SPEAKING OF MONEY (1): SHREWD INVESTING

(Luke 16:1-8)
May 8, 2016
Read Lu 16:1-8 A prospective woman juror is asked about capital
punishment. I dont believe in it, she says. The judge replies, This is a
case about a woman whose husband took some money she was saving for a
new dress and lost it at the track. The woman thinks for a moment and then
says, Maybe I can change my mind about capital punishment. Thats
funny bc money affects the way we think about just about everything. From
the time we are old enough to know what it is, it dominates our thoughts. I
can remember sitting on our farm in NE when I was probably 5 years old
staring at the first dollar bill I ever had and thinking how much money that
was. Money has a hypnotizing effect on all of us. Those who dont have it
want it. Those who have a little want a lot; and those who have a lot want
more.
Money itself, of course, is not evil. It is neutral. It is love of money that is the
problem. But that love is an infectious disease. And believers are not exempt.
I Tim 6:10: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through
this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced
themselves with many pangs. Money is like nitroglycerin. Handled properly
it is very useful. But its volatility makes it a serial killer. Few people can
handle money without blowing themselves up. Check out the history of
lottery winners, most of whom wrecked their lives on their winnings. It reeks
of glitz and glamor, pulling people away from reality in the pursuit and
preservation of riches that have a very short shelf life.
So it is no surprise that we find Jesus often speaking of money. Out of 40
recorded parables that our Lord gave, 1/3 of them relate to money. You are
deeply mistaken if you believe the Lord doesnt care how you handle money.
He does. And thats true whether you have a lot of it, a little of it or are
somewhere in the middle. How we think about and handle money displays a
lot about our spiritual temperature.
So in Luke 16 Jesus is speaking of money to His disciples His followers.
This is instruction for believers. He does so by first giving a parable in vv. 1-8
well look at this week. Then He teaches 3 fascinating lessons in vv. 9-13
which we will look at next week. Some have questioned whether this is really
about money or simply about spiritual commitment. But there is no doubt that
1

Jesus is speaking of money. His summary in v. 13 settles that issue

definitively: You cannot serve God and money. The word wealth is used
twice (9, 11). Riches is used in v. 9 and look at the context of v. 14: The
Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they
ridiculed him. Those who heard this knew it was about money. Jesus intent
here is to help us understand how God would have us handle money.
Now, at first blush this parable is difficult. Is it teaching against making
money out of other money? Is it teaching us to use sharp or even dishonest
financial practices to get money? Is it teaching that it is okay to cheat someone
else to solve our problems? As we look in more detail, we will see that it is
none of those things. So, lets look at the parable today to see the one main
message. Then next week 3 critical applications drawn from that.
I.

The Crisis (1-3)

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.
Notice first that this parable was addressed to the disciples. So it is for
believers. Jesus invents a rich man who, in accordance with common practice,
has a manager to oversee his affairs. But charges have been brought by
someone unspecified that his manager is playing fast and loose with the rich
mans possessions. There is no hint of fraud. The charges brought are not
legal charges, but accusations of unfaithfulness perhaps by one of the
workers who has observed this man or a friend of the rich man who is
concerned.
The accusation is that he has been wasting his possessions. Its the same
word used in Lu 15:13 where we are told that the prodigal son squandered
his property in reckless living. The root word means to scatter. Think of
tossing $1000 bills out the window of a NYC high rise and you have the idea.
Were not told how this man is wasting resources. Perhaps he is buying
unnecessary new equipment and getting some benefits on the side. Perhaps he
was not negotiating the best prices. Perhaps he is not getting the best out of the
laborers. He is neglectful. While not legally culpable, he is an unfaithful
steward. He was using the owners possessions as tho they were his and
forgetting his responsibility to the man who provided them.
The owners action is predictable. 2And he called him and said to him, What
is this that I hear about you? Its an open-ended question designed to reveal
2

nothing of what he has heard but to solicit further incriminating information

from a manager who doesnt know for sure what he has been told. Typical
business ploy then and now. But the manager does not take the bait. He is
silent. His silence is an admission of guilt, but at least he is not adding
information that the owner may not know. However, in this case, the silence
confirms the already incriminating info the owner has so he responds: Turn in
the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager. In other
words, Youre fired! Pack up and get out, but first give me a final
accounting.
Naturally, this precipitates a crisis for the manager. 3 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. Hes lost
his cushy job, but he is either too old or too out of shape to do manual work.
And he is too proud to beg. Govt subsidies and unemployment benefits were
not an option in those days. So he is in a world of hurt. What shall I do?
Thats his dilemma. Hes now in crisis mode.
II.

The Cure (4-7)

Given his circumstances, the manager sits down and begins to think. And he
comes up with a brilliant scheme at least for himself. 4 I have decided what
to do, (this phrase is kind of like Eureka! Ive got it! Hes decided what to
do) so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into
their houses. Heres his plan. The owner has fired him, but he still has to do
that final accounting, so he still has access to the books. This opens the door
to an amazing possibility.
Rather than create an accounting, the manager begins to go to various clients
who are indebted to the master and offer discounts on their loans -- thus
ingratiating himself to them. They dont know hes been fired. In v. 5 he
represents himself as still representing my master. He still has the notes, so
the scheme works to perfection. To one he offers a 20% discount on his wheat
loan. To another he offers a 50% discount on his oil debt. Other are not
mentioned but implied. Before long, they are all in his debt but at his
masters expense, of course. He has used his masters assets to secure his
own future. Thats the key to the parable.
Now commentators have made all manner of suggestions to exonerate this
guy. They just cannot accept that Jesus is making a positive parable about a
3

cheating scoundrel, so they try to clean him up! For example, some suggest
that since it was against Gods law to charge interest, and people often got
around that by charging it not in money but in commodities that what this
guy was doing was deducting the interest portion of the debt, thus 1) obeying
God, 2) bringing his master into conformity with Gods law and 3) putting
things right with the debtors. Everyone wins! Thats one explanation. Others
suggest that he himself had been illegally adding his own commission to the
loans and that he is now backing that out. The point is all manner of effort is
made by good commentators to exonerate this fellow.
But they all fail on one point. Jesus himself says he is disreputable. Look at v.
8, The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. Any
defense of this mans actions is nullified by the fact that Jesus Himself says
he was dishonest. So what is the point? Is Jesus teaching that the end justifies
the means? Is He suggesting that any scheme to get oneself out of a jam is
justified? Is He commending dishonesty? To answer that question, we have to
look very carefully at our next point. The surprise ending to the parable.
III.

