Say What? Hard Sayings of Jesus
It’s Good to be Shrewd? -- Luke 16:1-13
Pastor Drew Leaver
[ Video Clip: Dick & Jane Have Fun ]
Well good evening/morning and welcome to the third week in our series on the Hard
Sayings of Jesus. Today we continue the series with one of my favorite hard sayings. In Luke
chapter 16, Christ tells the story of a dishonest business manager who essentially “cooks the
books” by altering debts in his masters accounts in order to win favor. But the real twist of the
story is when, after telling that story to His disciples, Jesus says that they should follow suit –
that they should be just as shrewd. What on earth, right? I mean, since when do we commend
people for “cooking the books?” Since when is cheating or “creative accounting” a good thing?
Maybe Jesus hasn’t heard about what happened to Enron. You remember Enron, right?
How could we forget? In 16 years Enron grew to become one of the world’s leading companies,
holding $65 billion dollars in assets… or so we thought. When news of “cooking the books” and
fraudulent accounting practices surfaced Enron went from $65 billion to bankruptcy in only 24
days. Why? Because hiding debt and altering your financials is illegal!
Enron’s auditor, Arthur Anderson, the company that was supposed to keep this kind of
abuse from happening was making $1 million dollars a week at the peak of its relationship with
Enron until they went under when it was discovered that they had helped “cook the books” not
only for Enron, but also for MCI/WorldCom who went bankrupt after $4 billion dollars worth of
fraudulent accounting was discovered. Why? Because “cooking the books” is illegal! And let’s
not forget about Adelphia, the fifth largest cable company in the U.S., which sank after its
executives conspired to bury $2.3 billion dollars of debt through “creative accounting.”
All of the CEO’s and CFO’s of these companies are either in prison or facing prison.
Why? Because “cooking the books” and altering your financials is illegal! So why on earth,
then, does Jesus share the story with His disciples of a business manager who is commended for
altering debts and then tell His disciples that they should be shrewd too? Let’s find out…
Turn with me to Luke chapter 16. If you don’t have a Bible with you there is one in the
seat rack in front of you or you can read along in the flyer that you received when you came in.
Now, before we dive into the story its always good to know why Jesus is telling the story in the
first place because when it comes to understanding the Bible its always good to look back before
you move forward so let’s look back just for a second. Look with me at the beginning of Luke
chapter 15. In Luke chapter 15 we read this:
SLIDE: Luke 15:1-2
1
Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear
him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man
welcomes sinners and eats with them."
So Jesus is surrounded by tax collectors and “sinners” – and I love that Luke calls them
“sinners.” Luke was making a dramatic point here. It wasn’t that Luke thought they were
sinners; rather, Luke calls them that because they were looked at as sinners, not by Jesus or the
disciples, but by the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. These guys were the “religious”
people – the Bible thumpers, the God Squad, the holy rollers – and because they thought of
themselves as such holy people they scoffed at the fact that Jesus, this Rabbi, would sit and
speak with “sinners.” But the thing of it is that Jesus loves sinners – Jesus came for sinners –
and so Luke writes with a tone of sarcasm here because these holy rollers are being completely
judgmental about “sinners” which of course makes them what? That’s right, “sinners!” Isn’t
irony great?
So Jesus is being hospitable, welcoming sinners into relationship with God, while the
Pharisee’s are muttering. But Jesus is no dummy. Jesus knows what they’re thinking and so he
proceeds to tell a series of stories – or what the Bible calls “parables” – about how God is a
hospitable God who not only loves the sinner but actually seeks the sinner out! And in the
middle of teaching about God’s grace and hospitality for sinners, Jesus turns to His disciples to
teach them how to be hospitable like the Father. So with that in mind, let’s go to the hard saying
in Luke chapter 16. Luke chapter 16, starting at verse 1:
SLIDE: Luke 16:1-3
1
Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was
accused of wasting his possessions. 2So 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.
So the story begins with a rich man who had a business manager who managed all of his
affairs. This was a significant job and as a result this manager would have been highly regarded.
This guy had the job that everyone wanted. He was important and he was probably doing very
well for himself. Unfortunately, he wasn’t doing well enough, because as it turns out he has
been wasting his master’s possessions. In short, he was squandering what did not belong to him.
The manager was most likely investing recklessly in a way that was ultimately putting his master
into more debt instead of making him more money, and so his master calls him in and asks for an
account of his management. In corporate talk, the master is asking for a complete audit of all the
books. He wants to see the financials – and then he wants this guy out.
Now, for someone who has become accustomed to a certain lifestyle and a certain social
status, this is not good. If word gets out that he was fired for mismanagement then his reputation
will be shot and no one will want to hire him. Without integrity the manager’s only available
options are to either dig ditches – which he isn’t physically able to do – or to beg – which he
isn’t psychologically prepared to do. So this guy is desperate for a solution and a solution he
finds… read with me at verse 4:
SLIDE: Luke 16:4-7
4
I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome
me into their houses.' 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.'
