In TV programmes like "What wants to be a millionaire," viewers watch as contestants are encouraged to risk a little more and a little more in hope of reaching the "big one".
On the other hand, there are some things we wouldn't do "for love nor money." This seems to imply that "love" and "money" are the two ultimate enticements, the two final persuaders. There are some things for which no price is high enough.
When Jesus told parables, he was using a situation from every-day life to teach spiritual principles of the Kingdom of God. When he talked about the wise and foolish builders, for example, he wasn't telling them how and where to build houses, but the importance of putting his teaching into practice (Mt. 7.24-27). In this case there may well be some inferences which the builder hopefully already knows about. In the parable of the sower, the lesson is similar (13.3-9, 18-23). But any farmer would be foolish if he deliberately scattered seed on the path, the rocky ground or the thorns. Here the carelessness of the farmer in the story points to the generous grace of God which is offered to all people - without presuming on their response.
Today's reading - the parable of the shrewd manager (Lk. 16.l-13) - needs to be seen against this general understanding of parables. Jesus wasn't condoning the man's dishonesty. Nor was he telling the story as an example of how not to behave. Shocked as we may be that Jesus took such an example, we need to grasp that he was using this unlikely story to teach us a number of positive spiritual principles.
At first the man is accused, not of dishonesty, but of bad management - "wasting [the rich man's] possessions" (v. 1). That is why the rich man "sacks" him.
Before he leaves, however, he approaches the rich man's debtors - possibly people to whom land was leased, the rent to be paid in kind. He has them write out new IOU chits, reducing their indebtedness - one by 50%, another by 20%. On learning about this, the master, instead of being angry, commended the (now clearly) dishonest manager for this shrewdness - perhaps the manager's first bit of business initiative.
By v. 14 it is clear that Jesus was teaching about the use of money, since "the Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus."
Following the parable, Jesus makes the general observation, "the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light" (v. 8b).
Money isn't evil in itself. It enables us to buy and sell, to give and receive. The work of the Kingdom also depends on it. If only, in our stewardship, we were as careful and diligent as those who give no thought to stewardship.
"I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings" (v. 9).
The shrewd manager sees he is in trouble and prepares for the future. His view of the future is rather limited. But then, some Christians are almost as limited - using their possessions almost exclusively to ensure comfortable security for themselves and their family!
"Worldly wealth" will eventually be "gone." None of us can take it with us.
A young man proudly declared, "My uncle died a millionnaire." "He what?" someone asked. "He died a millionnaire." "No, he didn't!" "But you didn't know my uncle!" "True, but he didn't die a millionnaire." "What do you mean by that?" "Who has the million now?"
The dishonest manager's time was almost up. He only had access to his master's wealth for a very short time. He didn't steal it or try to save it - he put it to work.
None of us has forever. The question is, Does our use of money express Kingdom values? Do we use it - and give it - in the light of eternity?
Jesus goes on, "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?" (vv. 10-12)
There is a very practical principle here. A person who seeks advancement in employment must be faithful in small tasks before being given more responsibility. Dishonesty in small things shoes a person cannot be trusted with much.
A new employee took a phone call. Hand over the mouth-piece, he said, "Boss, it's for you." The boss indicated he was to say he was out. With that, the employee held the phone out to the boss - "You tell him, Boss!" The boss was furious. He was about to sack the employee. "You embarrassed me! What put it into your head to do such a thing?" "It's like this, Boss," the employee replied, "if I start telling lies for you, the time might come when I tell lies against you." With that he retained his job and became a faithful employee and confidant for many years.
But Jesus is going beyond human employment. Whatever assets we have are a means of living. They aren't the essence of living itself. They aren't the "true riches" of eternity. They are on loan to us. They aren't what Jesus calls "property of your own." God offers love, joy, peace, meaning - and all eternity. Why settle for less? Yet our faithfulness in using our assets as stewards of his Kingdom will have a bearing on our ability to receive the riches that will be truly ours.
Jesus adds, "No servant can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money" (v. 13).
We have an almost identical saying in the Sermon on the Mount. There, however, it simply refers to "no one" (Mt. 6.24). In Luke 16, Jesus is taking a stewardship theme - "no servant can serve two masters." All are servants. All are held to account for their stewardship. The question is, Who are we serving?
"Money" (more literally "Mammon") is a rival to God for our allegiance. Money, of course, isn't bad in itself. It becomes an evil when we begin to love it and serve it.
John Milton, in Paradise Lost, described Mammon in these terms -
Ray Stedman said, "What [our Lord] is really saying to us is, you cannot live to make money and live to serve God at the same time. It cannot be done. You are only kidding yourself if you think it can. If the reason you are living, the reason you are working, is to make money for the sake of the things that money can buy, then that is your god, and you do not and cannot serve the living and true God" (Get Smart with Money).
For all of us, the time will come when money will fail and we must stand before God and give account of ourselves.
Let's be sure about our stewardship. Invest your assets in eternal values. Seek earnestly the true riches which the Lord offers us. Live out our lives on the basis of our one and only Lord and Master.
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