Luke 16 contains a made-up story by Jesus about a failed manager. A wealthy business owner had hired the man to steward his wheat and olive oil business. Before he was fired for mismanagement he was asked to give an account of his waste, fraud, and abuse.

When you read this story it's hard to see where Jesus is coming from and the truth He is trying to explain. Jesus is telling His disciples in verse 9 to use their earthly wealth to benefit others so they will welcome you in heaven. Let's dig in.

I love how Jesus used rich business owners in His stories. Sometimes they are spoken of as good characters and other times they are villains. It's just fascinating to me. In this story, the manager or steward is fired on the spot for wasting money or possessions. Jesus is reinforcing a common theme, don't mismanage what I have given you to steward.

This manager is a white-collar worker, he's used to the high life and doesn't want to dig ditches. He devised a plan to keep his friends and their support and even free housing. He does this by approaching those who were in debt to his employer.

The "shrewd" moniker is bestowed on this steward for what he does next. Without permission, he negotiates with the debtors to at least pay something back and cuts a deal to get 50% of what's owed of the olive oil and a 20% discount for the wheat owed.

Out of the blue, the business owner commends the guy he just fired for being shrewd and that in business the world operates more shrewdly than people of faith.

What's the point? As far as I can understand the word shrewd means practically wise or sensible or prudent. Could Jesus be saying to us "don't get overly spiritual in life when practical, commonsense answers are staring you in the face?" I've seen people over-spiritualize, especially in business all the time. There are times to pray and ask God for guidance and there are times to use all your experience and wisdom and just make a decision.

Verse 9 is a real head-scratcher. The word for riches is mammon, an old Syriac word meaning worldly wealth. Side point, not all money is unrighteous. Jesus is saying, use your wealth, to do two things, help others and make friends. You are going to die one day, you can't take it with you so use it now wisely and help others. He's reinforcing the concept of stewardship, a concept He just explained in the parable.

Skip to verse 11, if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? How do we prove ourselves trustworthy with worldly wealth? It's pretty simple really. Steward what God has given you, honor Him with your wealth, use it to build His kingdom, and don't get too attached to wealth by keeping it all in perspective.