Commending Shrewdness
Luke 16: 1-15
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Commending Shrewdness
• Luke 16 : 1-15
• 1 ¶ Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man
whose manager was accused of wasting his
possessions.
• 2 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.’
• 3 "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—
• 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job
here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
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Commending Shrewdness
• 5 "So he called in each one of his master’s debtors.
He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my
master?’
• 6 "‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.
"The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down
quickly, and make it four hundred.’
• 7 "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.’
• 8 "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.
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Commending Shrewdness
• 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for
yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be
welcomed into eternal dwellings.
• 10 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also
be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with
very little will also be dishonest with much.
• 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling
worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
• 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with
someone else’s property, who will give you property
of your own?
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Commending Shrewdness
• 13 "No servant can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money."
• 14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this
and were sneering at Jesus.
• 15 He said to them, "You are the ones who justify
yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your
hearts. What is highly valued among men is
detestable in God’s sight.
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Commending Shrewdness
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Commending Shrewdness
• Q1 Who is addressed?
• Q2 Who does the Rich Lord represent ?
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Commending Shrewdness
• Q3 What are the characteristics of the
manager ?
• Q4 Who does the manager represent ?
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Commending Shrewdness
Manager said to himself “what shall I do now?”
• Q5 What should he have done ?
• Q6 What does Jesus commend ?
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Commending Shrewdness
• Q7 What is the real meaning of the Parable ?
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Commending Shrewdness
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Commending Shrewdness
Luke 16: 1-15
1. Open in Prayer
2. Reading
Luke 16: 1-15
Glenys
3. Slide 1
Q1 Who is addressed?
Q2 Who does the rich Lord represent ?
Q3 What are the characteristics of the manager ?
Q4 Who does the manager represent ?
4. Answer Q1 “Who is addressed?”
- Obvious from verse 1 it’s the disciples
but v14 Pharisees were listening and responded to it
Quite clear He is addressing both groups
Both disciples and Pharisees
5. Answer Q2 “Who does Rich Lord represent ?”
God but not as final judgement
where given no time to change or amend anything
rather God overseeing what happens on earth
6. Answer Q3 “What are the characteristics of Manager”
Would appear he is probably lazy
certainly uncaring about Masters possessions
unconcerned to ensure Master income was correctly collected
possibly didn’t furnish bills when he should have done
negligent in his duty
Realised this didn’t offer excuses / knew it was true
When challenged didn’t change his ways
rather was worse – committed fraud
lost more of his Masters income but purely for his own personal gain
Became more devious and selfish to secure his future at his masters
expense
Ensured people were indebted to him and so would provide for him
when he was sacked – as he was going to be.
Industrious for self / gain / selfish
7. Answer Q4 “ Who does the manager represent?”
Certainly not the disciples – underhand / dishonest / lost relationship
with Master - not description of disciples!
Probably All People who are not people of the light (v8) ie believers
Certainly includes the Pharisees!
all people who are wordly and unspiritual
interesting to consider some commentaries views
- Pharisees who represent Jewish nation
Jesus says v2 “What is this I hear about you?”
some suggest this is Prophets of OT / John the Baptist etc rejected
refers to God removing their inheritance because of their worldliness /
ungodliness
v3 “ I am not strong enough to dig” not because physically weak and
unable but because lazy and doesn’t want hard work - labour was the
lowest class of citizen OR
too lazy to dig into the scriptures and submit to God.
v3”…and I am ashamed to beg” No defect so not entitled to beg
proud not humble enough to lower himself in this way
OR too proud to beg to God / seek forgiveness / repentance
if you think that is stretching it a bit consider this
Why oil and wheat ??
both used for food - necessity for life BUT
oil also used for anointing
Both used in ceremonial sacrifice
meal and flour offerings
“The Bill” referred to in v6 might possibly relate to the letter of the Law
itself
something the Pharisees had amended to suit themselves
had reduced the Laws demands - guilty of fraudulent accounting
Inferences here that should have pricked the conscience of Pharisees
even if these insinuations were not the prime teaching.
The manager represents all worldly people incl Pharisees who give
no thought to their Spirituality.
8. Anybody wishes to add anything or comment ??
9. Slide 2
Q5 Manager said to himself “ what shall I do now?”
What should he have done?
Q6 What does Jesus commend?
Q7 What is the real meaning of the Parable ?
10. Answer 5 “What should he have done?”
Realising he wasn’t going to get away any longer with his wrong attitude
and lack of concern and care for his Masters wealth that was entrusted to
him - might have expected sort out the mess of the accounts and
apologise to His Master – hoping for forgiveness and another chance
In fact no repentance at all - just the reverse he makes it worse by adding
deliberate fraud to the charges
11. Answer 6 “ What does Jesus commend?”
He doesn’t condone his wrong doing and commend that but commends
him for being shrewd in his dealings so that he protects his future in the
world
Not homeless and destitute – but others obliged to help him
because of what he had done for them.
Not commended for wrong choice – chose worldliness rather than
godliness. Commended for the effort to secure his place in the world .
12. Answer 7 “What is the real meaning of the parable?”
Two meanings here
(i). v10 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with
much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with
much.”
Applies to both worldly living and Spiritual life also
v11 “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who
will trust you with true riches?”
Directly to the Pharisees perhaps but also to us – true riches being the
blessings and providence of Christ Himself
If you cannot handle worldly things which God loans us for a while well
then what about Spiritual gifts and graces which are the true riches which
unlike worldly things remain with us into eternity
2nd meaning follows on
(ii) If those who make the unwise choice of ignoring God ( like this
shrewd manager) work diligently for their own good and future how much
more should we use the wealth we have been given to secure eternal
blessings.
That is by using our wealth to reduce suffering of others / for promoting
the Gospel / for supporting Christian ministry etc etc
Our efforts to do that should exceed the efforts of the worldly shrewd
manager and we should not be put to shame when compared with them.
Real Challenge
How much concern do we have for eternal blessings and eternal wealth
or are we negligent in this respect .
13. Closing Prayer
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