The Unjust Steward THE MAN WHO LOST HI S JOB

The Unjust Steward THE MAN WHO LOST HI S JOB by Jack Wi l hel m Introduction: Luke 16:1-13 The gover nment r el eases f i gur es r egul ar l y about t he unempl oyment r at e. Our nat i onal economy i s af f ect ed when peopl e ar e out of a j ob. To combat unempl oyment, much ef f or t i s di r ect ed t o educat e and t r ai n pot ent i al wor ker s wi t h ski l l s so t hey can become cont r i but i ng member s of soci et y. Many f ami l i es have known pani c and i nsecur i t y when t he br eadwi nner ' s j ob i s t er mi nat ed. The Bi bl e r ecor ds i n Luke 16: 1-13 t he st or y of a man who l ost hi s j ob. I. SOME BACKGROUND FACTS THAT WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND THE STORY: A. The char act er s i n t he st or y ar e ( 1) a cer t ai n r i ch man, and ( 2) hi s st ewar d. 1. Ther e i s a need t o r evi ew t he subj ect of stewardship. Absent ee l andl or ds woul d of t en appoi nt a key per son ( cal l ed a st ewar d) t o manage t hei r pr oper t y. Eg. El i ezer was Abr aham' s st ewar d( Gen. 15: 2) and Joseph was t he st ewar d over Pot i phar l s house( Gen. 39: 14). 2. A st ewar d possesses ( or occupi es) but he does not own. He i s r esponsi bl e t o t he owner f or f ai t hf ul management and pr oduct i ve use of what i s ent r ust ed t o hi m. ( Not e: We ar e st ewar ds of what God has ent r ust ed t o us. ) B. ( Rel at e t he st or y. ) Bi bl e schol ar s ar e gener al l y agr eed t hat t he r i ch man ( owner ) i n t hi s st or y r epr esent s God, ( t hough Bar cl ay cal l s hi m a " r ascal ". ) II. LESSONS FROM THE STORY OF THE UNJUST STEWARD: A. We learn that we should not draw hasty conclusions or act impulsively merely on the basis of heresay or rumor. 1. Luke 16: 1-2: The st ewar d was accused unt o hi m t hat he had wast ed hi s goods... And he cal l ed hi m and sai d unt o hi m, How i s i t 1

t hat I hear t hi s of t hee? gi ve account of t hy st ewar dshi p.... 2. He di d not make expl osi ve char ges t o ever yone but t he st ewar d. He i nvest i gat ed. 3. The f ol l owi ng t est s have been suggest ed as saf eguar ds agai nst har mf ul gossi p and r umor monger i ng: a. I s i t t r ue? Chr i st i ans shoul d not spr ead f al sehoods. Ti t us 3: 2; Eph. 4: 31 b. Even i f t r ue, i s i t wi se? Wi l l i t edi f y? I s i t necessar y? c. Even i f t r ue, i s i t possi bl e t hat i t wi l l do har m? damage t he i nnocent? ( Someone has sai d, " Chr i st i ans shoul d al ways t el l t he t r ut h, but not necessar i l y al ways be t el l i ng i t. " ) d. Woul d I say t hi s i n t he per sonal pr esence of t he per son? ( " Sl ander i s somet hi ng one says behi nd your back, but not t o your f ace; Fl at t er y i s somet hi ng one says t o your f ace but not behi nd your back. " Bot h ar e condensed. ) e. Wi l l i t pass t he Gol den Rul e t est? I f condi t i ons wer e r ever sed, woul d I want t he ot her per son t o br oadcast t hi s about me? B. A primary responsibility of life is to meet our obligations and make a living. 1. v. 3-4 When t he st ewar d l ear ned he had l ost hi s j ob, hi s f i r st concer n was ' What shal l I do?" He t r i ed t o pr ovi de f or hi s sur vi val. 2. God expect s us t o make a l i vi ng i n an honor abl e way, Eph. 4: 28; Gen. 3: 19. ( Cf. Gen. 2: 15 Adam had a j ob even bef or e he si nned. ) 3. The chur ch and soci et y may l egi t i mat el y show compassi on and hel p t hose i n need, Gal. 6: 10; 1 Ti m. 5: 16. But t o have sever al succeedi ng gener at i ons st i l l expect i ng handout s i s wr ong, 2 Thess. 3: 6-12. The anci ent Jews sai d, " I f you do not t each your chi l d a t r ade, you do t he same as i f you t aught hi m t o be a t hi ef. " Illust. A young man, af t er he was gr own, came t o hi s f at her and sai d, " I want t o t hank you f or maki ng me wor k when I was a t eenager. At t he t i ne, I t hought you wer e unf ai r, because al l my f r i ends had no r est r i ct i ons and f ew chor es. Now, when I see what has happened t o t hem, I know t hat you knew best. I al ways wonder ed how you knew exact l y how many chor es t o l ay out f or me each day t o keep me busy unt i l you got home. 2

