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.
(Luke 16:1)
The unjust steward was covetous. He had not been faithful to his master or to his master’s debtors. He had wasted his master’s goods on himself. When found out, his self-serving nature considered the options, and decided there had to be a change. He decided to use his lord’s money to make friends so that when he was fired he would have someone to help him.
His master was apparently wealthy enough that he didn’t take offense at the steward’s discounting of the debts owed to him, but rather he commended the steward. He didn’t commend his dishonest ways, but he was commending the fact that he had finally used his lord’s money to plan for the future instead of wasting it on himself. Although the steward was motivated by what he would ultimately gain, there was prudence in his actions. This was lacking before.
In this sense, the children of this world (lost men) are wiser than the children of light (born again men) because they plan for the temporal future.
Jesus is telling us to use money (the unrighteous mammon) to make to ourselves friends that would receive us into “everlasting” habitations. The use of the word “everlasting” denotes that Jesus is now talking about our eternal future. The people who have been saved and blessed by our investments in the kingdom of God will literally receive us into our everlasting home when we pass on to be with the Lord.
Our material possessions have been given to us by God so that we are actually stewards of His resources. The Lord gave us this wealth to establish His covenant on this earth – not so that we could consume it upon our own lusts. You have been blessed to be a blessing!
Read this: Luke 16:1-18
Andrew Wommack Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Andrew Wommack’s life was forever changed the moment he encountered the supernatural love of God on March 23, 1968. Since then, he has made it his mission to change the way the world sees God. The author of more than forty books and the founder and president of Charis Bible College, Andrew has a heart for discipleship and teaches biblical truths with clarity and simplicity.
His Gospel Truth television show emphasizes God’s unconditional love and grace and is broadcast around the globe. He started Charis Bible College in 1994 with a vision to prepare men and women for ministry with a unique blend of the teaching of God’s Word and practical “on-the-job” training. Andrew is also the president of the Truth & Liberty Coalition, an organization that seeks to educate, unify, and mobilize believers to impact culture and effect godly change on important social issues. Andrew and his wife, Jamie, have been married for more than 50 years.