Luke 16:1-15

This morning I invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 16, and we want to look at the first 15 verses. Luke chapter 16 in the first 15 verses. And he said unto, and he said also unto his disciples, there was a certain rich man which had a steward, and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him and said unto him, how is it that I hear this of thee, give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest no longer be steward. Then the steward said within himself, what shall I do? For my lord takeeth away from me, the stewardship. I cannot dig. The bag, I’m ashamed. I’m resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much oweest thou unto my lord? And he said a hundred measures of oil. and he said unto him, take thy bill, sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then he said to another, How much oweest thou? And he said, a hundred majors of we. And he said unto him, take thy bill, and write four score. And the Lord commended the unjust, Stuart, because he had done wisely, for the children of the, of this, world are, in their generation, wiser than the children of life. And I say unto you, make to yourselves friends of the maimmon of unrighteousness, that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much. He that is unjust, in the least is unjust. just also in much. If, therefore, he have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust, the true riches? And if he have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, or either he will hate you. the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. He cannot serve God and Mahamon. The Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him. And he said unto them, ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts, for that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God. May the Lord blessed to us is sacred and holy word this morning. There was a little girl that was given $2 by her father. Her father told her with $1, she could buy anything she wanted to buy. But the second dollar was to be given to God on Sunday in the offering, like. So the little girl nodded in agreement and asked if she could go to the candy store. With visions of all that she could buy with her dollar, she happily skipped to the store. She held the two dollars very tightly in her hand, and yet as she skipped along, she tripped and fell. The wind blew one of the dollars into a store. storm drain at the curb. Picking herself up, the little girl looked at the dollar in her hand, then looked to the storm drain, and looked back to the dollar in her hand. And then she shook her head and said, sadly, well, Lord, there goes your dog. Most people, as they go through this life, are self-absorbed. They are focused. They are focused. on self-interest. Taking care of number one is the prime objective. Sadly, even those who profess to be believers often act like the little girl with the $2, serving mammon is much more common than serving God. During Christ’s Perian ministry, he spoke of the marks of the kingdom of God, and here he speaks about stewardship. What do you do with what has been entrusted to you? Do you think only or solely of yourself, like a little girl, or do you think about serving the Lord? This parable is among those are the most difficult to interpret and understand. The steward, the steward, whom the Lord is among those of the most difficult to interpret and understand. is not set before you as a pattern of behavior. He’s an unjust steward. The Lord never meant to sanction, you know, dishonesty or shady dealings. This steward cheated his master at stealing, and certainly he falsified the record books, so it was a false witness that he presented. But, well, he falsified the record books. What is important here is for you to note is that the steward used his present position to make preparations for the future. That is the key to understanding this particular parable. So we want to talk about stewardship from this passage of Scripture this morning. Let me begin by saying this. you should ponder carefully the parable of the unjust steward the Stewart’s problem was laid out for us in the first two verses here and he said also unto his disciples there was a certain rich man which had a steward and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods and he called him and said unto him, how is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship, or thou mayest be no longer steward. So here is the steward’s problem laid out for us very clearly in this text. Now a steward was someone what would oversee another person’s finances and goods and possessions and so forth. So here the rich man. had so many possessions and lands and goods that he needed a steward help him take care of these things to manage things. So this was a very important position, very powerful position. Sometimes this person might be a slave, sometimes they just may be a hired servant. And yet this steward would be given charge of every slave or servant of the man who would be given charge of the man for whom he worked. The steward held a high position of trust and responsibility in the house of his master that goes beyond anything really that we know today. Joseph, you remember, was a steward in the house of Potterford in Egypt. In all of his position, Joseph said to Potiphar’s wife, Behold, Behold, my master, whateth not what is with me in the house and hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There’s none greater in his house than I. Neither hath he kept back anything from me, except thee, because thou art his wife. That’s in Genesis 39. And therefore we read about Potiphar, that he left all that he had had in Joseph’s hand, and he knew not what he had, saved the bread, what you did eat. So he just, everything was in Joseph’s