When preaching through Luke a few years ago, I was sorely tempted to skip the first part of Luke 16, the parable of the unjust steward. However, I know that when I’m tempted to skip some part of the Bible, that’s probably the very part I need to hear.

Let’s look at the parable: “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. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 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. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.” (Luke 16:1-8)

Part of what bothers us about this parable is that the main character seems to be a crook. But there’s a very simple explanation for that: he is a crook. Notice that Jesus calls him “the dishonest manager.” I’ve seen all sorts of explanations that try to make this guy into a law-abiding citizen, but the fact is, Jesus sometimes used bad people to teach good lessons. When He said of Himself that He would come as a thief in the night, it was understood that He didn’t mean that He was coming to steal; He was talking about the element of surprise. When He used the example of the unjust judge in Luke 18, He wasn’t saying that God was like that man. Jesus sometimes used bad people to teach good lessons.

So what are the lessons Jesus draws? I see five lessons:

1. “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.” (Luke 16:8) The manager used his present to prepare for his future. God’s people need to learn to do the same. We need to be shrewd in that way.
2. “make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth” (Luke 16:9) Relationships are our best investment. If our use of money leaves us isolated and alone, we haven’t been very shrewd.
3. “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?” (Luke 16:10-12) We are but stewards; what we have is not our own, but God’s. If we can’t handle physical things, will God entrust us with the more valuable spiritual goods?
4. “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:13) Money is a nice servant, but a terrible master. More than half of the parables that Jesus told had to do with material wealth. It’s an important topic!
5. “For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15) That one slaps me in the face. I get caught up in the pursuit of what the world says is valuable and forget that those things are not only not valuable, they are an abomination!

Any other thoughts on this unusual passage?

(My sermon on this passage can be read at SermonCentral.com)