is There are consequences to how we steward the things that the Lord has blessed us with. It is teaching that there are consequences in both the here and now and in the heavenly realm This man lost everything because of his failure.

This is an idea that in not only in the parables of Jesus, but it is echoed thorughout scripture.

1 Corinthians 4:2 says “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”

Or even the entire of Joseph, God raised him to to be seated at the right hand of of the most powerful ruler on earth becuase God knew he could steward well doing the draught and famine.

There are examples of faithful stewardship and examples of faithless stewards, but throughout these examples, there are consequences bot eteranlly and in on earth.

“Trust that is broken often leads to the loss ofprivilege and that privelege may never be recovered”

So with great blessings, comes great responsiblity…

Therefore...

2. Be a Wise Steward

The next verses say this, Luke 16:4–9 “I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 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.’ 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. 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.”

This part of the parable can be confusing. Why is Jesus telling a story where the main character is dishonest, and then he gets praised?

Here’s the key: Jesus is not commending dishonesty. He’s highlighting the wisdom—or “shrewdness”—of the manager. Jesus uses a greek term that is translated to shrewdness, but not the same idea that we think of today. Every single time this word is used in the NT it is not being used in a negative way. In other passages it was translated to wise, or sensible. So this word didnt carry the same negative connotation that we associate with it today. But Even in his failure, the man acts decisively and plans for the future. He realizes his time is short, and he uses his influence wisely before it's gone. This is what Jesus commends.

Illustration: Chess and Consequences

Something that you will learn about me is that I am extremely competitive

I once met a man who used to teach chess to kids at a local community center. He told me the biggest lesson he ever taught wasn’t about chess—it was about foresight. He’d say, “You can win with fewer pieces if you think ahead. The person who plans two moves ahead wins against the person who plays by impulse every time.”

That’s what Jesus is pointing out here: the dishonest manager may have failed in the past, but now, he’s thinking ahead. He’s finally considering the consequences. He’s using what he has left to prepare for what’s next.

Teaching

Jesus uses this story to challenge us, the “children of light” (v. 8b), because so often, we don’t live with the same urgency and intentionality as those in the world do for earthly things.

He then says this in verse 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.”

In other words, use worldly resources for Kingdom purposes. Money is temporary—it will fail. But what we do with it can have eternal results.

Supporting Scriptures

Proverbs 3:9 – “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce.” → Use your resources to honor God.

Matthew 6:19–20 – “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth… but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” → Invest in eternity.

1 Timothy 6:17–18 – “Instruct those who are rich… to be generous and ready to share, storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future…” → Stewardship today prepares us for forever.

🛠️ Application

You might think, “I don’t have much to offer.” But Jesus doesn’t ask how much you have—He asks what you’re doing with it.

Are you thinking wisely about your money? Your time? Your energy? Your influence?

Maybe that looks like:

Setting aside a portion to bless someone in need

Volunteering your skill to serve others

Saying “no” to something now so you can say “yes” to something eternal later

Because wise stewardship isn’t just about giving—it’s about living with purpose.

So with great blessing comes great responsibility…

Therefore…

3. You Cannot Serve God and Money

and finally this passage closes with these verses.

Luke 16:10–13 ““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. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 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.””

Jesus cuts straight to the heart. You can’t fake faithfulness. It’s proven in the little things. He’s saying: If you’re not trustworthy with the temporary stuff, why would God entrust you with something greater?

And then He says the line we all need to hear:

“You cannot serve God and money.”

🧠 Illustration: The Two Bosses

I had a friend years ago who took on two part-time jobs. One boss was really flexible and kind. The other was demanding and had no respect for his time. It wasn’t long before he was constantly choosing between them. Eventually, he had to quit one—because you can’t be loyal to two bosses with competing demands.

Jesus is saying the same thing here. You can’t serve God and also serve money. One will win your heart—and the other will be pushed out.

📖 Teaching

This isn’t just about wealth—it’s about worship.

Jesus teaches that money is a test. It reveals what we value. It challenges where we place our trust. And it competes for the spot only God deserves in our hearts.

📚 Supporting Scriptures

Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and money.” → This is the parallel verse from the Sermon on the Mount.

Colossians 3:2 – “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” → Align your priorities with eternal things.

Hebrews 13:5 – “Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” → Trust God as your provider—not wealth.

🛠️ Application

Let’s make it real:

Are you spending more time worrying about money than praying?

Are you more excited about a raise than a spiritual breakthrough?

Are you more likely to rearrange your schedule for work than for serving God?

These questions don’t condemn—they reveal. They help us see where our allegiance lies.

And here’s the good news: when we choose to serve God, we find freedom. Freedom from anxiety. Freedom from the pressure to “get ahead.” Freedom to live generously, wisely, and joyfully.

Because when God is your Master, money becomes a tool—not a trap.