Amy C Walters

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager | Luke 16:1-15

In the Parable of the Dishonest Manager, Jesus personifies money, calling it a boss or a master. When we love money, it calls the shots, it’s in control, it drives our priorities and agenda. And it fights for our affection, pulling us away from God.

The parable of the Dishonest Manager is not one that we hear very often. But this passage contains some statements that are really familiar to us, such as “no one can serve two masters.” Today, we’ll explore this concept of serving money as a master. 

A key point of this story is that we should use wealth as a tool to evangelize people. That we make friends and share the gospel so that they will one day be in heaven. That is God’s intent for our use of money.

This passage is also saying that we either use money for God’s purposes, or money is going to use us. We become its servant. 

Notice too, Jesus talks about when the money is gone. People of the light recognize that money is not going to last forever. It’s going to disappear. So instead of pouring all of their time and effort into getting this thing that’s going to disappear, people of the light focus on eternal dwellings. 

That’s another major comparison that’s happening in this passage: the difference between worldly and heavenly. Jesus says, “Use worldly wealth to gain friends who will welcome you into eternal dwellings.” Use the worldly to bridge to the eternal. He also talks about “if you are not trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” The true riches are what heaven has to offer. Don’t get short-sighted in thinking that money is all that there is. Instead, focus on what’s going to last, the true riches of heaven. 

It’s interesting too, while the NIV says “worldly wealth”, the ESV calls it “unrighteous.” It points towards money’s corrupting influence. Money tends to grab at our hearts and affections. 

And then we come to the familiar words about how no one can serve two masters. Jesus personifies money as a boss or a master. Someone who’s in charge. What does that look like, to have money as your boss? It means that…

• Money calls the shots, determining what you’re going to do, and giving you assignments.
• Money sets your agenda and your priorities. It tells you what’s going to be most important. 
• Money is who you answer to. You are accountable to it. 
• Money will take your time and skills and attention. 
• Money will trap you. You are a slave to it. 
• Money competes with God for your affections. 

Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other or despise the one and be devoted to the other.” Love and devotion, that is what people are giving to money when they serve it.

We all serve someone or something. And if you’re serving money, then you’re not serving God.

At the end of the story, Luke tells us that the Pharisees love money. And what have we seen from them as far as their attitude toward God or their behavior toward others? They are stingy and harsh, telling people to come back on another day for healing. They criticize the disciples for picking and eating a little bit of food on the Sabbath. They scoff at what Jesus says because he doesn’t fit their agenda.

The Pharisees were slaves to money, and it led them to an ugly place where they were in conflict with God and with the people around them. Jesus tells them that “God knows their hearts,” and that “what is highly valuable to man is detestable in God’s sight.” Serving money is detestable to God. You cannot love what God hates and still serve him.

Our key truth for today is that money fights for our affections. It actively wars on our hearts and our minds to draw our focus and attention and love. It is trying to supplant God and his rightful place as ruler of our hearts.

This story teaches us to use our wealth to make friends for gospel purposes. That’s how we serve God, not money. So then let’s think about what might serving money look like.

So beware of hoarding wealth for yourself, or finding your security in your bank account or retirement savings or your salary. Consider if money has come between you and the people you love. Or if it causes you to treat people differently based on how much money they have. 

Sometimes serving money as our master comes disguised as seeking comfort. Maybe God is calling you to leave what’s comfortable and go somewhere else but you are secure in how things are right now. 

Today as you go, spend some time in prayer, asking God to reveal to you if you have been serving money. Consider if your heart has been pulled toward money and away from God. Confess anything that comes up and seek to serve God, because money fights for your affections.