The Commendation (8)

Youd think that Jesus would be condemning this guy for his unscrupulous
behavior continued robbing from his master after he has been fired, right?
Instead, he is commended. First the master commends him, and then Jesus
explains further. 8 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. So what gives? Shouldnt this guy be
condemned for major fraud? In real life, yes. In real life, anything
commendable about him would have been overshadowed by his dishonesty.
But this is a parable, and remember that parables have one main point. Jesus
is specifically using this bad man to teach one critical truth. Three
observations will answer for us see that.
First, cheating is not commended. Jesus calls the manager dishonest (literally,
unrighteous), so he is not being commended for his dishonesty. Neither Jesus
nor the master are recommending dishonesty as a means of advancing ones
agenda. That is not glossed over and swept under the rug it is acknowledged.
They are not saying he is commended for cheating.
Second what is commended is his shrewdness (literally that he acted
prudently). Given the crisis with which he was faced and the framework
4

within which he lived, he did not continue his wasteful ways instead he
acted prudently to provide for his future. He found a way to provide future
security, dishonest though it was. In the dog-eat-dog world that was his only
frame of reference. He provided for a temporal future that was also his only
frame of reference. He is not commended for his crookedness but for his
shrewdness in planning for his future by worldly means.
So the third observation Jesus comment: For the sons of this world are
more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. He
notes that the sons of this world (unbelievers) are more diligent in investing
in a temporary future than the sons of light (believers) are in investing in an
eternal future. John MacArthur says it this way: Sinners are more skilled
and diligent in securing their temporal future in this present age than those
whose citizenship is in heaven are in securing their eternal reward in the
age to come. Most unbelievers are working harder to secure their 10-year
retirement in this age than most believers are working to secure eternal
rewards in the age to come. His point is we should get a lot more focused on
using physical resources to secure eternal privilege and reward than most of
us are. His point can be reduced to this Dont waste your life; invest your
life. Use every legitimate means at your disposal to live for eternity rather than
time. Thats a hard lesson to learn. But wise people learn it.
IV.

The Correlation

So, how does that correlate to my life? What does Jesus want? The audience is
believers -- so by way of application we know that we are there, right? The
rich man is God. He owns the whole universe. And the manager represents
Jesus audience. So the big picture is that a God who owns everything has
given certain things to His followers who now have a fiduciary responsibility
to make the best use of them for His good as well as ours. How can we insure
that we are not wasting His gifts by investing only in time and not eternity?
To answer, lets consider a few things God has given us to manage. How about
our time? Whether it is 10 years or 100 we are to use it wisely. Eph 5:16,
making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. So what are we
doing with our time to redeem an evil culture where God is systematically
ignored? Is the way we do our work and the way we use our leisure time
something we will be proud to submit to the Fathers examination or is there
a lot of waste going on? How about TV, video games, social media? Relaxing
and fun, yes. Thus helpful. But we must ask, 1) what kind of activities are we
5

watching and involved with and 2) how much time do we spend at those
compared to the time we spend with God in prayer, study of His Word and
ministry? What does how we spend our time show about what we really love?
Theres probably some waste there, right?
How about the spiritual gifts God has given you? Are you developing,
refining and using those gifts. Or are they going to waste? Rom 12:6, Having
gifts (abilities to serve others spiritually) that differ according to the grace
given to us, let us use them. Dont let them go to waste. Use them not out of
a sense of duty but out of love for God and love for others they are intended to
benefit!
The most precious possession given to our care is the gospel. I Cor 4: 1This
is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the
mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found
faithful. Are we faithful in sharing the gospel by word and deed? Do people
around us know that Jesus died for them and invites them to receive eternal
life by faith? Or are we wasting the best news mankind ever got?
All those are possessions given to us as believers to use not to squander. But
there is another one that this passage is particularly aimed at. Money. Material
possessions. God didnt give those to us or give us the ability to earn money
just so we could spend it on ourselves. God says to those to whom He has
entrusted money in I Tim 6:18, 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good
works, to be generous and ready to share. Next week well see more detail
about how Jesus expects this to work out. But the point is not to waste what
God has given. Someday soon were all going to wish we had been more
faithful, Beloved.
Conc -- A good way to consider this is to ask, if they wrote your obituary
today, would you be proud to present it to your Father? Or would you be
shamed? That thought changed one mans life. In 1888 Alfred Nobel, a Swiss
chemist who made a fortune inventing and producing dynamite, read his own
obituary in the paper one morning. It was actually his brother Ludwig who
died in France, but the papers mixed identities. So there was his own obituary
under a headline, The Merchant of Death is Dead. It went on to describe
a man who had gotten rich helping people kill other people. That view of his
life was devastating to Alfred. He resolved to use his wealth to change that
legacy. When he died 8 years later he left more than $9 million to fund awards
to people whose work benefited humanity the Nobel prizes. He changed his
6

legacy. So can we, but we have to identify and root out those areas of where
we are wasting the possession the Father has placed under our management.
Lets pray.