Whom Do You Serve ?

You cannot serve both God and Money.

Luke 16:13 

Luke 16:1–15 – Whom Do You Serve ?

Introduction - Stewardship in the Kingdom of Grace

When we open Luke 15, we find Jesus in the middle of a charged and polarized moment. Two very different groups are listening to Him. Closest to Him sit the tax collectors and sinners — those considered moral failures and social outcasts — leaning in to catch every word of grace. Standing farther off, arms crossed, are the Pharisees and teachers of the law — the religious elite — grumbling under their breath: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). This setting is crucial to understanding not only the beloved parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, but also the story of the prodigal son. There, the younger prodigal son returns home in repentance and is embraced and celebrated by his father, while the older brother refuses to forgive and stays outside the feast. Jesus was holding up a mirror to the Pharisees — they were the elder brother, unwilling to join the celebration of grace and still clinging to their own sense of righteousness and superiority.

Into this divided scene, Jesus unveils His kingdom agenda through a series of parables. In Luke 15, God is pictured as a shepherd searching, a woman sweeping, a father running — heaven itself rejoicing over repentant sinners. But Jesus does not stop with celebration; He turns in Luke 16 to instruct His disciples on how to live in light of this generous kingdom. If God’s heart is this gracious, His followers must become faithful and wise stewards. The parable of the shrewd manager challenges them to take money — something the Pharisees loved and trusted — and turn it into a tool for eternal purposes. It is a call to live with foresight, generosity, and single-hearted devotion, preparing for the true celebration to come in Our Father’s House.

Opening Prayer

Gracious Father,

We come before You as stewards of all You have entrusted to us — our time, resources, and opportunities. We confess that too often our hearts are divided, chasing after security in wealth or approval from others. Today, open our eyes to see life as You see it. Teach us the wisdom of holy shrewdness — to act decisively, generously, and faithfully in light of eternity. May Your Spirit guide our thoughts as we study Your Word, so that we may not only understand Jesus’ teaching but also live it out with courage and joy. We seek first Your Kingdom, trusting that all else will fall in line. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Most Puzzling Parable

This is one of Jesus’ most puzzling parables because everyone in it is morally compromised.

• The steward is guilty of embezzlement.
  
  
• The debtors are happy to go along with fraud to reduce what they owe.
  
  
• The master surprisingly praises the steward — not for his dishonesty, but for his cleverness.
  
  

Jesus deliberately uses this morally shady story to teach His disciples about spiritual shrewdness, ingenuity in use of resources, and wholehearted devotion to God. The shock value forces His hearers to wrestle with the point: if even a dishonest manager knows how to prepare for the future with urgency and ingenuity, how much more should the “children of light” act decisively in preparing for eternity.

Verse 1 — The Steward’s Crisis

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. Luke 16:1 

The parable opens with a sobering scene: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.” His manager was likely the chief steward — a trusted household officer with real authority, running the estate of an absentee landlord. As the master’s representative, he acted as the manager of the entire operation: supervising workers, collecting rents (often in produce), and keeping careful accounts. This was a position of great trust, yet this steward had been careless or dishonest, squandering the master’s resources until the news reached him. The picture immediately places us in the world of stewardship and accountability — this is not merely about money, but responsibility as well.

Verse 2 — Called to Account

“So he called him in and asked him, “What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.”” Luke 16:2  

The master’s words are blunt and unrelenting: “Give an account of your management…” William Barclay observes that at this moment the steward’s future is sealed—his position is lost and nothing he can do will undo his past failure. His careless or dishonest stewardship has caught up with him, and now he must face the consequences. In this moment, there is no time to rewrite history, only to prepare for what comes next.

Verses 3–4 — Realization & Future Planning

“‘The manager said to himself, “What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg – I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.”” Luke 16:3-4 

When the steward hears the verdict, his first response is not denial but sober reflection: “What shall I do? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg.” Barclay points out that this moment reveals the man’s shrewdness—he faces the facts honestly and begins to think about how to secure his future. His crisis has clarified his priorities. He takes stock of his abilities, admits his limitations, and decides to act before the opportunity to do so passes. This is a turning point: he moves from passive failure to active planning. 

