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An Unjust Steward - Luke 16:1-12
An Unjust Steward - Luke 16:1-12 [1] 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.
[2] And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
[3] Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
[4] I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
[5] So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
[6] And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
[7] Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
[8] And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
[9] And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
[10] He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
[11] If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
[12] And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
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INTRODUCTION
As a steward, a man has the responsibility of properly caring for the possessions of another. It is not up to him to determine what is proper or improper; rather, the master of the house sets forth the standards by which his possessions are to be cared for. In the parable beginning in Luke 16:1And 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.
See All..., a certain rich man (the master of the house) accused his steward of wasting his goods. The steward was called upon to give an account of his stewardship knowing that it could soon come to an end. In the end, the steward is identified as "unjust" because of his unfaithfulness with the possessions of the master. The steward was not unjust because he lacked skill, but because he was not faithful.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
- (For smaller children) Joash, king of Judah, gave orders to the priests and Levites to collect money to repair the temple. These men were unfaithful and had to be rebuked by the king. He took their responsibility away and came up with a new plan (2 Chronicles 24:4-10 [4] And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD.
[5] And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.
[6] And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?
[7] For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.
[8] And at the king's commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD.
[9] And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.
[10] And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.
See All...). - One day every believer is going to be called upon to give an account of his stewardship. What kind of a steward have you been? Have you taken care of the things that God has placed under your supervision?
- The unjust steward did not lack wisdom (Luke 16:8And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
See All...). How was his wisdom overshadowed by his lack of faithfulness?
PRAYER NEEDS
- Ask the Lord to remind you that you will soon give an account.
- Ask God to help you be a faithful and submissive steward.
HYMN
Take My Life, and Let It Be
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