THE SHREWD MANAGER

Luke 16:1-18 / Keywords 16:10

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.

 

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

16:1 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[a] 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[b] 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.

Additional Teachings

16 “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it. 17 It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

18 “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Footnotes

a. Luke 16:6 Or about 3,000 liters

b. Luke 16:7 Or about 30 tons

1. A rich man gave his manager notice that he will be laid off for mismanagement. In the face of his jobless future, the manager made several shrewd deals behind his master’s back. He reduced the debt owned by his master’s debtors and made friends with them. Recognizing the manager’s actions, the master commended him for his shrewdness. What does this parable have to do with us being wise about life to come? We, as Jesus’ people, are to be generous with our wealth in this life so that in the life to come our friends will welcome us into eternal dwellings. Everything we own in this world is God’s gift. We are His managers. We are to manage God-given resources well. Furthermore, we are to use them for the benefit of others. God is our Master, and our wealth must be at his disposal to build up his kingdom.

 

2. The Pharisees loved money and valued it highly. But Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and money.” He didn’t say, “You must not…” but “you cannot…” meaning it is simply impossible to do both. We are either devoted to God or enslaved to money. God knows our heart’s devotion.

 

3. As prophesied in the Law, the good news of the kingdom of God came to us. God’s word never changes, and we must also be faithful to God.

 

Prayer Lord, help me use what I have for your kingdom and your work.

One Word For eternal dwellings