Luke 16:1-9 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.
In Luke 16, Jesus tells a story about a manager who wasted his master’s goods. When he found out he was about to lose his job, he quickly came up with a plan. He called in everyone who owed his master money and reduced their debts so he could find a job with them when his master fired him. It might seem strange, but his master actually praised him, not for being dishonest, but for being wise enough to prepare for the future.
That’s the picture Jesus gives us. The manager used what he had left to secure what was ahead. Jesus wants us to think the same way when it comes to what God has trusted us with.
Be Wise with What You Have
God expects us to use our time, money, and opportunities wisely. Proverbs 27:23 says, “Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.” That means we should know what we have and handle it carefully. A Christian should never be careless or wasteful.
Think About Eternity
The world thinks only about the here and now, but Jesus reminds us to think about forever. In Matthew 6:20, He said to lay up treasures in heaven. Every dollar, every talent, every minute can be used in a way that makes a difference for eternity.
Faithful in the Small Things
Jesus said in Luke 16:10, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” If we can’t be trusted with small things here, how can God trust us with greater things in heaven? Every bit of faithfulness matters.
The parable is teaching us to be smart. Use what God has given you with purpose and faithfulness. The true test of stewardship isn’t what you’d do with a million dollars, but what you’re doing with what you have right now.
