“Jesus and Money” (Part 1)

Many voices flood the media with proposals that will supposedly solve the current financial recession. I have been reminded in recent days, as I’ve heard “surefire” answers to our money crisis, that Jesus had much to say on the topic of money. This week we will consider some of the parables Jesus told on the subject. Today, I want to focus on the parable of the unjust steward found in Luke 16:1-9:

Luke 16:1-2: This is the story of a wealthy landowner who rents out parcels of land to local farmers. He has hired a steward to collect the fees and keep the books. When the landowner discovers that the manager has cheated him and “doctored” the books, he is fired. The steward is given a little time to report the size of the losses facing the landowner.

Luke 16:3-7: While the crook has a few days to give an account, he takes inventory of his options. He crosses manual labor off his list and realizes he is too proud to accept charity. Suddenly a scheme pops into his head. This is a plan that will guarantee he has a place to sleep and eat. We would label his idea as blackmail. Quickly the farmers are called to his office and instructed to reduce their annual rent by a considerable amount. This secret gives the steward leverage for the future!

Luke 16:8a: A quick read here might lead us to conclude that dishonesty is being commended. But no, it is the man’s shrewdness that is acknowledged. He is prudent, clever, and wise. The Greek word used here is phronimos, the same word used in the Matthew 7 story about a man who anticipates that storms will come and wisely builds his house on a rock foundation. This crook has shrewdly planned for his “out-of-work” future.

Luke 16:8b-9: How does Jesus drive home a spiritual lesson from such a bizarre story? He flatly states that the unbelievers of this world are wiser with their money than believers are in the affairs of God’s kingdom. My personal paraphrase of verse 9 is: “Make Christian friends for yourselves with your money so that when you die they may welcome you into heaven.”

We need this challenge, especially when money is tight. The word for today is “be wise!” There are ways to be prudent with our money so that the work of the kingdom is not overlooked. On Wednesday, we will look at a second parable. Meanwhile, what are your ideas about being wise in a recession?