Verses 5–7 — Decisive Action

“‘So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, “How much do you owe my master?” ‘ “Three thousand litres of olive oil,” he replied. ‘The manager told him, “Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifteen hundred.” ‘Then he asked the second, “And how much do you owe?” ‘ “Thirty tons of wheat,” he replied. ‘He told him, “Take your bill and make it twenty-four.”” Luke 16:5-7 

In first-century Palestine, stewards were trusted household managers who oversaw large estates and acted as middlemen between landowners and tenant farmers. Much of the rent was paid in kind — oil, wine, or grain — rather than in cash. A typical contract might require a farmer to deliver 100 baths of olive oil (about 875 gallons, the yield of more than 150 olive trees) or 100 cors of wheat (roughly 1,000 bushels). These were enormous amounts, representing months of labor and the livelihood of an entire household. This dishonest steward in Jesus’s parable probably added a hefty commission to the agreed-upon rent, using the contract to secure profit for himself.

When the steward realized he was about to lose his position, he acted with remarkable shrewdness. He quickly summoned the debtors and revised their contracts — most likely removing his own surcharge. He told the first debtor to reduce his bill from 3000 liters of oil to 1500, cutting the debt in half and saving the farmer years of produce. The second debtor’s bill of 30 tons of wheat was reduced to 24 — still a massive reduction. These actions did not rob the master but restored fairness and secured goodwill. The steward’s shrewdness lay in seeing the urgency of the moment and using what remained under his authority to secure a future welcome. Jesus highlights this urgency with the phrase: “Sit down quickly and make it less.” Jesus is not endorsing dishonesty but commending the steward’s shrewdness — his foresight, initiative, and wise use of the little time and authority he had left. 

Verse 8 — Commendation of the Steward

“‘The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.”

Luke 16:8 

Jesus’ words would have startled His listeners: the master praises the manager not for dishonesty, but for his shrewdness — his foresight, decisiveness, and ability to use the brief moment left to him wisely. By calling in the debtors and quickly adjusting their bills, the manager not only secured his own future but also settled the master’s accounts in a way that likely pleased the master, ensuring no further loss and strengthening goodwill with the tenants. Barclay notes that the commendation was for the man’s ingenuity and quick thinking, not for his past wastefulness. The point is clear: the people of this world often show more urgency and creativity in securing their future — even if that future is temporary — than believers do in preparing for eternity. Jesus turns this into a challenge for His followers: if we applied the same focus, energy, and inventiveness to serving God’s kingdom that the world applies to seeking profit and advantage, we would live far more fruitful lives.

MacLaren sharpens this point by observing that the diligence, courage, and prompt action of worldly people often puts believers to shame. The manager’s actions are an example of how shrewdness, rightly applied, can bring about a win-win outcome — restoring trust with the master and earning favor with others. Jesus is calling His disciples to a holy shrewdness — not cunning or manipulation, but clear-eyed wisdom that sees reality as it is and acts decisively. We are to learn the world’s focus on strategy and timing but aim at higher ends: eternal relationships, kingdom fruit, and God’s glory. Jesus’ call echoes His words in Matthew 10:16: “Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Paul expresses the same determination: “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). This verse is a summons to shake off spiritual passivity and invest our best thought, creativity, and energy in what will last forever — to practice shrewdness in the service of God’s kingdom.

Verse 9 — Use Earthly Wealth for Eternal Good

 “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” 

Luke 16:9 

Jesus applies the parable with a striking principle: take what is temporary — money, possessions, opportunities — and turn it into something that lasts forever. This is not about buying influence or manipulating relationships, but about using resources in a way that leaves an eternal impact. Barclay notes that the rabbis used to say charity given to the poor was “treasure stored up for the world to come.” Jesus teaches that true wealth is not what we keep but what we release. The only riches that will remain are those invested in people, acts of mercy, and the work of God’s kingdom. He had already urged His followers, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail” (Luke 12:33). Every gift given, every need met, every act of compassion becomes a deposit in the only bank that will never collapse.

MacLaren helps us see that this verse reframes how we view possessions: not as trophies to display but as scaffolding — temporary tools God gives us to shape our character, bless others, and advance His kingdom. When the scaffolding comes down (when life ends), what will matter is what we built for eternity. Paul exhorts the wealthy in 1 Timothy 6:17–19 not to trust in riches but to “be rich in good deeds… and lay up treasure for the coming age.” As Timothy Keller has said, “Radical generosity is a life of giving, not taking.” Real freedom is found not in clinging to wealth but in releasing it into God’s purposes. Generosity loosens money’s grip on our hearts and turns it into an instrument of worship and mercy.

