STEWARDSHIP: THE UNRIGHTEOUS STEWARD
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Stewardship
a) The parables of the Talents, the Wicked Tenant Farmers, and the Unrighteous Steward, are collected together because they picture people who were given stewardship. A steward was a trusted bond slave or hired manager put in charge of a business, property, or estate. The steward was expected to make profits and capital gains for his master.
b) The three parables teach us about the importance of obedience to God.
c) We also observe in these parables the mercy and severity of God. In the parable of the wicked tenant farmers there is an allusion to the crucifixion of Christ (Matthew 25:14-30, Matthew 21:33-46, Luke 16:1-13).
2. The Unrighteous Steward
Luke 16:1-13
“1 Jesus also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to the rich man that this manager was wasting the rich man’s possessions. 2 The rich man summoned the manager and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Hand in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.'
3 And the manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my job? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I'll do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.'
5 So, he called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6 The debtor said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' The manager said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, 'How much do you owe?' He said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'
8 The master commended the unrighteous manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world, in their generation, are more shrewd than the sons of light. 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.
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 So if 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 what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?
13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."”
a) The parable of the unrighteous manager (or steward) would be very hard to interpret on its own. However Jesus provides no less than four morals to the parable. It is a story about as crafty a set of rascals as one could imagine.
b) The steward, aware that his job was nearly defunct, cooked the books to get on side with his master's debtors. The debtors willingly involved themselves in his schemes. And his master, when he discovered how he had been cheated, instead of being shocked or chagrined, recognized the shrewd brain behind the shady deal, and praised the steward for it!
c) The morals of the story are pointed out by Jesus as follows:
i) Luke 16:8 points out that the sons of light (people of God) should be as shrewd and eager in their efforts to be holy, as the sons of this world are to get money. It's a case of bad men setting a good example.
ii) Luke 16:9 encourages us to use money to do good for others, and thereby benefit from it more than if we appropriate it for selfish ends. Not only will we have grateful friends, but an eternal reward.
iii) Luke 16:10-12 advises us to show wisdom and trustworthiness in how we handle money (a little thing) for if we cannot do that, how shall we be wise and trustworthy in the kingdom of God (a big thing)?
vi) Those who are unrighteous when entrusted with money, would be unrighteous in the kingdom of God. So they will not be given a place in God's kingdom. They disqualify themselves from what otherwise they would be entitled to.
v) Luke 16:13 points out that no slave can serve two masters. A slave is the property of one master and solely responsible to him. The slave who serves someone else lets his master down. We cannot be a slave to God if we are enslaved to money and riches.
The End ...
1. Stewardshipa) The parables of the Talents, the Wicked Tenant Farmers, and the Unrighteous Steward, are collected together because they picture people who were given stewardship. A steward was a trusted bond slave or hired manager put in charge of a business, property, or estate. The steward was expected to make profits and capital gains for his master.
b) The three parables teach us about the importance of obedience to God.
c) We also observe in these parables the mercy and severity of God. In the parable of the wicked tenant farmers there is an allusion to the crucifixion of Christ (Matthew 25:14-30, Matthew 21:33-46, Luke 16:1-13).
2. The Unrighteous Steward
Luke 16:1-13
“1 Jesus also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to the rich man that this manager was wasting the rich man’s possessions. 2 The rich man summoned the manager and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Hand in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.'
3 And the manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my job? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I'll do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.'
5 So, he called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6 The debtor said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' The manager said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, 'How much do you owe?' He said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'
8 The master commended the unrighteous manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world, in their generation, are more shrewd than the sons of light. 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.
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 So if 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 what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?
13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."”
a) The parable of the unrighteous manager (or steward) would be very hard to interpret on its own. However Jesus provides no less than four morals to the parable. It is a story about as crafty a set of rascals as one could imagine.
b) The steward, aware that his job was nearly defunct, cooked the books to get on side with his master's debtors. The debtors willingly involved themselves in his schemes. And his master, when he discovered how he had been cheated, instead of being shocked or chagrined, recognized the shrewd brain behind the shady deal, and praised the steward for it!
c) The morals of the story are pointed out by Jesus as follows:
i) Luke 16:8 points out that the sons of light (people of God) should be as shrewd and eager in their efforts to be holy, as the sons of this world are to get money. It's a case of bad men setting a good example.
ii) Luke 16:9 encourages us to use money to do good for others, and thereby benefit from it more than if we appropriate it for selfish ends. Not only will we have grateful friends, but an eternal reward.
iii) Luke 16:10-12 advises us to show wisdom and trustworthiness in how we handle money (a little thing) for if we cannot do that, how shall we be wise and trustworthy in the kingdom of God (a big thing)?
vi) Those who are unrighteous when entrusted with money, would be unrighteous in the kingdom of God. So they will not be given a place in God's kingdom. They disqualify themselves from what otherwise they would be entitled to.
v) Luke 16:13 points out that no slave can serve two masters. A slave is the property of one master and solely responsible to him. The slave who serves someone else lets his master down. We cannot be a slave to God if we are enslaved to money and riches.
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