So the manager comes up with a plan. The plan is to “cook the books” and do some
“creative accounting” in order to lower the debts of the people who own his master money so
that he will be welcomed in the community when he looses his job. And so he calls in the first
of his master’s debtors and he says, “How much do you owe my master? 800 gallons of olive
oil? Okay, here’s what you do… go and make it 400!” Are you serious? “Yeah, I’m serious.
You’re a nice guy and I just want you to know that I’m a nice guy so, don’t sweat it, make it
400.” Wow! How could I ever thank you? Listen, if there’s ever anything I can ever do for
you, call me okay? “Really? Thank you! I will call if I ever need anything…” [Wink!]
He goes to the second debtor and asks him, “How much do you owe my master? A
thousand bushels of wheat? Geez, what have you been doing? Nevermind, don’t answer that.
Listen, tell you what, you’re a nice guy and I just want you to know that I’m a nice guy so go and
make that 800 bushels of wheat instead.” Seriously? “Yes, seriously.” Wow! How could I ever
thank you? Listen, if there’s ever anything I can ever do for you call me, okay? “Thank you!
You know what, I will call if I ever need anything…” [Wink!]
And the next thing you know the manager has effectively “cooked the books” and in the
process he has found potential future employers. And man did he ever cook the books! 800
gallons of olive oil was the equivalent of somewhere between 2 and 3 years wages. That’s six
figures, easy. And 1000 bushels of wheat was the equivalent of 8 to 10 years of wages. So the
manager made some significant changes to the books in the hopes that these debtors would
remember his generosity. And why wouldn’t they, right? We remember generous people!
I don’t know about you, but I remember generous people. A few months ago I was
traveling and I saw something at the airport that I thought my wife would like, but there was a
difference between the sign on the display and the tag on the item and so I took the item up to the
counter and asked if this particular item was on sale. Well the manager looked at it and scanned
it and said, “I’m sorry, that one isn’t on sale. But would you like it to be?” Now, at this point
I’m thinking what you’re thinking, “What’s the catch?” Right? I mean, airports are overpriced –
everything is expensive! So I didn’t know what to say, but she repeated the question, “Would
you buy it if it was on sale?” Obviously, I said yes! I mean, I’m not stupid – I’ll take a deal if
you give it to me. I was shocked… I’ve been in airports all over the world and everything is
always overpriced and store managers are always unfriendly… but not this one. And do you
know what? That stuck with me. Why? Because we always remember generous people. And
that is exactly what the manager here is doing – using generosity to gain friends that will
welcome him later because we always remember generous people.
But this is where things get weird. Listen to where Jesus takes us next. Verse 8:
SLIDE: Luke 16:8-9
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. 9I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain
friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into
eternal dwellings.
Now, I thought “cooking the books” was illegal and yet the master commended the
manager? The text even calls him a dishonest manager, so since when does Scripture commend
dishonesty? Well, look at it again. The text doesn’t commend the manager for dishonesty, it
commends him for acting shrewdly! So what does “shrewd” mean? “Shrewd” literally means,
“wise,” “discerning” or “perceptive.” Being shrewd is not being crafty or cunning – being
shrewd means you are thinking and planning ahead. So the manager was commended for being
wise about his future and investing now with the future in mind.
And then Christ says something shocking. Christ says that non-Christians are often times
more wise in dealing with their own than we are! Meaning that non-Christians are more diligent
and wise when it comes to their future than we are! That’s hard to hear, isn’t it? As Christians,
we are supposed to be working shrewdly with eternity in view, and yet Jesus says that often
times non-Christians are more mindful of their worldly future than Christians are of their eternal
one! In short, when it comes to living for the kingdom we don’t think about it enough.
Jesus goes on to explain what He means. He says in verse 9 that we need to, “…use
worldly wealth to gain friends so that when it is gone you will be welcomed into eternal
dwellings.” We need to use what we have now to invest in others for eternity. We need to use
all that we have been given to win people over to the kingdom. Now before you freak out and
think that I’m about to ask you for money, let me assure you that is not what this message is
about! I don’t want your money. In fact, this story is not about money; its about mission, but the
thing of it is that how we use our money says a lot about our value for the mission. Jesus started
the story talking about the mission – about welcoming people into God’s kingdom because the
Pharisee’s were mocking Christ for sitting with “sinners.” You see, the problem with the
Pharisee’s was that they were short sighted. They were only thinking about themselves and
about the here and the now. And what Jesus is saying to us is this: “Don’t be short sighted!”
Live with eternity in view! Don’t forget the mission! And use what you have now to win favor
with people so that you can invite them to be a part of what God is doing. In essence, we need to
live with eternal hospitality in mind, but so often we are short sighted; we miss the point.
So, was Jesus saying that being generous gets you into heaven? No! The Bible clearly
says in Eph. 2:8 that it is by grace you are saved through faith in Jesus Christ and that this is a
gift of God. Only God can save – and God offers us that salvation freely – so Jesus is not
implying that generosity gets you into heaven. What He is saying is that we can use what we
have now, while we are alive, to point others to eternity so that one day when we enter heaven
we will be greeted by people who will say, “Because of what you did in my life, I met Jesus.”
