BURIED TREASURE: Exploring The Parables Of Jesus
by J. W. Jepson, D.Min.
Life In Christ Center, 3095 Cherry Heights Road, The Dalles, Oregon 97058
(541) 296-1136
Copyright © 1997 by J. W. Jepson
All rights reserved, including the right to grant the following permission and to prohibit the misuse thereof:
The Author hereby grants permission to reproduce the text of this article, without changes or alterations*, as a ministry, but not for commercial or non-ministry purposes.*Permission is given for publication of excerpts and condensed versions.
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20.
THE CROOKED MANAGER
There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
And be called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
--Luke 16:1-8
THE CROOKED MANAGER
Jesus set a very interesting scenario before us in the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-8), and then followed it up with some pertinent principles.
A rich man hired a steward to manage his assets. Things seemed to go all right for a while. Then one day the owner began hearing some accusations against the manager. So he called him in and promptly took him to task.
"What's behind these reports?" he demanded. "Bring your records up to date. I want a full account of everything you've been doing. And as soon as you get things in order and the report is in my hands, I'm terminating you!"
Shaken, the manager thought anxiously, "I'm losing my job! What am I going to do? I'm not physically able to do pick and shovel work. And I'm ashamed to beg."
"I've got it!" he exclaimed. "I'll get in good with my lord's debtors so they'll take me in. I know how much they owe. What is written on the papers is between them and me. I'll do some negotiating.''
So right away he called an emergency meeting of the debtors. He had to work fast and he had to come on strong to pull off this scheme.
"How much do you owe my employer?" he demanded of the first.
"Why, a hundred measures of oil," he replied, a little puzzled.
"Right! Take your voucher and sit down quickly and change the amount to fifty," the rascal urged. The debtor found himself going alone with the scheme.
Keeping up his pushy approach, the manager turned to another. "And how much do you owe?" he questioned. "A hundred measures of wheat," was the reply.
"Right! Take your voucher and change the amount to eighty," the manager directed.
Taking advantage of their greed, he maneuvered his employer's debtors until he had them right where he wanted them. None of them dared to "blow the whistle" on him because now they were all implicated.
The trick worked. Now they owed him a favor, and also he could blackmail them. He had "taken them in," and now they would be obliged to take him in!
When the rich man found out how his steward had managed to cheat him one last time, he gave him credit at least for his shrewdness. "I'll have to hand it to him. When it comes to crookedness, he certainly is an expert."
Now, Jesus did not approve of what the rascal did. He did not endorse the use of dishonest means to achieve good ends. And He certainly did not teach that we can buy our way into Heaven by giving to the poor.
The Master used this unusual and interesting parable to drive home four lessons.
1. "The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light" (verse 8).
If believers are the children of light, the children of this world are the children of darkness. Blinded by "the god of this world," they see and value only the things of this
world.
But we who believe are the children of light. We see true values--real, eternal, spiritual values--and these are primary to us. We regard temporal values only as secondary.
But what we regard as secondary, the children of this world value as primary. Having put priority on this present world, they pursue it with all their heart. They live for it, concentrate their attention on it, invest all in it, give the energies of mind and body fully to it, and find in it their reason and reward for living. It is their life.
This does not mean that Christians should be half-hearted and mediocre in their earthly responsibilities. On the contrary, our stewardship to the Lord and to others requires us to do and be our best at whatever we do.
The point is that the children of this world and the children of light view the world differently. They live for this world; we live in it. They regard themselves as owners; we regard ourselves as stewards.
Again, they regard this world as primary; we regard it as secondary. The children of this world conduct themselves by a different set of rules, and we must not try to operate by the world's standards. We must not try to outsmart the children of darkness at their own game. The light does not permit us to do so!
Jesus said, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16).
2. "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations" (verse 9).
That is, use money and property for the good of others. Invest in their temporal and eternal welfare. You will gain their everlasting gratitude. Then when you "fail," or your work on earth is finished, what a reception you will have in Heaven from those who were blessed by your investment!
Jesus reminds us that earthly resources will eventually run out; so let us use the temporal to secure results that will endure.
3. "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much" (verse 10).
Integrity knows no dollar sign. How we handle our money and our possessions is a test of our character. It reveals whether or not we are morally qualified to receive the true riches. For example, who would trust a ministry to someone who cannot be trusted with finances?
The story is told of two men who were conversing about ethics. One asked the other, "Would you keep a dollar that a store clerk gave you by mistake?"
His friend thought for a moment, and then replied, "Probably."
The first man promptly followed-up with another question: "Would you steal a million dollars?"
The second man retorted indignantly, "What do you think I am? A thief?" The other replied, "That has already been established."
Jesus said, "If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" (verse 11).
True riches. What a great subject! Here again we have an implied contrast. If spiritual and human values are the true riches, what are mere material values? They are not truly "riches."
Here is another contrast between the children of this world and the children of light. They view material objects as riches to be owned: we view them as resources to be invested for their rightful Owner. To us, "riches" means something far more valuable than "things."
Jesus asked, "And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?" (verse 12). How we treat what belongs to another is a test of our fitness to be entrusted with our own. How do we treat others' possessions, their name, their time, their ministry, their feelings, their family? The answer will reveal our fitness for possessing our own.
4. "No servant can serve two masters.... Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (verse 13).
Properly used, money is a friend. But when money becomes our master, it becomes an enemy. No amount of religious talk can compensate for covetous living.
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also," Jesus said (Luke 12:34).
Paul admonished Timothy: "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate: laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
Let us take inventory of the resources placed in our charge: time, talents, opportunities, health, intelligence, education, and other advantages. Then let us use them wisely, making them count for the highest good for both time and eternity.
G. Cambell Morgan told about a boy who was listening as his father prayed for missions and other Christian enterprises. When his father finished, the boy expressed his admiration for the noble prayer. Then he said, "But father, if I had your bankbook, I could answer half of your prayers."
With the Lord's help and guidance, let us be faithful managers of the blessings He has given us.
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