John Wesley’s story illustrates this beautifully. For years he labored to earn God’s favor — rising early to pray, fasting regularly, visiting the poor, even sailing to America as a missionary — yet still felt the weight of guilt and failure. On May 24, 1738, as he heard a reading of Martin Luther’s preface to Romans, Wesley recorded that his heart was “strangely warmed,” and he knew for the first time that Christ had taken away his sins — even his. This experience moved him from striving to earn God’s love to resting in the assurance of grace.

That same grace fuels true stewardship and kingdom shrewdness. We do not give, serve, or act wisely to earn God’s approval; we do so because we already have it in Christ. Grace frees us to make money our servant rather than our master. Instead of hoarding resources in fear or guilt, we can use them joyfully to bless others and prepare for eternity. Just as the steward acted quickly to secure a welcome for himself, we are called to use today’s opportunities to invest in eternal relationships — to feed the hungry, share the gospel, and build friendships that will one day welcome us into the “eternal dwellings.” The Christian life begins not with performance but with receiving, and from that place of grace, we are empowered to live with courage, creativity, and kingdom purpose.

Verses 10–12 — Faithfulness in Little and Much

““Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest (unrighteous)  wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?” Luke 16:10-12 

Jesus now moves from the parable to a timeless principle: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…” Barclay reminds us that the way we handle small responsibilities is the truest indicator of our character and our fitness for greater ones. In both life and eternity, trust is built in increments. The servant who proves faithful over a few things is the one who will hear, “Well done… I will put you in charge of many things” (Matthew 25:21–23). This passage challenges us to see that there are no truly “small” choices—they are the training ground for larger assignments. Every decision with money, time, relationships, or influence is shaping the kind of steward we are becoming. Paul invites us to lift our eyes beyond the temporary and see that our faithfulness now is producing “an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18).

MacLaren deepens this with three striking contrasts. First, little vs. much: Jesus calls material possessions “very little,” reminding us that even the largest fortune is trivial compared to eternal treasure. Second, unrighteous vs. true: earthly wealth is called “unrighteous” not because it is evil in itself, but because it so easily deceives us into thinking it can give us security or significance. Spiritual riches—righteousness, peace, joy in the Holy Spirit—are the “true riches” that never lose value. Finally, another’s vs. your own: everything you hold here is borrowed property, entrusted to you as a steward. The only things that become truly yours are those God forms in you—character, holiness, love—which endure into eternity. Thomas à Kempis captures this beautifully: “What you are before God, that you are—and no more.” Jesus is inviting us to treat every dollar, every minute, every opportunity as a test and a trust, knowing that our eternal inheritance and capacity for joy are being shaped by the way we manage the “little things” today.

Verse 13 — Two Masters

“‘No-one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.’” Luke 16:13 

Jesus ends His teaching with a decisive choice: “No servant can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and Money.” Barclay explains that Jesus’ original hearers would have understood this vividly. In the ancient world, a slave had no divided life — he belonged entirely to his master, with no spare time or autonomy to serve another. In the same way, Jesus insists that loyalty to God cannot be shared with anything else, especially with wealth, possessions, the power of money. MacLaren drives the point home: serving God is not a part-time commitment or a hobby — it is the total surrender of one’s will and life. You cannot give half your heart to God and half to wealth or self-interest. Each day calls for a fresh decision about who will be your true master.

This verse is as searching today as it was in Jesus’ time. Money is not morally evil, but it is spiritually dangerous when it becomes a rival god. Peterson paraphrases Jesus’ warning: “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other.” Wealth competes for our trust, whispering promises of security and status, yet ultimately demanding our devotion. As Timothy Keller warns in Counterfeit Gods, “Money cannot save you from tragedy, or give you control in a chaotic world. Only God can do that. What breaks the power of money over us is not just redoubled effort to follow the example of Christ. Rather, it is deepening your understanding of the salvation of Christ, what you have in him, and then living out the changes that that understanding makes in your heart—the seat of your mind, will, and emotions. Faith in the gospel restructures our motivations, our self-understanding and identity, our view of the world. Behavioral compliance to rules without a complete change of heart will be superficial and fleeting.”

This is exactly the heart of Jesus’ teaching in Luke 16. The choice before us is not merely between two financial strategies but between two lords. Will we let Money rule our decisions, shape our fears, and claim our hopes — or will we trust God as our true Master? The call of Jesus is to wholehearted allegiance, to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). Only God can free us from the enslaving power of money and reorient our lives toward His kingdom. Far from a burdensome command, this is an invitation to freedom: to stop living as slaves to wealth and to start living as children of the Father, secure in His provision and empowered to serve Him with joy.

