“BE SHREWD!”
Luke 16:1-9
Normally when talking to people about Bible stories and passages, there are some that leave
people scratching their head and wondering did I hear that right? Did Jesus say that? Did
Jesus really mean that? The parable of the shrewd manager is one of those portions of the
word that makes one begin to wonder, hmmm, what does this mean?
Admittedly, this can be a very difficult portion of Scripture to understand. On first reading it
sounds almost as if Jesus is condoning dishonesty, if not, encouraging us to cheat other people
so we can get ahead. We can’t imagine Jesus doing that, but the parable seems to come across
that way. Let me read it one more time.
The key to understanding Jesus’ words is to remember how Jesus used parables. A parable was
an illustration, a story taken from contemporary life that was intended to convey a heavenly or
eternal message. When Jesus told parables he had one main point, one main lesson, he
wanted to get across. He didn’t want us to get bogged down in the details or to draw parallels
for our lives from everything he said. For example in this parable, Jesus is clearly setting a
manager before us as an example to follow, but not in every respect. Jesus doesn’t commend
this man for the way he cooked the books or for his dishonesty, he commends him for his
shrewdness. To be shrewd is to be smart, or wise, or cunning, or perceptive. That’s what this
man was. That’s why it is aptly called the parable of The Shrewd Manager. Jesus is saying to us
with this parable “Be Shrewd!”
1. THE MANAGER WAS SHREWD: One way to be shrewd is to assess the problems that we face
in life. So many people go through life ignoring their problems, hoping and praying that
somehow they will just disappear. They imagine that the chronic pain in their side will
eventually go away or that the strained relationship in their family will magically heal itself.
Everywhere you look it seems as if there is a huge problem that people should deal with, but
instead people choose to ignore it.
Not the manager in the parable. He knew he had a problem. He was caught red handed in a
crime. He was about to lose his job and was headed for life on the streets. But to his credit he
doesn’t bury his head in the sand. He wisely assesses the problem. He swallows a dose of
reality and asks himself, “What should I do now? I’m not strong enough to dig and I’m
ashamed to beg.” There’s his second bit of wisdom or shrewdness. Once he assesses the
problem, he proceeds to address it. If this parable were presented in the form of a comic
strip, you’d see a light bulb over this guy’s head. “Eureka! I’ve got it!” I know what I’ll do so
that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.” His plan was to call
in his master’s debtors and give them a clearance sale – 20% off wheat, 50% off olive oil. His
office must have looked like Kohl’s department stores – everything was marked down.
You can see why this man was commended. Because of his own fault he was about to lose his
job, but he addressed the problem. He realized that this money that he had been playing with
wasn’t his, but he also realized that as long as it was still under his control, he could use it in a
way that would help people and bring future friends.
Then comes his third evidence of shrewdness, he acted promptly. He understood that time
was of the essence. It was only a matter of time before he would be stripped of his position so
he doesn’t dilly-dally. He says, “Take your bill, sit down quickly and change it.” He seizes the
time he has to do what he knew needed to be done.
2. JESUS WANTS US TO BE SHREWD: Assess! Address! Act! Sounds like a shrewd business
strategy, doesn’t it? I’m sure you could go to Barnes and Noble and find a book on shrewd
management techniques which would use those three words repeatedly. But now listen to
what Jesus says, “The people of this world are shrewder in dealing with their own kind than
are the people of the light.” What is Jesus’ point? Isn’t he reminding us of the sad and
unfortunate reality that the people of this world work harder and show more shrewdness and
ingenuity and passion in managing their temporal lives than God’s children do in managing
their lives for the higher purposes of God?
So because of that fact Jesus says, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves,
so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Don’t you think that
Jesus is saying that just as this man wisely used money to cement friendships for the future,
we should use our money, and for that matter, everything else the Lord has entrusted to us, to
win friends for eternity? So is this primarily an evangelism parable where Jesus is telling us to
use our money in the interest of bringing people into the kingdom? Or, is this a stewardship
parable where Jesus is mainly telling us to wisely manage our money. The answer is that it is
both. Jesus wants us to use our money, our time, and our abilities wisely, but he wants us to
do that, above all, with an eye to his kingdom and the spread of the Gospel.
