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1. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Facing the prospect of poverty and homelessness, he devises a
strategy to avert disaster: make friends ASAP.
(1) During the OT times, Jews were forbidden to lend money with interest to the poor. Some attempted to find a loop
hole by lending money in the form of commodities (ie., oil and wheat) and charging interest in kind.
(2) Wright, It is likely that what the steward deducted from the bill was the interest that the master had been charging
with a higher rate on oil than on wheat. If he reduced the bill in each case to the principle, the simple amount that
had been lent, the debtors wold be delighted, but he master couldnt lay a charge against the steward without
owning up to his own shady business practice (193-4).
2. The goal: to leverage resources to make friends who can receive him into their homes when hes homeless.
8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.
1. The master commendation: Youve gotta give him credit, hes definitely shrewd.
2. Definition of shrewd: having or showing sharp powers of judgment. (Synonyms: astute; sharp, smart, intelligent,
clever, canny, perceptive.)
Jesus told this story to give an example of how clever, intelligent, perceptive people can be when their own best
interests compel them to act with foresight re: the future. And then he makes this jarring statement.
For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.
1. The comparison b/t the sons of this world and the sons of light
The sons of this world. = those who live for the here and now; those who build their own kingdom; those who
have not responded to the message of Jesus about the coming kingdom of God.
the sons of light = those who have responded to the message of Jesus regarding the kingdom of God; those
whose lives are devoted to building the kingdom of God; those who live with an eternal perspective.
2. The assessment: the sons of this world are more shrewd/ intelligent / perceptive in dealing with their own generation
than the sons of light.
IOW, if people of this world use what they have to further their own interests, how much more should the followers of
Jesus use what resources they have to further the interests of the kingdom of God.
9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may
receive you into the eternal dwellings.
1. What does unrighteous wealth mean? Good questionhold that thought for just a moment.
2. The mandate: use your wealth to make friends for yourselves in the kingdom of God.
We were designed to love people and use things to love people; but we have come to love things and so we use
people so we can get more stuff to spend on ourselves. But Jesus has come to restore us to our original design.
Be careful: the text is not saying you can buy your way into heaven. You cannot, it is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8-9).
But those who have received this gift are transformed by the gift so that their lives begin to be oriented and transformed by the message of Jesus.
3. We all think about the future, and sometimes we think about the worse case scenario. But often we dont think
far enough into the future, ie., eternity. When we pass into eternity, our wealth and possession here will fail us.
1 Timothy 6:7, For there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into this world, and we
cannot take anything out of the world.
Just like the the shrewd manager prepared for his unemployment, so too we ought to shrewdly prepare for eternity.
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10 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. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the
true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is anothers, who will give you that which is your
own?
1. The common sense principle: if you are faithful in little, you will be faithful in much. The converse is true.
2. With this, Jesus is forcing upon us a very uncomfortable though necessary thought: Am I using the resources
that Ive been entrusted with for the kingdom of God? Am I using my stuff to make friends that will last forever, or am I
using people to get more stuff which will ultimately fail in the end?
Cf. the Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25: His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have
been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.
13 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.
1. Heres the answer to our question, What does Jesus mean by unrighteous wealth?
Wealth by itself is neither good nor evil, but what our hearts do with it makes it either good or evil.
2. Both God and money make a claim on our hearts
Money says, Its all about you and your kingdom. God says, Its all about me and my Kingdom.
3. and our hearts will respond by serving one or the other.
We will either respond by serving money, and we will use people to get more stuff.
Or, we will respond by serving God, and we will use our stuff to love more people.
How will you respond? Luke tells us how the Pharisees responded.
14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed Jesus.
1. 1 Timothy 6:9-10, But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful
desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. It is through this
craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
2. Remember the context! Jesus was receiving sinners and eating with them, and the Pharisees, who where lovers of
money, grumbled against Jesus, and now they are ridiculing him.
Jesus was using his resources to make eternal friends. The only question left is, Will we?
15 And he said to them, You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what
is highly exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
1. Probably a critique of the thought, If we have wealth, then we are the ones who are blessed by God.
Though wealth can be obtained by the blessing of God, it can also be obtained through dishonesty, cheating, &
oppression. And the evidence that the Pharisees are completely wrong is that they have no place in their worldview
to use the resources they have to love and bless others.
2. What is highly exalted among peoplethe accumulation of more stuff to glorify yourselfis an abomination
in the sight of God.
Why does Luke record this account in his historical biography of Jesus? The number one competitor to God for the
loyalty of your hearts is your hope for more and more money. And when you set your hope on riches, you live contrary to
your design, and you will use people to get more stuff.
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