Author: Bill Hall

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and scoffing at Him.

Luke 16:14

How could the Pharisees reconcile their love of money with a love for God? They didn’t reconcile it, they equated it. In the mind of a good Pharisee, money was a signof God’s approval and blessing. Pharisees revelled in enjoying money because they saw it as evidence of their holiness.

The Pharisees scoffed because Jesus was not rich, nor did He value money the way they did. This is one of the key reasons that they rejected His message. They could not see their King in this man who did not understand the truth about money.

Heavenly Father, thank You for clarity. Only when we gaze upon Christ and see Him as He is do we begin to understand the realities of life. When we get a sense of the absolute and objective horrible nature of our sin, we begin to understand the breadth and height of the light and love You shed abroad by Christ. The wave of mercy and grace overcomes our pride and brings us to a profound humility. Oh to be like Christ! That is all that we need hope for. He is sufficient. Father, You are the Glorious One. I will love and praise You forever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

No household slave can be the slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t be slaves to both God and money.

Luke 16:13

Jesus is making it clear here that He is not teaching we should let money be our god. The parable He shares here illustrates the need for faithfulness. But money is only a tool, and makes a poor master.

Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your Word! Having Your Truth available is such a blessing. Thank You for Your wisdom, grace, and love. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?

Luke 16:12

It is very important to understand the work ethic of the Bible. Working faithfully both with one’s own possessions, and those of others, is strongly taught. In fact, the Bible makes it clear that your possessions are meant to be used to bless others as well as yourself. Work is a gift from God, and is meant to be done in Christ’s Name to the Glory of the Lord God.

Heavenly Father, thank you for work! It is acceptable and admirable in all. Our duty to you and our fellow humans is of inestimable value to our lives. When we live by Your economy, our life brings glory to You. You are worthy! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

So if you have not been faithful with the unrighteous money, who will trust you with what is genuine?

Luke 16:11

As one goes through life it is important to ask, ‘Who trusts me?’ If you have very few, or even nobody, who trusts you on any level, it indicates your reputation is quite poor. Faithfulness in anything, even bad things, is appreciated.

Being faithful is actually a key to life. Those who learn this lesson early will go far. Now, Jesus is not saying that being faithful in worldly things makes you holy. But, it does make you trustworthy, and potentially loyal. Laziness and godliness do not mix. So being industrious won’t make you holy, but it will make you eligible.

Heavenly Father, thank You for constantly helping us to see how weak we are. Though we resist that, it is in our favor to realize just how much we depend upon You. Every blessing comes from You and is a gift from Your hand. Thank You for Your work in our lives! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much.

Luke 16:10

The bad manager was the one who was ‘unrighteous’ in little, but also proved to be unrighteous in much. In other words, he had been shrewd and worldlywise as he stole a bit off the top of his master’s profits. And he was then even more skilled in unrighteousness when the stakes were raised and he needed to provide for his future.

This verse is the application of this parable. The key is the word ‘faithful’ here. In contrast to the bad manager, Jesus calls us to be faithful servants. But, like the bad manager who was able to take his skills to the next level, those who are faithful in little things will prove faithful with big things.

Heavenly Father, thank You for this day to praise You! Thank You for Your leading and guiding of our lives. Thank You for giving us hope. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of the unrighteous money so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings.

Luke 16:9

Here we must establish what Jesus is saying, and what He is not saying. He is not saying that we should do the same thing that the bad manager did. What he is saying is that we should be wise, and generous, in the use of our monetary resources. Money is a tool that can be used to bring blessing to the lives of others.

Notice here that Jesus says ‘when’ it fails. Money will ultimately fail. You can’t take it with you. What you can take with you is what you have chosen to do with it.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your generosity with Your creation. You have given us all things richly to enjoy. Your magnanimity and beneficence are absolutely overwhelming! To live by Your mercy and grace is the greatest joy we can know. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted astutely. For the sons of this age are more astute than the sons of light in dealing with their own people.

Luke 16:8

In many other parables of Christ the master represents God, or Christ himself. Not so in this parable, here the master represents a worldly man who is impressed by the shrewdness of this bad manager. He recognizes the fact that the plan this manager hatches will indeed be a help to the manager’s future. He begins to think maybe he still needs such a man in his employ.

Jesus is not praising the ‘sons of this age’ for doing wrong. He simply recognizing the fact that those who are unrighteous may many times make very shrewd decisions nonetheless.

Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to praise You! Thank You for Your management of this world, and Your plan for redemption. Your grace and mercy are overwhelming! Your power and wisdom are awesome! Your love and kindness are wonderful! Thank You for Your power in our lives. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Next he asked another, ‘How much do you owe? ‘ ‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he said. ‘Take your invoice,’ he told him, ‘and write 80.’

Luke 16:7 CSB

This bad manager only had the invoices changed slightly. He did not want to have too much trouble to work off, yet enough favor to be befriended.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your awesome power! You are not simply strong, but are good and holy and just. You make right all that is wrong in Your time, and by Your plan. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he said. ‘Take your invoice,’ he told him, ‘sit down quickly, and write 50.’

Luke 16:6

Make no mistake, what the bad manager is doing here is not honest. It was, however, an effective way to make some quick so-called friends.

Heavenly Father, thank You for this day to serve You. Thank You for Your mercy, Your grace, and Your love. Thank You for being the Just One, the Holy One, the Righteous One, and the Pure One. You inspire our awe. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

So he summoned each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first one.

Luke 16:5

These debtors were not in a position to argue with this manager. They were all in debt and were concerned abut their need to pay. It is so important to understand Jesus’ teaching that the borrower is servant to the lender.

Heavenly Father, thank you for another day to give you praise, honor, and glory! Father, you are worthy of every praise, of every exhalation. You have made mercy and grace apparent to us. We live in a world so burdened with sin and shame, and yet you teach us love. Thank you! In the name of Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.