The Shrewd Manager

Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.   Luke 16:1 - 8 (NIV)

God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.   1 John 1:5b (NIV)  

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”   Matthew 10:16 (NIV)

FOUR PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES ABOUT MONEY

The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. Luke 16:14 (NLT)

YOUR GREATEST INVESTMENT IS IN PEOPLE THAT YOU’LL SEE IN HEAVEN.  

Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.   Luke 16:9 (NLT)

YOUR MANAGEMENT OF GOD’S MONEY DETERMINES IF HE CAN TRUST YOU WITH TRUE RICHES. 

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?”

Luke 16:10 - 12 (NIV)

“‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,’ says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, ‘I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!’”   Malachi 3:10 (NLT)

MONEY IS A GREAT SERVANT, BUT A TERRIBLE MASTER.  

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and be enslaved to money.”   Luke 16:13 (NLT)

MONEY IS TEMPORARY, BUT GOD’S WORD NEVER EXPIRES. 

The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God. Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in. But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God’s law to be overturned.”   Luke 16:14 - 17 (NLT)

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. 

1 Timothy 6:17 - 19 (NLT)