“Because of that thing you did, I placed my faith in Jesus Christ. Thank you!” You see, being
generous doesn’t get you into heaven, but being generous does open the door for others to come
to know our generous God. I think this is what Matthew 5:16 means when it says:
SLIDE: Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your
good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
You see, our generosity can cause others to consider God more deeply, but only if we invest in
the mission; only if we value the mission more than our money.
One of the interesting things about this parable is this: Who’s money was the manager
spending? Right, the master’s money! So when the manager forgave all those debts, who
looked good? The master! Why? Because the manager represented the master! And in the
same way you and I are managers and our job is reflect the goodness of our God. Everything we
possess is a gift from God. God gave you the talent, the blessings, the job, the income, the
home… you are in possession of the master’s money and so when you live generously with the
masters money you make the master look generous and that causes people to consider God more
carefully. When Christians live generously we show the world that God is a generous God and
that God loves people; but when Christians live selfishly we leave people feel excluded and
neglected. Jesus calls us to use everything at our disposal to invest in relationships with others
so that they will encounter the good news of Jesus Christ. To put it another way: Good Deeds
create Good Will which opens the doors for the Good News.
SLIDE: Good Deeds > Good Will > Good News
Christ’s point was that we need to concern ourselves with making a long-term impact in
people’s lives. But so often we are short sighted. And this was the case with the Pharisee’s.
Jesus was spending his time and energy welcoming tax collectors and “sinners,” while the
Pharisees weren’t building those relationships at all which is why in verse 14 we read that:
SLIDE: Luke 16:14
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.
We represent the master. And so Jesus says that we need to use what the master has
given us now to build relationships that will count for eternity. And that, really, is the summary
of the hard saying. We are to:
SLIDE: Use Earthly Wealth to build Earthly Relationships that make an Eternal Impact.
So what does this look like? Last week I told you a story about my former youth pastor
who had an affair and ended up leaving his family and his ministry. But that youth pastor was
one of the most influential persons in my life. In fact, he restored my faith in God. And do you
want to know how he did that? By taking me to pizza. He won me over as a friend by taking me
to the All-You-Can-Eat Pizza Buffet at Pizza Hut – which by the way is pretty much the best
way to win over any teenager. Pizza! I don’t know what that cost him, because he did it several
times, but I do know that his investment of pizza and conversation with me made an eternal
impact in my life.
I have friends who became Christians because someone opened up their home for a youth
event that ultimately helped them connect with Christ. I know people who began attending
church because a church helped them with an expense, and that generosity introduced them to a
God that welcomed people instead of rejecting people. I know of a incredible person in this
church who invested what they had now into building a facility on their property so that ministry
can be done there – small groups, large groups, Bible studies, parties. Thousands of people have
been impacted by the ministry that has happened in that building and it wouldn’t have happened
unless this person had invested what they had now with eternity in view.
So what is it that you are investing in? Are you making your money work for you or are
you making it work for the kingdom? Are you making your home work for you or are you
making it work for the kingdom? Are you using your car, your job and your possessions with
this life in view, or are you using them to welcome people and point people to the Father? What
kind of manager will you be?
Now, some of you are thinking, “How can I manage what I don’t have? Do you know
what I make? Do you know how tight things are right now? If I had a little more, maybe I could
think about being generous – but right now I can’t.” Take a look at what Jesus says next:
SLIDE: Luke 16:10-12
"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. So if you
have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with
true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's
property, who will give you property of your own?
Here is another hard saying from Jesus. If you aren’t generous with what you have now, don’t
think that you’ll be generous if you have more; and if you can’t be generous with what you have
now, how can God trust you with more? Quite simply, He can’t. The interesting thing about the
manager in the parable is that he had nothing – in fact, he had lost his job! But he found a way to
use what little he had now to build relationships for the future. I know money is tight, all of us
are feeling it; but just because money is tight doesn’t mean we should be.
Our goal should be to make the master look good! Our goal should be to be make others
feel welcomed by God. And Christ calls us to do that by using what we have wisely in order to
impact people for eternity. Let’s strive to be the kind of people that live like the Father; that live
with a wide open welcome to those who don’t know God, using everything we have to make sure
that those who don’t know God have the opportunity to see Him in us.
What’s so cool about this message falling on this week is that we have two opportunities
coming up right here at Chase Oaks where we can make an impact on people for eternity through
really simple opportunities. You heard earlier about our School Supply Drive. Thousands of
kids in this area live in homes that can’t afford school supplies, and our generosity can not only
make a difference in their education but it can show them a generous God that cares about them.
It costs so little to invest in school supplies but it could have a huge impact on a child’s life – and
maybe even introduce that child to Jesus. Also, coming up in August we have an opportunity
called Chase Oaks Care for Children where…
Let’s pray.
Say What? Hard Sayings of Jesus
It’s Good to be Shrewd? -- Luke 16:1-13
Luke 16:1-13
1
Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was
accused of wasting his possessions. 2So 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— 4I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here,
people will welcome me into their houses.' 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. 9I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for
yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal
dwellings."
Good Deeds > Good Will > Good News
Use Earthly Wealth to build Earthly Relationships
that make an Eternal Impact.