all honor and glory be to god.

The Unjust Manager by Pastor Sterling Brown, MDiv.

The parable of the dishonest manager in Luke 16:1-13 can be odd at first glance because it almost looks like Jesus is commending a dishonest man’s practice of embezzling money to His people. That is not the case. Jesus is challenging His people on what is truly valuable which is the Gospel and how we should respond to Him, Christ.

This parable is directed to His disciples not to unbelievers. Jesus point is not to give accolades to dishonest behavior. We know this because He condemns the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10-11) and Jesus also says not to lay up treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19-21). 

Jesus’ point to believers in this parable is that sinners, unbelievers, are far more clever, passionate, and forward thinking when it comes to their temporal well being than saints are with their eternal well being in the work of laying up treasure in heaven. That should not be. There are three things in this parable that Jesus wants His people to do to invest in their eternity. 

1. All our resources are to be used to invest in gaining friends in eternity. “Use your [resources] to make friends not earthly friends, but friends who will welcome you into your eternal home. Our duty is to use our [resources] to support the ministry of the Gospel. Will people be standing on the edge of glory when you arrive, eager to embrace you, because through your investment in gospel ministry and the extension of the kingdom they heard and believed and gained eternal life in Christ? That’s the imagery Jesus’ evokes.”

2. Remember we are to be good stewards of the Gospel with the time and in the place He has bestowed upon us. Everything we have, even the air we breathe, is from God: “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8). “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence  over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: Mine!” 

We are to take our time, our hearts, talents, people, places and things and invest in them the graces from Christ’s work of redemption as faithful stewards rather than wasting this passing moment of opportunity on selfish desires that are passing away along with the world. We are to be light in this world pushing away the darkness not helping the darkness to spread in our churches, homes and surrounding world. Professing Christians at times work more for the darkness than the light and Jesus’ point is that should not be. That is wasteful stewardship. 

3. Lastly, we are not to let the things of this world, money or any other person, place or thing, take the place of God in our heart. Jesus ends this parable by saying “You cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:13). “People who squander all their resources on things that cannot last, plowing their wealth [and themselves], right back into ‘unrighteous mammon’ are not true stewards of the living God. What they do with their treasure reveals where their heart really is.”

We live as wise, forward thinking good stewards when our lives are lived with a focus on eternity with God (Colossians 3:1-4). Our fullness of sovereign, eternal joy is with God, our true family is the eternal family of God (saints and angels), our eternal life is found in the blessed presence and Person of God and our crowning fulfillment and end is the eternal worship of God. 

May we as “sons of light” be more prudent (wise) and passionate about our investment in eternity than the prudence and passion of the sons of this world in their temporal treasures that are passing away. 

Soli Deo Gloria, 

Pastor Sterling Brown