We need that reminder don’t we. Like the children of this world we can be shrewd when it
comes to the things of this life. At times we eagerly assess and address and act promptly on a
host of the things that come our way down the conveyor belt of life. We will display wisdom
when it comes to our financial situations. We weigh our options of whether or not now is the
best time to refinance. We cut out coupons and drive to four different grocery stores to get
the best deals of the week. We set aside money for our children’s education and put lots of
time into their athletic development. We take courses and attend retreats to help us on the
job. We make plans and strategize for our own personal futures, but when it comes to our
Father’s business, far too often we tend to adopt a “what will be, will be” attitude. We forget
that God has put time and money and talent into our hands for many reasons and one of
those reasons is his kingdom.
Jesus underscores that point when he says at the end of the parable, “I tell you, use worldly
wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into
eternal dwellings.” Jesus is saying that shrewd use of all that God has entrusted will bring
kingdom blessings, blessings that we will be able to experience and enjoy for all eternity. Let
me try to show you from a few practical examples what that might look like.
Let’s say that God has given us children. As shrewd parents we want to use our time and
energy and money to see to it that our children have food and clothing and shelter and an
education, which will enable him or her to live on in this world. But Jesus is saying there is
more to it than that. If we shrewdly assess, address and act on behalf of our children, aren’t
we going to invest in their eternity? Aren’t our children “friends” with whom we can celebrate
eternally in heaven with Jesus? Doesn’t shrewdness dictate that we use everything at our
disposal to make sure that they know Jesus as well as possible and are rooted in him as deeply
as possible so that one day, together with them, we can rejoice around his throne?
Let me give another example. Imagine for a moment the day you die and, by the grace of God,
go immediately to heaven. Imagine that shortly after you arrive in glory someone comes up to
you – someone you’ve never met, someone from perhaps a different ethnic background than
you – and says, “Excuse me. I don’t think you know me, but I wanted to let you know that
while you were on earth you supported Christian mission work. And through your support a
missionary came to my town or my land and told me about Jesus Christ. I am here today
because of the gospel message that you helped bring to me. And I just wanted to thank you.”
Or how about this even more personalized possibility, “Excuse me. I don’t think you know me,
but I wanted to let you know that you were part of St. John congregation. My family was
attracted first to the building, then to the school, and through it to Jesus Christ. I am here
today because you were a part of that congregation and supported its work. I wanted to let
you know the impact your generosity made on us. And I just wanted to thank you.”
So many people today talk about how they want to make a contribution to this world; how
they want to make their lives count; how they want to make a difference in people’s lives.
Jesus is encouraging us to shrewdly use what we have to help make the difference in people’s
lives – both now and through eternity.
I know that being shrewd the way Jesus describes shrewdness involves making choices,
choices that God calls wise, but the people of this world consider foolish at best, if not
downright stupid. That’s why I would ask you to go home today remembering the one who
told us this parable and the choices he made.
The one who told us this parable was Jesus. It was his choice to give up his majesty in heaven
in order to live a humble, sinless life as our substitute for 33 years. It was his choice to suffer
the very pangs of hell that we as sinners rightfully deserve and to die on the cross in our place.
It was his choice to become the Way and the Truth and the Life so we might live forever. And it
continues to be his choice – a choice which he promises to honor – to forgive us our sins
(including our sins of being unwise managers). It is his choice to watch over us, hear our
prayers, guide our lives, to comfort us with his promises.
Others may have called Jesus foolish for all that he chose to do on our behalf, but for all
eternity we will praise his wisdom for assessing, addressing and acting on our situation as
sinful human beings. In the meantime, let our daily prayer be that we are so moved by the
wisdom that he displayed on our behalf that we act wisely in the face of every opportunity he
puts in our path until the day when Jesus and all our friends welcome us into eternity. Amen.