On Being Shrewd
Luke 16:9-11 is part of Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Dishonest Manager. The parable tells of a steward found guilty of mismanaging his master’s possessions. The master fires him. However, before cleaning out his desk, the dishonest manager takes action to secure his future. He zeros out the accounts of his master’s debtors at deeply discounted rates. By doing so he obligates them to provide for him once he’s unemployed. Surprisingly, the defrauded master commends the dishonest steward for his shrewdness.
Explaining the parable, Jesus says, “And I tell you, make friends for yourself by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 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. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches” (Luke 16:9-11).
Many are troubled by this parable. Why would Jesus tell a story in which dishonestly is commended? Answer? He doesn’t. Careful reading of the parable reveals that the master does not praise the dishonest manager for his theft. Rather, he praises the steward’s shrewd foresight in providing for himself. Specifically, the dishonest manager shrewdly wielded the resources temporarily available to him in a way that guaranteed his future well-being. Jesus says his followers should do the same!
Consider! In this world, none of our money or material possessions actually belong to us. God owns everything we possess. We are stewards entrusted with the management of his property—but only for a short period of time. All our earthly possessions will soon perish forever (2 Peter 3:10-11). With this in mind how do we best manage what God has entrusted to us?
Surprisingly, in the Parable of the Dishonest Manager, Jesus says we should exercise our stewardship with our own eternal well-being in view. This is not selfish. It is an expression of faith. Those who invest their wealth and resources with eternity in view reveal their faith in God and the promises of his word. True disciples value what God values—Christ’s Church, missions, evangelism, compassion for the poor, and more. Investing in such things is what it means to “store up treasure in heaven.” Those who live with eternity in view invest in eternal things. On the other hand, those who only invest the temporary wealth of this world in things that can only be enjoyed today are neither faithful nor shrewd. In regard to God’s new heaven and earth, they are not making “friends for themselves by means of unrighteous wealth”. At best, they will not enjoy “an abundant entry into heaven” (2 Peter 1:11). At worse, “they will not be received into the eternal dwellings” having demonstrated the absence of genuine saving faith (Luke 16:9).
In summary, Jesus says if we are faithful with what God has temporarily entrusted to us on earth, we will be entrusted with true and lasting riches in heaven.