Shrewdness in Stewardship
Luke 16:1-8

Luke 16:1 (ESV)
He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 

Luke 16:2 (ESV)
And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 

Luke 16:3 (ESV)
And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 

Luke 16:4 (ESV)
I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ 

Luke 16:5 (ESV)
So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 

Luke 16:6 (ESV)
He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 

Luke 16:7 (ESV)
Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 

Luke 16:8 (ESV)
The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.

1. Serious Problems

Luke 16:1 (ESV)
He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 

Luke 16:2 (ESV)
And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 

Luke 16:3 (ESV)
And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 

2. Sneaky Plans

Luke 16:4 (ESV)
I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’

Luke 16:5 (ESV)
So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 

Luke 16:6 (ESV)
He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 

Luke 16:7 (ESV)
Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

3. Surprising Praises

Luke 16:8 (ESV)
The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.

4. Spiritual Purposes

You can use earthly wealth to make an eternal difference.

Luke 16:9 (ESV)
And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 

Matthew 6:21 (ESV)
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

If God can trust you with money, He will trust you with greater things.

Luke 16:10 (ESV)
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. 

Luke 16:11 (ESV)
If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 

Everything you have on earth really belongs to God.

Luke 16:12 (ESV)
And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 

You cannot serve God and money.

Luke 16:13 (ESV)
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.