When God Knows the Heart
“The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.” Luke 16:14-15 

The scene shifts as Luke tells us, “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.” These religious leaders, outwardly pious but inwardly captivated by wealth, scoff at Jesus’ teaching about generosity and loyalty to God over Money. Their sneer is telling — ridicule is often the defensive shield of a convicted conscience. Luke deliberately notes that they were “lovers of money,” showing that their hearts were aligned with Money, not God. Their reaction reveals that Jesus’ words had struck the very idol they cherished. It is a sobering reminder that our response to Jesus’ teaching about money often exposes the true orientation of our hearts. As Paul warns, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10), and when challenged, we either repent or resist.

Jesus responds with a penetrating diagnosis: “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.” MacLaren notes that this is a stinging rebuke — what the world applauds (status, wealth, public honor) may, in God’s eyes, be empty or even abhorrent if it springs from pride and greed. Jeremiah 17:10 underscores the point: “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct.”

John Stott wisely observed, “We should travel light and live simply. Our enemy is not possessions but excess.” This is especially relevant in a culture where the so-called prosperity gospel often equates God’s blessing with material abundance and outward success. Such teaching risks turning faith into a transaction and subtly affirming what Jesus here calls “detestable in God’s sight” — the worship of status, luxury, and personal gain. True blessing is not measured by bank accounts or influence but by the presence of Christ, the fruit of the Spirit, and a life that reflects God’s character.

This passage challenges us to ask: Do we measure success by God’s standards or by human applause? Are we seeking a faith that makes us more comfortable or one that makes us more like Christ? God’s evaluation penetrates beyond the image we project to others. The call is to cultivate integrity and humility — to seek not the approval of men but the smile of God, who weighs the heart and honors what is often hidden from public view.

Conclusion: Living with Kingdom Shrewdness

The parable of the shrewd manager, followed by Jesus’ sharp words to the Pharisees, is not merely about money — it is about the heart. We are all stewards, entrusted with time, resources, opportunities, and relationships that ultimately belong to God. The manager’s shrewdness is commended not for its dishonesty but for its foresight and urgency. He recognized the shortness of his time, used what he had while he could, and prepared for a future welcome. Jesus calls His disciples to live with that same clarity: to use worldly wealth not to build monuments to ourselves but to build relationships that will last into eternity.

This is not a summons to anxious striving but an invitation into grace-fueled living. Like John Wesley, we must move from trying to earn God’s approval to resting in Christ’s finished work. From that place of security, we are free to loosen our grip on possessions and let generosity become the overflow of a grateful heart. Paul’s teaching in Galatians 4:21–5:1 comes into sharp focus here. The Pharisees, clinging to the law as a means of self-justification, were like children of Hagar — still in bondage. Jesus was offering them the freedom of Sarah’s children — freedom that comes not from legalism or self-effort but from grace. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). God’s evaluation penetrates beyond appearances and calls us to live as those set free — not to indulge the flesh, but to walk by faith, working through love.

Miriam Therese Winter’s hymn captures the spirit of Jesus’ teaching:

“Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, and all the rest will fall in line.

Give God His due, and God will give back to you;

Turn your water into wine.”

The Kingdom life is not about chasing the rainbow’s end but about befriending the poor, standing up for what is right, and serving God in mankind. Those who hunger now will feast, and those who hoard will find their wealth empty on the last day. True kingdom shrewdness is not clever manipulation but wholehearted obedience: using time, influence, and resources to advance God’s justice, share His love, and prepare for the eternal celebration.

The challenge is clear: we cannot serve both God and Money. Our lives will either orbit around money or around Christ. But when we choose Christ, our possessions become instruments of worship, and our daily decisions become eternal investments. Let us, then, be wise and decisive, turning fleeting opportunities into lasting treasure — so that one day, when the scaffolding of life falls away, we will find ourselves welcomed into the joy of our Master, Savior and Lord.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for reminding us that everything we have belongs to You and that our true riches are found in Christ alone. Free us from the grip of Money and from the fear that keeps us from living generously. Help us to walk as children of light — no longer slaves to legalism or pride but standing firm in the freedom Christ purchased for us. Give us grace to use what is temporary for what is eternal: to bless the poor, strengthen the church, and invest in relationships that will welcome us into Your eternal dwelling. May our lives, our money, and our time all serve one purpose — to bring glory to You and advance Your Kingdom. We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.