Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 11/25/2008

Question
Hello Pastor Don! My question is regarding Luke 16: 1-13. I have read it and read it and I just don't understand how to apply this. Thank you so much for your answer and your generosity with your time. God bless you, Sherry

Answer
Hi Sherry,

Thanks for this great question.  Let us look at the passage together:

Luke 16:1-13


And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he 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. 3 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. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.  7 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.  8 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. 9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.  10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

The key verse to this passage is verse 10.  If one is faithful with money, he will be faithful in spiritual things.  If one can be trusted with little things, then he can be trusted with more important things.  If one cannot be trusted with little things, then it would be stupid to trust him with important things.

This parable has a man who was trusted with another's money.  There was no money when the boss came back.  Instead of being empty handed, the steward went to the venders and reduced their bills so that they would at least pay half of what was owed so that he would not face his master empty.  This was a good move because half is better than nothing.  This wisdom with money showed that he could be trusted with other things.

We also see that one cannot SERVE money and serve God at the same time.  One can be faithful with money, but cannot let the pursuit of money become a life consuming task.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don