C. The beauty of a good deed can be tarnished by an ugly motive. 1. v. 4-7 " I am r esol ved what t o do... t hat t hey may r ecei ve me... 2. The st ewar d accommodat ed t he cr edi t or s and di scount ed t hei r goods. Or di nar i l y t hi s coul d have been a good deed, but hi s mot i ve was wr ong and he was not honest l y abl e t o do what he di d. 3. Some Bi bl e exampl es of i mpur e mot i ves t hat cor r upt ed ot her wi se commendabl e act i ons: a. Mat t. 2: 8 Her od sought t he Chr i st chi l d, not t o wor shi p as he sai d, but ki l l. b. Mat t. 26: 48-49 Judas' ki ss was t o bet r ay Jesus, not a r eal af f ect i onat e gr eet i ng. c. Mat t. 6: 1-8 Jesus condemned out war d r el i gi ous exer ci ses done onl y f or show. 4. What about us? Fr i endl y at ser vi ces onl y t o get peopl e t o r et ur n? Gi ve, onl y t o be seen and pr ai sed of men? Hel p t he needy as a gr i m dut y or out of genui ne compassi on? D. While not approving sins, we do need to see the good points in others as well as their faults. 1. v. 8 Lor d ccmmnded t he unj ust st ewar d, because he had done wi sel y... " 2. The man' s t hi ever y was not condoned, but he di d have some good poi nt s. He had a pr obl em, whi ch he r ecogni zed, and he di r ect ed hi s ener gi es t o t r y t o sol ve i t. 3. Bur t on Cof f man, i n hi s Commentary on Luke, p. 348, says t he f ol l owi ng: 1. He t ol d hi msel f t he t r ut h. 2. He t ook account of hi s own need whi ch woul d not di mi ni sh mer el y because he had l ost hi s j ob. 3. He accur at el y appr ai sed t he necessi t y t o make some pr ovi si on agai nst t hat f ut ur e need, even as Chr i st hi msel f commanded ( Rev. 3: 18). 4. He used t hose t hi ngs whi ch he yet cont r ol l ed i n or der t o meet t hat i nevi t ubl e f ut ur e need. 5. He act ed at once wi t h al l possi bl e speed. 6. He act ed wi t h br i l l i ant ef f i ci ency and t hor oughness. 3

4. God coul d st i l l l ove us i n spi t e of our gl ar i ng si ns. Al l peopl e wi l l do bet t er when gi ven cr edi t f or t hei r good poi nt s, t hough t hei r f l aws st i l l need cor r ect i on. E. God's people can learn some valuable lessons, even from non-religious people. 1. v. 8 "... t he chi l dr en of t hi s wor l d ar e i n t hei r gener at i on wi ser t han t he chi l dr en of l i ght... 2. The busi ness wor l d has l ear ned t o pl an ahead wi t h vi si on and f or esi ght. We may l ear n f r om t hei r met hods wi t hout bei ng di sl oyal t o t he message. a. Not e t he wor l d' s j udgment at l ocat i on of t hei r bui l di ngs and t hei r upkeep. ( We see many i l l kept chur ch bui l di ngs i n or acr oss t he t r acks wher e no busi ness man woul d dar e t r y t o oper at e a busi ness he was t r yi ng t o expand. ) b. The busi ness wor l d pr ovi des i t s wor ker s wi t h t r ai ni ng, good equi pment t o wor k wi t h, and mot i vat i on i ncent i ves t o boost mor al e. c. The busi ness wor l d uses posi t i ve adver t i si ng i deas and qual i t y wor kmanshi p. Illust. The chur ch of t en pays wel l t o have a gospel meet i ng but makes ver y l i t t l e ef f or t t o get peopl e t o hear t he messenger. I t cr i t i ci zes a mi ni st er f or not bei ng out of t he of f i ce mor e as a " good mi xer " whi l e t yi ng hi m down i n an of f i ce t wo t o t hr ee days a week t o publ i sh a bul l et i n on ant i quat ed equi pment t hat ot her s coul d do. F. Christians should use their money to help them go to heaven. 1. v. 9 " Make f r i ends of t he mammon... t hat... t hey may r ecei ve you i nt o ever l ast i ng habi t at i ons... " 2. The onl y ever l ast i ng habi t at i ons woul d have t o be our et er nal home. Jesus i s sayi ng t hat t he wor l d uses money t o secur e an ear t hl y f ut ur e; how much mor e shoul d t he wi se chi l dr en of God use ear t hl y weal t h t o secur e t hei r heavenl y f ut ur e. The use of a l i t t l e i s vi ewed by t he Lor d as an i ndex t o r ef l ect what we woul d do wi t h mor e, and whet her t o ent r ust us wi t h t he t r ue r i ches. 3. Caut i on: No one i s sayi ng f or one moment t hat a per son can buy ent r ance t o heaven. But t he Bi bl e does t each t hat our use of mat er i al 4

Conclusion: weal t h i s connect ed wi t h our pr epar at i on f or enj oyr mnt of t he t r ue heavenl y r i ches. Cf. Phi l. 4: 15-19; 1 Ti m. 6: 10-12, 17-19* 4. Ot her scr i pt ur es t o consi der : Luke 12: 33; Mt. 6: 20, 24; Mat t. 19: 21; Luke 14: 14; Lk. 16: 9-13. Jesus cl osed t hi s st or y by t el l i ng us t hat " No ser vant can ser ve t wo mast er s: f or ei t her he wi l l hat e t he one and l ove t he ot her ; or el se he wi l l hol d t o t he one, and despi se t he ot her. Ye cannot ser ve God and mammon. ( V. 13). Each of us- - at t hi s ver y moment - i s ei t her put t i ng God f i r st or t hi ngs of t he wor l d f i r st. Whi ch i s i t wi t h you? Ther e ar e TRUE RI CHES, t he l i ke of whi ch t hi s wor l d has not seen and can never of f er. We ask you t o submi t t o God now and be f ai t hf ul t hat t hey may be a r eal i t y when t he t i me comes t o ent er t he ever l ast i ng habi t at i ons. " 5