Luke 16 (2)

Pray Psalm 28.8, 9.
The LORD is their strength,
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever.

Sing Psalm 28.8, 9.
(Angel’s Story: O Jesus, I Have Promised)
Our strength are You, O Savior, our strong defense and sure.
Anointed with Your favor, we rest in You secure.
Save us, and bless us, Jesus, upon us turn Your face.
With shepherd’s care, Lord, keep us forever in Your grace.

Read Luke 16.1-13; meditate on verses 9-13.

Preparation
1. What did Jesus say we should do with “mammon”?

2. What does He promise for faithful stewardship in this matter?

Meditation
“Mammon” is a Hebrew word meaning “wealth”; we usually hear it spoken of as money. But it’s more than that. Whatever we possess – all that God has given and entrusted to us – is part of our mammon. Mammon that is “unrighteous” does not necessarily mean “ill-gotten”. Instead, it can simply refer to the wealth we possess during this time of unrighteousness in which we currently make our way in the Kingdom of God. Even such mammon is not really “ours”. It belongs to Him from Whom we have received it, and it must be used as He intends (1 Cor. 4.7).

Jesus says that to “make friends” in these unrighteous times is a proper goal for our stewardship (v. 9). Friends are those who are the objects of our love, the beneficiaries of our care, and the confidantes to whom we entrust our lives. If we want friends to enjoy, trust, and grow with, we must show ourselves friendly to them (Prov. 18.24), just as our heavenly Friend, Immanuel, sticks close to us and shepherds us along our way.

If we are faithful to invest our “mammon” in making friends, we’ll have friends when we need them (v. 10). But if we are unfaithful with “unrighteous mammon”, if we squander or consume it only on ourselves or merely hoard all that the Lord has entrusted to us in these sinful times, we will not realize the “true riches” of full and abundant life in Christ that He longs to bestow on us. If we can’t be faithful in worldly things, how can we be trusted with heavenly ones (vv. 11, 12)?

Every day we have a choice to make. Will we serve God by loving Him and our neighbors with all our heart, mind, and strength – and with all our mammon; or will we love our mammon and keep it to ourselves, rather than invest it all – time, treasure, attention, possessions – in making friends for the Friend Who sticks closer than a brother?

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
The shepherd David picked up five smooth stones from the brook (1 Sam. 17.40), and with one stone, placed and thrown carefully, he killed the giant Goliath.

He was faithful and trusting, and used a little thing to accomplish much (Lk. 16.10).

Conversely, it seemed a small thing that King David did not go out to battle in the spring as all kings did; “but remained at Jerusalem” (2 Sam.11.1). But this small unjust act led to adultery, murder, mayhem within his own family, and much injustice within the kingdom.

He was unjust in a little thing that led to much injustice for all (Lk. 16.10).

What we do makes a difference; whether it is a little for good or a little for evil.

In the gospel of Mark we learn of a woman who came to Jesus bearing an alabaster flask of very costly oil, which she broke and poured upon His head. A small act of kindness shown toward Jesus. And to her accusers who complained of the waste Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me…she has done what she could” (Mk. 14.6, 8).

Her small act of kindness and love was seen by Jesus as a preparation for His burial (Mk. 14.8).

We are called to be faithful in our work for the Kingdom of God.
We must not falter into unjust behaviors.
We want God to trust us to do what He has called us to do.
We are not able to accomplish this by serving two masters.
Jesus alone is our God. And to Him, not our belongings, we pledge our allegiance.

All for Jesus! All for Jesus! All my being’s ransomed pow’rs;
All my thoughts and words and doings, All my days and all my hours.

Let my hands perform His bidding, Let my feet run in His ways;
Let my eyes see Jesus only, Let my lips speak forth His praise.

Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus, I’ve lost sight of all beside;
So enchained my spirit’s vision, Looking at the Crucified.

O, what wonder! How amazing! Jesus, glorious King of kings,
Deigns to call me His beloved, Lets me rest beneath His wings.
(James, 1889/Stainer, 1887)

Faithful in little, trusted with much: The Goal of Stewardship.

For reflection
1. With what has God entrusted you as one of His stewards?

2. What does it mean for you to “make friends” with this wealth of gifts and endowments?

3. What opportunities for using God’s gifts and endowments are you looking forward to today?

Let those of us who possess earthly wealth open our hearts to those who are in need. Let us show ourselves faithful and obedient to the laws of God. Let us be followers of our Lord’s will in those things that are from the outside and not our own. Let us do this so that we may receive what is our own, that holy and admirable beauty that God forms in people’s souls, making them like himself, according to what we originally were. Cyril of Alexandria (375-444), Commentary on Luke, Homily 109

Pray Psalm 28.1-7.
Ask the Lord to take you to deeper depths of His friendship, and to grant you grace to show more friendliness to the people you will see today.

Sing Psalm 28.1-7.
(Angel’s Story: O Jesus, I Have Promised)
I cry to You, our Savior, O, be not deaf to me!
Lord, speak to me with favor, lest I should dying be.
Hear now my supplications when for Your help I cry.
Receive these, my oblations, before Your throne on high.

Lord, count me not among those who walk in sinful ways.
With words of peace their tongue glows while evil fills their days.
Your works they disregard, Lord, while evil fills their hands.
Destroy them by Your Word, Lord, and let them no more stand.

Blessed be the Name of Jesus, for He will hear our prayer.
His strength protects and shields us with mercy and with care.
In You our heart rejoices; You help us by Your Word.
To You we raise our voices to praise and thank You, Lord.

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available free by clicking here.