Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home. Luke 16:9
Over the weekend, we learned from a parable that the New Living Translation of the Bible labels as the “parable of the shrewd manager.” The Oxford Dictionary defines “shrewd” as “having or showing sharp powers of judgment.” Indeed, we do our best to manage our earthly kingdoms, our possessions and treasures, shrewdly. We save, invest, and make plans for the future. While there is wisdom in living this way, we would be unwise if we live solely for the things of this earth and our earthly kingdoms. Perhaps today what we need is a perspective shift. You see, this world is not our home. What truly matters are things of eternity. As a result, we ought to shrewdly manage our gifts, talents, and resources in such a way that they have an impact for eternity. We ought to set out to make Christ known to everyone around us so that they, too, may spend eternity with Christ one day.
Jesus encouraged His disciples to shrewdly manage all that God had given them to build the kingdom of God rather than try to establish earthly kingdoms by telling a parable in Luke 16. There are two main characters in this story told by Jesus: a rich man and a manager who managed the rich man’s affairs (verse 1). The rich man in this story heard a report that the manager was completely wasting his money, so he ordered the manager to “get [his] report in order, because [he was] going to be fired” (verse 2). Here is where the parable gets interesting. The manager decided to meet with everyone who owed money to his boss, the rich man in this story, and he significantly reduced the debt they owed him (verses 3-7). He did this in hopes that the men whose debt had been reduced would help him get back on his feet after he was fired (verse 4). When the man's boss in this story heard what had happened, Jesus explained that he “had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd” (verse 8). He had to admire him for thinking quickly on his feet in an effort to help himself. After telling this strange story, Jesus explained the lesson to be gleaned from this story, saying, “Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home” (verse 9). Just as people shrewdly manage the things of this earth, Jesus explained that Christ followers are called to practice shrewdness by managing everything God has given them to build up the kingdom of God by reaching those who are lost.
God has given each one of us a responsibility here on this earth: to steward what he has given us, including our time, our possessions, and our talents, for the purpose of building up His kingdom rather than our own earthly kingdoms. This is a big responsibility that we must take seriously. Imagine if we focused on the things of God and His kingdom as seriously as we did on managing our earthly finances and possessions? That, my friends, is the call Jesus gives us in this short, intriguing parable.
Take a few moments to evaluate how you are living your life. Are you living for the things of this world, or shrewdly living for the things of eternity? Specifically, are you managing your time, talents, and possessions in such a way that they will impact eternity? What is going well? Where is there room for improvement? Consider one way you can take a step toward managing your resources well to build up the kingdom of God, and take that step this week. Ask God to help you as you seek to live for His kingdom rather than for the things of this earth.
“God, as I evaluate how I have been living my life and what I have been living for, search me…”
Going Deeper
Luke 16:1-9
1 Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. 2 So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’
3 “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. 4 Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’
5 “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ 6 The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’
7 “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’
8 “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. 9 Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.
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