Why Did Jesus Tell Us to Use Money to Make Friends?
by David K. Bernard
Podcast recording (no venue stated in the delivered transcript)
Kind: teaching
Scripture: Luke 16, 1 Corinthians 3

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/david-k-bernard--why-did-jesus-tell-us-to-use-money-to-make-friends
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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It is a very interesting parable and in some cases you might consider a difficult saying of Jesus. And I would just make an aside here. Uh parables like this, sayings like this actually are strong proofs of the authenticity of the New Testament. Because some people say, "Well, the New Testament was written much later, not by eyewitnesses, and it it's fantasized, fables, making Jesus a hero. All these miracle stories are just imaginary." Well, one of many arguments to the contrary is no. In that case, you would see this glowing narrative. Why would somebody deliberately include such a difficult saying that puts seems to question Jesus when he's their Lord and Savior unless the only answer is that's what he said.

And so it's act stories like these are actually very strong evidence that the New Testament was written by contemporaries, eyewitnesses, and they faithfully recorded um what they saw and heard even if it didn't seem to be to their advantage. So maybe that's one good reason why it's in there. But the larger picture. So yes, this um dishonest money manager, he got caught by his uh master. But before the reckoning, he tried to protect himself. So he goes to all the creditors and he changes the deals to their advantage or or the debtors so that um the debtors that owed money to the the ma his his master.

so that when the master fired him, he would have all these friends and say, "Well, you saved me $100 here, so you know, uh, you know, I'll do you a favor now that you're in need." So, when the master found out about the whole scheme, so you don't get the implication that he really got away with it in the end. And obviously the master says it's wrong. But he makes the point uh that sometimes the people of the world, the children of darkness are wiser or other translations shrewder than the children of light. So I think a partial uh application is you know sometimes people in business although they're secular although they may cut corners although they may be dishonest um and are unethical and we don't commend that.

The rest of the Bible teach against that but sometimes they are shrewder or smarter in their business dealings than we are as Christians. we're naive, trusting, uh, don't do our homework, don't do our research, and we just assume since we're a child of God, whatever we invest in or whatever we spend money is going to turn out just fine. And so there's no accountability, there's no controls, there's no research. And that's it's wrong. So I would argue that in our daily lives and even in the church, we must use best practices, best business practices, best financial pro practices. We must be accountable. We must follow all legal and ethical rules.

Uh we must have safeguards, checks and balances even though we trust people. Uh all humans are sinners and uh you know nobody can be trusted. Absolutely. Uh even if they're have integrity, they could make a mistake. Uh and so there always have to be safeguards. And so I would argue the parable is very valuable in teaching the church. So Jesus is saying if even sinners know how to be smart in their business although being sinners they choose wrong means to get their job done. But the translation would be we should be just as smart in church business or our personal business or spiritual business but always using the right and ethical methods.

So I think that's how you can translate that parable and use it to our advantage. Uh now however there's this particular application Jesus also made and so he's making the same comment. He says now look at this man he he used this position to buy some favors for himself so that when he got fired from his job he would have a safety net. Okay? So don't focus on his dishonest and unethical means but take away the parable. I take away the lesson from the parable. If God has blessed you financially, don't just use your money to please yourself. Don't just use your money to um get all the advantages in this life, but think about the life to come.

Now, we got to be careful here. You can't earn favors with God. You can't buy your place in heaven. You can't buy blessings. But, and we're saved by grace through faith. We don't merit it. We don't purchase it. We don't earn it. However, the Bible does talk about that in at the judgment seat of Christ will be rewarded for deeds that we've done of lasting value. So, while I'm saved by my faith, not by my offerings or my church attendance or my righteous deeds, yet uh the things that I've done for the kingdom of God will have lasting value. So 1 Corinthians 3 talks about the judgment seat of Christ, not talking about uh those who are lost, but say God is going to reward people in the church, but he's going to evaluate your works by fire.

So if you had works that were wood, hay, and stubble, they would be burned up by fire. But if you had works that were gold, silver, and precious stones, they will survive the fire. So, for example, if I work hard on a job, earn money, um, and a able to spend it for necessities, but also pleasure. Okay, that's fine. That's not sin. That's not evil. I don't go to hell for that. But I'm not going to be rewarded for earning money to go on vacation or earning money for a bigger house. But if I take some of that money and I invest it in missions, if I help needy people, if I make sure to take care of my family, then I am actually investing on things of eternal value.

Because if I invest in missions, people might be saved, they'll be there with me in eternity. If I take care of my own family, um, then they're likely to be not only have a good life, but also be with me in eternity. So, I'm investing in things that are valuable. I will be rewarded. I don't know what the reward will consist of but even if it's just having the presence of these people that would be a good reward. So in that regard with careful thought here we can't buy blessings and we shouldn't give in order to what we can get whether it's in this life or the life to come.

However Jesus is making a valid point. If God has blessed you with finances, don't just spend it on things of earthly value, but invest it in things of spiritual value. Invest in people. Invest it in souls. Invest it in missions. So that when you die, you'll still have something to show for your efforts. All the work that you did to acquire that money, it will have value in the life to come. And so when they receive you, they'll receive you with blessings. Uh so you do have to be careful to avoid any kind of works righteousness or salvation by works. But I would say two takeaways.

No, number one, be shrewd wise in our business dealings in the church and in our personal life. And number two, make sure to invest our money in things of eternal value, not just in things of temporal value.