(135) The Shrewd Manager
Luke 16:1-18
Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and this steward was accused of wasting the rich man’s goods. [2]So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’
[3]“Then the steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do? For my lord is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig ditches and I’m ashamed to beg. [4]I know what I will do, so when I am removed from the stewardship, they will receive me into their homes.’
[5]“So he called each one of his lord’s debtors, and said to the first one, ‘How much do you owe my lord?’ [6]‘A hundred measures of oil,’ he replied. ‘Take your bill and sit down,’ the steward said to him. ‘Write fifty, and be quick about it.’
[7]“Then the steward said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he replied. ‘Take your bill,’ the steward said to him, ‘and write eighty.’
[8]“So the lord commended the unjust steward because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrew in their generation than the sons of light. [9]And I tell you: Make friends for yourselves by unrighteous money, so when you fail, they will receive you into everlasting habitations.[1]
[10]“He who is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; and he who is unjust in small matters will be unjust in large ones. [11]Therefore if you have not been faithful with the world’s wealth, who will commit to your trust the true wealth? [12]And if you have not been faithful with what others own, who will give you what is yours? [13]No servant can serve two masters; for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
[14]Now the Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and laughed at Him. [15]And He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
[16]“The law and the prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. [17]But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of the law to fail. [18]Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.”
(135) The Shrewd Manager
Luke 16:1-18, KJV
And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. 3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. 8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. 10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. 18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
(1) This might be paraphrased, "If you make friends for yourselves by crooked deals, when your life is over, they will welcome you into their eternal hell."