The Dishonest Manager

Illustration and Background

Jesus is talking to 2 groups: The disciples and the Pharisees

He is talking to an audience that listens to every word he says, and one who reviles him

Yet when you look at this audience, both groups are members of the Jewish faith

It appears that this parable is intended to communicate something to this particular audience, but what that is exactly remains unseen

V 1-3

There is a manager who is placed in charge of a rich man’s finances

This manager has been given the keys to the kingdom. He is to oversee what this rich man has

But he has been dishonest in his dealings

We aren’t given information as to how, we just know that he is

He is called to account for his wrongdoings and show what he has done

“Show Me the receipts”

Scripture is clear that we will at some point be called to account for how we used things like our time, our talents, and our treasure

Romans 14:10-12

2 Cor 5:9-10

Hebrews 13:17

This manager takes a look at what he has done and knows that this is the end of his time with this rich man. But he resolves in his heart he cannot be thrown to the streets or be poor. So he takes action

V 4-8

The manager appears to take the accounts to which he had not collected on, and reduced their fees as to collect the rewards presently

“Better some than none” mentality

The Manager then proceeds to commend his wisdom in doing so

The word “shrewdness” in other places in the New Testament appears in reference to things such as those who follow the teachings of Christ and as a comparitive to those who are foolish

The manager took a look at what he had, in light of what was to come, and managed what he was given well

While Jesus here is not condoning stealing, there is a sense in which Christ is encouraging good stewardship of the resources one has in light of heaven

We have each been given different people that we influence, different circles we run in, different giftings, different financial standing

We are not the best at stewarding the blessings that have been given to us

Budgeting software is a 1.7 billion dollar industry

Our question should be are we leveraging it for eternity?

If we have been blessed with a lot of time, how are we stewarding it?

If we are blessed with money, are we generous?

If we have friends and those who don’t know Christ, do they know his love through us?

What do our words say about us?

V 9-13

Jesus is now moving from addressing the disciples in leveraging the things they’ve been gifted with for the church, to addressing the Pharisees listening in on what he was saying

There seems to be a relatively clear line drawn here about the Love of money

Because it is one of the least valuable possessions in the kingdom of God, if one can steward well without falling in love with it, they can be trusted with much more than just money

yet to the one who cannot even be trusted with finances, there is little that they can actually be trusted with

For if you cannot handle things that are temporal and steward them well, how will the eternal be any better?

You cannot serve two masters

There is a genuine pursuit we all have towards money

Money=comfort

Jesus is not denying the value of money or saying that it has no purpose, but rather if it is what we worship, how empty will our lives be?

Whether we die poor or we die rich none of our money comes with us

To love the temporal is to sacrifice the eternal

You cannot do both. You can care about both, both are of value, but only one do you dedicate yourself to

If money is the choice you cannot choose God