hand. He left Joseph’s take care of it. Eli Azar, remember, was the steward for Abraham. And he was entrusted with the delicate task of finding a wife for Abraham’s son, Isaac. That’s not a simple thing, but that was a big task that he was given. unless a steward was given responsibility for all the affairs of his master, and he had authority to act on his own on behalf of his master without consulting him. So he collected his master’s revenues and payments made on debts an ode to his lord. He paid the bills and the servants and oversaw all the work that had to be done. This was a position of great trust. However, this man in our text, was unfaithful in his stewardship, and was accused of wasting his master’s goods. Probably some type of embezzlement from the rich man’s business profits. He was accused of skimming funds, keeping them for himself. or misusing them in some fashion. So the master calls for an audit of the books. And while proof of theft was being sought, the steward was given notice of his dismissal. Now, you can no longer be my steward, he said to him. So here is the steward’s problem. He’s going to lose his position. Now the steward’s solution is laid out. for us here in verses 3 through 7. And what we see him doing here is kind of shrewd. Then the steward said within himself, what shall I do? But my lord takeeth away from me, the stewardship, I cannot dig. To beg, I am ashamed. I’m resolved what to do. That when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. so he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him and said unto the first how much oweest thou unto my lord and he said a hundred majors of oil and he said unto him take thy bill sit down quickly and write fifty and he said to another and how much oweest thou and he said a hundred measures of wheat and he said unto him take thy bill and write four score or eighty And so here was his solution to the problem. He was going to plan on the future. Now, he says here he wasn’t suitable for digging. I don’t know if they mean plowing or farm work or something of this sort, but it was too hard for him. And he just couldn’t beg and live as a homeless street person or something of that nature. Oh, he still had the power to do it. He reduced the obligation of his master’s debtors, giving them massive discounts. And in this way, he put them in a kind of moral debt to himself. They owed him a favor, and he was going to call it in later at some future date. On the other hand, even if he had given away some of his master’s assets, it at least settled the accounts and realized a great deal of cash in the process. It would be very hard for his master to overturn his actions. To do so would lead to angry customers, loss of business probably in the future. The Stewart’s solution was outrageous, but it was effective. He was now prepared to lose his job, knowing. that future favors were owed to him. Then the steward’s commendation is found in verse 8 here of our text. We read this, and the Lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely. Well, his master was very angry with the steward. He could not but help admire how shrewdly he had played this. this thing. The ingenuity he had displayed. So the Lord commended the unjust steward. Perhaps the rich man kicked himself a little, or not getting this guy fired sooner. But on the other hand, he recognized genius when he saw it. He could see that this man who knew how to live by his wits, knew the value of other people. money. When someone outsmarts you by a brilliant maneuver, even though you are the loser, you readily acknowledge the shrewdness of the move. You have to confess, well, that was pretty good move that he made. So we see here, you should ponder carefully the parable, the unjust steward. We see his problem. a solution and we see the commendation of the steward. Secondly, what are the spiritual lessons that we can learn from this parable? Well, first, let me say this, you were a steward over the things of this life. You’ll notice the second part of verse 8, where the children of this world are in their generation, wiser than the children of life. Jesus now places this story in a, in the spiritual perspective here. And he contrasts the children of this world with believers who are called the children of life. The indication here is that God is the master. And all his creatures, whether we talk about the righteous or the wicked, or in some fashion, stewards over the goods that he has given. Creation is God’s house, over which he is the Lord and Master. And he has created all things, and he has given man the responsibility of caring for all the affairs of the house. You are a steward, then, of God’s house. you have nothing that you have not received from the Lord as 1st Corinthians 4 7 teaches God gives to every man every moment of life the air he breathes the food he eats and the possessions he enjoys and when you realize this you begin to see that nothing is really yours you are just a steward over all the things that you have in this life. You’re managing it all for the Lord, so to speak. And God retains the prerogative to take it all away at any time he sees fit. Sadly, you and I are liable to the same charge as the unjust steward of wasting God’s good gifts. You have not sought. the expected improvement to what God has entrusted you with in this world. You have covetlessly used it for yourself alone, and that’s the problem we have as we go through this life. But one day you’re going to have to give an account of how you handled the good things which God has placed under your care. There was a pastor who was once entertained by a wealthy oilman in Texas. And after dinner, he took the pastor up to the roof of his house, and he showed him the vast oil fields and derricks and so forth. He said, that’s all