Luke 16:1-15
Parable of the Shrewd Manager
1 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.
“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
The Rich Man is often depicted as representing God...Our LORD owns all the possessions of the earth and has control over all of them...He wants us to use all His possessions and resources wisely...
We can believe that the manager who mismanaged and wasted His possessions, are symbols of God's resources and creation...God calls the manager to account for his managing or in this case is mismanagement of His resources on earth...
We see that God commends the shrewd manager's cleverness, suggesting an appreciation for shrewdness and initiative, even when applied in questionable ways...Some believe that the shrewd manager is a normal wealthy individual...This interpretation views the parable's social commentary on wealth disparity and how the rich manage their resources...And how some of them trust in money and how they handle their own wealth...The shrewd manager also could be anyone entrusted with another's resources...This shrewd manager could be a financial manager, business steward, or individual managing spiritual gifts...The Parable shows how we make mistakes and we do not manage resources perfectly...Also, it shows how we sometimes might do a questionalbe deal...The manager, even using cleverness, though used unethically, illustrates the importance of resourcefulness and planning and using God's resources wisely...
Let us learn from this Parable and be responsible and resourceful with what's entrusted to us by others and by God, whether they be earthly possessions or Spiritual Gifts...God called on Adam and Eve to be good stewards of the earth when He told them: And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”...And when our LORD God took Adam and settled him in the garden of Eden, he was to cultivate and to take care of the Garden...Adam could eat anything in the Garden, but he was not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil...From that tree they could not eat; because if they ate from that Tree they would die...And then the LORD God said: It is not good for the man to be alone...God does not intend for us to be alone...WE are to be among others...
Later God told the Prophet Jeremiah: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce...Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that you may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease...But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare...
These talks to Adam and to Jeremiah are said to be cultural mandates of God...The cultural mandate is the command to exercise dominion over the earth, subdue it, and develop its latent potential...It is not good for man to be alone...God calls all humans, as those made in His Image, to fill the earth with His Glory through creating what we commonly call culture...And in a culture we need others to work with, help us, as well as we are to help them when they are in need...
If we are to have dominion over all the living things of the sea and the birds and animals of the heaven and every living thing that are on the earth, we must be good stewards of the earth, so they may survive and live heartily...So we must prepare for the future by using earth's resources wisely now...
The shrewd manager shows us that faith in little things can lead to greater responsibilities...How we handle everyday matters reflects our trustworthiness in larger matters...
We are to use worldly possessions to help others and build relationships and cultures...We are to show generosity and compassion, especially towards those in need...
We are to focus on eternal values rather than temporary material wealth...Invest in relationships and spiritual growth, which have lasting value...
Let us take decisive action to secure a favorable outcome for the future as well as the present...Plan for the future and make wise decisions, even in uncertain times...
We must embrace change...We like Adam and Eve, who were forced by God to leave the Garden, must adapt to difficult situations and find opportunities within them...Let us like Adam and Eve turn these types of changes and challenges into chances for growth and positive outcomes...
We without question will make mistakes, because we are sinners...But no matter our past mistakes, we have the opportunity for redemption and transformation...Jesus death on the Cross takes care of our sin debt...Let us use our present opportunities to make wise choices for a better future...
And we must recognize the difficulty of serving both God and material wealth...Material things are not life's priority...Let us choose to prioritize God and God's Will over worldly pursuits...No one can serve two masters...Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other...You cannot serve both God and money...
Let us learn to forgive...We must seek reconciliation and peace with those we have wronged or who have wronged us....Jesus teaches us to love our enemies and much about forgiving them...We are to build bridges of forgiveness, mercy, and understanding...God forgives the shrewd manager of misusing His resources...
We should learn that the Spiritual Riches and Eternal Rewards are the things that give life meaning...Let us focus on Eternal Life with our Father and His Son and not on solely on material wealth on earth...Invest in what has lasting value, Eternal Life and brings true fulfillment and an Abundant Life with our Father and His Son...