The Parable of the Unjust Steward

Some people avoid church altogether because they don’t want to hear the preacher speaking about money, nor do they want their conscience troubled by someone asking them to surrender their hard-earned cash. There is some justification for this because, admittedly, there are some money-hungry charlatans out there who mask themselves as Christian ambassadors but are only out to fleece the flock. These crooked counterfeits only care about themselves, not the souls of their hearers.

For this reason, some preachers are hesitant to approach the subject of finances or giving, or do so with an apologetic tone. Yet, did you know that the Bible mentions money (in some form) more than prayer? In fact, God’s Word mentions mammon (money and possessions) more than it mentions faith.

Further yet, while our Lord ministered and preached, He said more about money than He did about heaven and hell combined. Of about 40 recorded parables of Christ, more than one-third of them mention money or wealth.

I ask you, should a faithful Bible teacher shy away from mentioning money? Should a church urge their leadership not to broach the subject because it might push people away? Or should we study and submit to what God has to say about this subject, just like we should any other?

In the Parable of the Unjust Steward our Lord mentions the subject of finances yet again. In this story, Jesus exhorts His hearers to make sound financial decisions here on earth, with eternity in mind. Jesus instructs us to act as wise stewards and prudently use the resources that God has entrusted to us in order to further His glorious kingdom.

This is inarguably one of the more problematic parables to understand because of the difficulty our flesh has in recognizing money for what it truly is: a tool.

The parable begins in Luke 16 with a wealthy lord hearing an accusation that his steward has been mishandling his money. The rich ruler sends for the man to give an account of his handling of funds, but before the steward appears to answer his master, he makes some “shady” business dealings. Motivated by fear and selfishness, the cunning steward gathers all the men who owe his lord money and strikes a deal with them. In order to curry favor with the debtors, he reduces all their unpaid debts significantly. By doing this, the steward has saved the debtors loads of money and has secured himself favors from powerful men. Now, when his employer fires him, he will have others who are obliged to help him.

When the wealthy lord hears of this, rather than immediately scolding his steward for mishandling his money, curiously, he commends him for his innovative scheme. The lord notes that his behavior, though unjust, manifests just how wise some people can be with money.

By teaching this parable, Jesus would have us learn a good lesson from a bad example.

Consider how this unjust steward used money to persuade others and for his own temporary wellbeing. Readers think about this! A self-centered and godless person knows how to use someone else’s finances to influence others and to secure their own comfort. Shouldn’t we, who fear the Lord and have an understanding of eternity, use our Lord’s wealth wisely? We should not use our Heavenly Father’s assets only for our own comfort or personal gain, but to influence others for eternity.

While there is nothing wrong with securing our temporal needs (or that of family), the wise Christian will learn from this unjust steward how to use what God has given them in a way that will impact the lives of those around them for their eternal spiritual good.

It discredits our faith when the unsaved person uses more wisdom than a Christian in handling their financial investments for the benefit of themselves and others.

It dishonors God when there are men and women who purchase season tickets to their favorite ball team, but will not give to their local church.

It is a disgrace for families to spend thousands of dollars on annual vacations, but not give a dime to support missionaries.

It’s a shame when we willingly donate countless dollars to rebuild a community after a national catastrophe, realizing how powerful our combined resources are, but refuse to faithfully give to keep men and women from the worst tragedy of all; dying without faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Whether we like it or not, our financial decisions affect others.

Christians give. Christians give wisely. Christians give wisely with eternity in view.

HHJ News