mine. I came to this country 25 years ago, penniless, and all you can see in that direction is mine. Then he turned in the opposite direction and indicated waving fields. of grain. It says it’s all mine. I own everything as far as you can see in that direction. Then he turned to the east, pointed toward the huge herds of cattle. It’s all mine. Everything is, as far as you can see in that direction, is mine also. Finally, he turned to the west and pointed to a great virgin forest there. It’s mine. I, I own. I was penniless, but I worked hard, and you can see all that I own now. Then he waited for the pastor to commend him for what he had accomplished. The pastor laid his hand on his shoulders, pointed up to the sky, and said, how much do you possess in that direction? The oil man dropped his head in shame and confessed, I never thought of that. Most people, like the loyal men, never see themselves as stewards over God’s things. They never consider what they have in relationship to God. So you were a steward over the things of this life. You see the prudence, then, of providing against coming evil, as we see here in verse 9. We read these words. And I say unto you, make to yourselves friends of the maimmon of unrighteousness, that when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. Now notice the conclusion here that our Lord draws from this parable. He isn’t suggesting that you engage in sinful practices, like the unjustion. He’s not saying the end justifies the means. There’s only one point that Jesus is making, and that’s this. Dishonest as he was in reducing the bills and so forth, doctoring the books, this steward had an eye to the future. He schemed, he planned, he contrived, he boldly carried out his plan. And as a result, when he lost his plan, he lost. one home, he secured another. It’s the steward’s foresight that he’s commending here. The single-minded purpose. And if correctly used, you do well to imitate. The crooked steward used the manmine of unrighteousness, the money, to buy what he thought was most important at this juncture in his life. and that was future security. Use a believer, and remember this has spoken to his disciples, according to verse one, ought to learn from this to use worldly wealth for spiritual and eternal ends. As we read this morning in the scriptures, let me say this is what Jesus said in the sermon on the mouth, but what Russell read was also. very true as well. Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break in her through and steal. To lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust hath corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steel. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6, 19, to 21. Now, Jesus isn’t saying that you can buy your way to heaven. That’s not what he’s saying. To make yourselves friends refers to practical godliness, which is the fruit of saving faith. Matthew 2540. Verily, I say, I knew in as much as you have done it, he fed the hungry, showed hospitality to the stranger, clothed the naked, visited the imprisoned, under one of these the least of my brethren. They’ve done it unto me, Jesus said, in Matthew 2540. One day you will fail. One day, you’re going to die. You will no longer be a steward here on earth. You will move on to your everlasting habitation in heaven if you know the Lord. all your deceased brothers and sisters in the Lord which you have helped on this earth when they were going through it will gladly receive you at the gates of heaven so like the steward you will look far forward to things to come you are to provide against the day when you’re going to leave this earth and you’re going to die sadly you often halt between two opinions you’re often uncertain and hesitant about the goal for which you must strive and that is the glory of God and the advancement of his kingdom you don’t have the single-mindedness of the steward Jesus is emphasizing your need to focus upon the future to use your energies and good for that end. The truth is the children of the world show more prudence in this matter than the children of life. Not that the ungodly are thinking about their eternal future, but they’re looking at their earthly future and making provision. The believer often loses sight of his heavenly future and only thinks about his earthly dealings. So you see the proof of his of providing against coming evil. My third point is this. You should pay attention to how you handle little things. Notice verses 10 through 12 here. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. He that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who will give you that which is your own? Jesus here lays down a fundamental principle in verse 10. Everybody should intuitively make this type of connection. Someone who cannot balance their checkbook is not likely to be a choice for a chairman of the Federal Reserve. Many years ago, there was a man who was being promoted as a new treasurer of the church. And I happen to know this man wasn’t handling his personal finances very well. they were a complete and utter disaster. So when the pastor came to me and spoke to me about this man being the new treasurer of the church, I had to speak up and nix the idea. And I told the pastor how poorly this man had taken care of his own books. He ran a store. Well, the IRS was investigating him for keeping back all the withholding taxes of his employee. not paying them. And he suddenly realized that he had no right to set this man up as a treasurer of the church because his own finances were a disaster. Many years ago, there was a man who walked the streets of Philadelphia looking for employment. And one day he happened to go into the office of a well-known businessman by the name of Gerard. And he asked for a job. And Mr. Gerard answered and