Unrighteous Wealth (Luke 16:9)

 


Wednesday, March 26, 2025


Psalms 65; 70

Genesis 48

Luke 16:1-13


Unrighteous Wealth (Luke 16:9)


Jesus’ teachings on wealth continues, and today we have a real corker of a parable! A financial manager had been scamming his boss out of money, and when he was found out, he doubled down and scammed him out of even more. Instead of getting his comeuppance, the dishonest manager gets a promotion because of his deviousness. The rich man sees the villainy of his manager and, as a fellow villain, can appreciate the manager’s skill at wickedness.


The point of this parable lies in why the dishonest manager was ripping off his boss. He wants to be welcomed into people’s houses after he loses his job, and so he buys friends with his master’s money. This here is why this parable is so wonderful.


Jesus, at the end of this parable, reminds us that all wealth is, ultimately, God’s. Everything we have has been given to us by God. We may have done something to receive it, but if you work backwards from your payslip, you will find God at the start. God is the rich man; we are the manager.


The dishonest manager is using his master’s money to buy friends in this life. Jesus wants us to use our Master’s money to buy friends in heaven. It might sound funny, but look at what he is saying: “Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth (that is, money), so that when it fails (and what is death but the failure of money) they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.” (v. 9) When we die and go to be with the Lord, we will join with all of God’s people beside him. And we want as many people as possible to be there with him.


The dishonest manager used his boss’ money to buy friends for after he was fired. God has given us money to buy friends for eternity. Jesus has given us complete permission to make as much money as we possibly can, as long as we do it in order to reinvest it back into God’s kingdom. We cannot serve God and money.


This also brings us back to the wider theme that has appeared over the past few days: that God’s wealth is in his people. He may have given us money in this life, but he considers it an investment. We, as manager’s of God’s investment, are to make sure he sees a return on it. Therefore, buy friends for heaven.


How might you manage God’s wealth in order that he gets a return on his investment?


Master, you have made all things for our good: teach us so to use your creation shrewdly, so that all things might be increased for your glory and not our own.

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