“TAKE CARE OF THIS FOR ME”
The Parable of the Dishonest Manager
Luke 16:1-15
If Jesus were here instructing Christians today, He would spend a major portion of His time emphasizing the Biblical truths concerning money. The portion of His recorded teachings which have to do with the subject of finances, material things, and the handling of money is amazing.
THE PARABLE (16:1-9): USE WORLDLY WEALTH TO GAIN FRIENDS WHO WILL WELCOME YOU INTO HEAVEN.
The teaching of the parable: The dishonest manager realized the imminence of his dismissal and diligently sought a means to secure his own financial future when he lost his job.
The moral of the parable: The people of this world are doing a better job establishing treasure on earth than we Christians are doing at storing up treasure in Heaven.
The practical application of this parable: Use your money so that when it is gone – or when you die – you will be welcomed, not into somebody’s house, but into eternal dwellings in Heaven.
THE ETERNAL PRINCIPLE (16:10-13): STOP THINKING LIKE AN OWNER AND START THINKING LIKE A CARETAKER OF GOD’S MONEY.
In simple terms Jesus reveals God’s four point contract with every Christian.
Provision One (16:10a): God entrusts to us His assets.
God says in Haggai 2:8: “The silver is mine; the gold is mine.” In Psalm 50: “The cattle on 1000 hills belong to me.” “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” We are not owners. We are managers. Many of us get off the track here. God entrusts to us His property and we take immediate possession. We think of ourselves as owners–and the moment we do we violate the terms of the contract.
Provision Two (16:11): The contract is for a set period of time.
Provision Three (16:11-12): Wise managers are rewarded.
Faithful management results in more to manage.
Good managers become owners in heaven.
Provision Four (16:13-15): Poor managers face serious consequences.
The danger of thinking like an owner is materialism.
The danger of poor management is poverty and loss of opportunity in Heaven (Matthew 25:28-30).
“Well, I don’t particularly care how much treasure I have in Heaven. I just want to get there.” There are whole bodies of Scripture which teach that Heaven is not a classless society. Remember Jesus said that the first shall be last.
Investigate to see how much money you really have. Give the top portion (the tithe) to God. Honor the Lord with your wealth. Make a budget. Don’t allow fear to cloud your judgment.