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. 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.’ (Luke 16:1-2 NLT)
This parable has got to be one of the more difficult to understand and accept, but Jesus taught it so we have to study it and pray for understanding. The rich man knows the manager, or steward per the KJV, is mismanaging his money. But instead of firing him on the spot, he gives the manager time to get his reports in order, or give an account of his stewardship per the KJV. Again, we must remember that Jesus is speaking to a multitude, which includes the Pharisees and scribes. (Luke 15:1-3) God had allowed the Jewish religious leaders to become managers or stewards of His Word, but they had done an awful job. Jesus even stated at one time, For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20)
“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. Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’ “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?’ 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.’ “‘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.’ “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. (Luke 16:3-8 NLT)
What's the manager doing? He's allowing everyone who owes the rich man money to correct their bill to the amount they actually owe, therefore he would no longer receive any money "off the top", as the old saying goes. Remember, the manager was wasting his employer’s money, or in other words stealing from the employer. Slaves [employees] must always obey their masters [employers] and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way. (Titus 2:9-10 NLT) The manager in the parable tried to get back into his employer's "good graces" by correcting his mistake, even though his intentions weren't sincere; because if he still gets fired, he's hoping someone will take care of his needs and give him a home.
Jesus concludes the parable by saying, “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal [unjust steward] for being so shrewd [wise]. 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." WOW! Jesus is complimenting this unrighteous person, calling him wise per the KJV. Yes, the people of this world are more able to deal with the world's way of doing things, because ...there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. (Philippians 3:18-19 NLT) We who are children of the light, "in the world but not of it" don't do as well dealing with the world's ways, because ...we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. (Philippians 3:20 NLT)
Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home. “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16:9-13 NLT)
The manager appears to have gotten off pretty well, probably didn't get fired and still made friends, just incase he would need them in the future, but we must not misinterpret the meaning of the lesson. We all have a choice of two different eternal homes, the new heaven and new earth (Revelations 21) OR hell and the lake of fire (Revelations 20)! This is the way of those who are foolish, And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah Like sheep they are laid in the grave; Death shall feed on them; The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling. Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself), He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see light. A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.(Psalm 49:13-14, 16-20)
The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God. “Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in. But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God’s law to be overturned. (Luke 16:14-17 NLT) Even though the Pharisees and scribes had mismanaged God's Word and behaved unrighteous, God's Word was still being spread and taught correctly, by John the Baptist, by The Word Himself, Christ Jesus, and everyone was eager to get in.
We have the same problem today also, a lot of false teachers mismanaging the Word of God and leading people in all kinds of wrong directions, but God is faithful. As Jesus will tell the Pharisees and scribes in a future lesson, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." (Matthew 23:13) Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! (Matthew 18:7) God will take care of all the false teachers! But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. (II Peter 2:1-3)
For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? (Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36) Let's not believe the lies of the false teachers, and follow the ways of the world, which leads to destruction. Believe The Truth, the Word of God, in Christ Jesus today!
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