said, yes, I can give you work. See that pile of bricks out there? Carry them over to the other end of the yard and stack them up. Well, by nightfall, the man reported that the project was completed and received his pay. And then he asked if there would be more work for him to do the next day. And the employer said, yes. Come to Marr, carry those same bricks back to the place where they were first found. and stacked them up. The following morning he came in early, got the work without saying a word, and for more than a week he was instructed to move the bricks from one side of the yard to the other side of the yard and stacked them up, which he did. Then Mr. Gerard, after evaluating whether this man could be trusted to do exactly what he was told, gave him a new and bigger responsibility. Go down to be. town town and bid on a large quantity of sugar. Not recognizing him, the people of the auction were surprised by the bid of this total stranger. When it was accepted, the auctioneer said, well, who’s going to pay for this bill? And the man said, Mr. Gerard. And the man replied, I am his agent. agent. So he gained his position by being faithful and a menial task of moving bricks back and forth in the yard of this wealthy man. There is no mystery to what Jesus is saying here. You see a person whose basic character is shown in the way they handle the little things of life. And that’s something we should always keep in mind. So the Lord’s teaching you the great importance of strict faithfulness in the little things. He warns against thinking that the conduct of the unjust steward here is ever justified. Jesus wants you to realize that the little things are a good test of your character, and that unfaithfulness in little things is a symptom of a bad heart. The person who is not dealing honestly and the gold and the silver of this world can never be one who handles the true riches of heaven, as verse 11 indicates. Where at your own property and you frittered it away, you could understand, you’re saying, well, that, you know, it was my property. But if you further it away, really, you have to think about if you are fit for the glory to be revealed. You might always argue that it was yours to waste, but the truth the matter is, and we don’t emphasize this. No, you were a steward over what God has given. You don’t own anything at all. You’ve been unfaithful with what God has entrusted you with. So you should pay attention to how you have. of the little things. And then finally, you cannot have divided loyalties. Let’s look at verses 13 out to 15 here of our text. No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and manman. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous. heard all these things, and they derided him. He said unto them, ye are they, which justify yourselves before men. But God knoweth your hearts, that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God. Divided loyalties are impossible, he tells us here. The unbeliever actually is single-minded, but he’s single-minded toward the manment of the money or the goods of this world. He serves a materialistic God, and that’s why he’s successful in this world. Too often, however, Christians are actually double-minded. Yes, they love Christ, but they also have a mind that’s compromised in some of the mind. extent to look after themselves as far as the things of this world is concerned. And they have, therefore, they’re more divided than they should be. They put first some of the things of this world. Jesus is saying here, be single-minded. Because ultimately you have but one master, either God or mammoths. You can’t have both. The Pharisees who were covetous didn’t miss Christ’s meaning. They wanted to have their cake and eat it too, and so they sneered at what Christ had said. The spies of the true gospel have always done so, and they always will. Jesus makes it clear that you can fool men, but you can’t fool God. Men might think you are a fine, upstanding, even godly person, but God knows whether or not you are covetous of heart. God knows where your real loyalties lie. He knows whether or not you are devoted to God or Manon. So while you may gain man’s admiration by serving Mamon in this life, God considers it abomination in his sight. It is interesting that this, in the Old Testament, the word abomination is often is often, you connected with idol worship. They are an abomination. And so here, Mammon is like a God. You’re worshipping a false God. And so it’s similar. I thought that was an interesting point. Well, the little girl who lost one of her dollars sadly shook her head and said, well, Lord, there goes your dollar. Most people go through life totally self-absorbed. serving ma’amon instead of serving God. One of the marks of the kingdom is stewardship. You realize you are serving the Lord through all the things of this life. All the things you have are His. So you use the things of this life wisely in order to lay up treasures in heaven. You keep before your eyes the duty to serve your master, the Lord. Jesus Christ. Now this doesn’t mean we can’t buy things and we can’t enjoy things. God has given us richly all things to enjoy in this life. But it means in moderation. It means being careful. It means thinking about how we could advance God’s kingdom on this earth. Let’s close with the word of prayer. Father, we thank you for your word. We pray for your blessing upon it. We pray we may be good stewards of the things you’ve entrusted us with. Be gracious to us in this life. Show us mercy and bless us as your people. And I pray, Lord, we would have a single-mindedness as your people. In the name of Christ, we ask these things with Thanksgiving. Amen. Let’s stand for the benediction. Brother, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be with your spirit. Amen.