“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.”(Luke 16:9, ESV )

Over the past couple of weeks, my Sunday school class has been going through an overview of Whose Money Is It Anyway? by John MacArthur. This past Sunday, as part of the lesson plan, we read the parable of the “Unjust Steward” (or “manager” for all you ESV fans). The entire class was rather taken aback when we stumbled across verse 9, but no explanation of it was ever really given. As a result, I spent three days wrestling with this parable, and specifically with this verse, endeavoring to understand what exactly Jesus is trying to teach us here. My conclusion is as follows.

At first, this verse seems to indicate that we are bribe people into becoming our friends because they hold the keys to heaven and can keep us out if they so wish! This is a rather disturbing thought, and (thankfully) quite contrary to the rest of scripture. What then is Jesus saying? I think we can take away two main lessons from this passage. The first lesson is one in stewardship.

When we look at the Wicked Manager, we find that he, in a sense, used his master’s money to provide for the needs of his Master’s debtors (by settling bills for less than they owed), and thus gained as a reward the approval of his maser’s debtors, even to the extent that they invited him into their homes after he was fired. Jesus uses this story to illustrate the necessity of believers to use their money wisely. Likewise, we also have a Master who has entrusted us with varying amounts of money. We should strive to be good stewards with this money, by providing for the needs of others, especially of other believers. Then, when we die, those believers whom we have helped will gladly receive us into heaven.

The difference between the believer and the Wicked Manager is one of motive and method. Namely, that the Wicked Manager helped his master’s debtors so that he could benefit himself here on earth, and he did so by “ripping of” his master. Believers, on the other hand, are to help others, not to benefit ourselves on this earth, but to obey and glorify Jesus, and we are to do so, not by “ripping him off” as it were, but through prudent management of the resources he has given us. (Note: “they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” does not mean that “they” have power to turn one away from heaven, but refers more to the added blessing of being received in heaven by those believers whom one has helped on earth) This lesson of using our money wisely is further highlighted by the account Jesus gives almost immediately after telling this parable of the rich man who died and went to hell because he cared more for himself than for others.

The second lesson regards masters. Jesus states at the end of this parable that “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,” (verse 13). The Wicked Manager had the choice of either serving his master or himself. Believers face the same choice. We can either serve our Master or serve ourselves (to “serve money” is at the root serving self). One cannot serve both. As illustrated by the Wicked Manager, who used his master to better himself, one will eventually “love” one master and “despise” the other.

In conclusion, we can take from this parable that we are to carefully and wisely handle what God has given us, using it in a way that glorifies Him. Then, in so doing, we will be rejecting the master of self, and faithfully serving our heavenly Master. Thus, we will gain a rich reward in the life to come.

–D. R. Rainbolt

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