The Shrewd Follower of Jesus
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Handout
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2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
Scripture Reading
Scripture Reading
1 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’
3 “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have 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 master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
Title Slide
Luke 18:1
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”
6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Introduction
Introduction
I would have to say that in my humble opinion, this is one of the most difficult of Jesus’ parables to comprehend.
When it is first read, an understandable reaction is, can you read that again please?
I did not get it the first time.
Parable Opening
Parable Opening
There is no typical Luke-like introduction to the Parable.
In other Parables, Luke starts with,
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,
That would seem clear what the Parable is all about.
Or,
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Again, the scene and reason for the Parable is set.
But this time, the parable starts with,
Slide
1 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.
1 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.
It is spoken to His disciples.
It follows the Parable of the Lost Son.
Is that clue right there?
There is a Rich Man or the Master. The Business Owner.
13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
There is a Steward. The Manager. Looking after the businesses for the Rich Man.
Looking after the businesses for the Rich Man.
That the dishonest manager is another way of portraying a lost son.
All had been entrusted to the Manager by the Rich Man.
Parable Ending
Parable Ending
But there is also no obvious conclusion to the Parable.
There is even some debate on where the parable ends.
I have gone, like many, with as the ending.
Slide
8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
Then follows a number of sayings, the final one is,
Slide
13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
That does seem clear.
Is money our Master or is the Lord God?
God insists of being first in all.
Remember God put us first, he asks what He gives to us.
Anything else is Idolatry of the heart!
But the question is, how do the sayings relate to the parable?
Do that explain the Parable?
If so, how?
Parable Comprehension
Parable Comprehension
Blank Slide
Most readers are left asking,
“Where is Jesus going in this Parable”?
“What are the key spiritual truths for me”?
“Is Jesus commending the dishonest action of this Shrewd Manager in cheating his Master”?
Look at what we just read!
That’s confusing.
One is not helped when you pick up the first commentary and it starts with, “the point Jesus is making is obvious..”.
Well, that is debatable.
Not obvious, BUT it is attainable.
Sometimes we have to dig and pray, and dig and pray....
And then the word of God, that is sharper than a two edged sword, yields its bountiful crop.
For I believe that in this Parable we have a marvellous picture of the Gospel and of true Stewardship.
Im my humble opinion, most of what I have read emphasis the latter, Stewardship, but seem to hardly mention the picture of the gospel here.
Those two things should never be separated.
Banksy Port Talbot
Banksy Port Talbot
Mr Scrooge
Mr Scrooge
Christ Object Lessons
Christ Object Lessons
The Shrewd Manager had his scrooge moment. He was about to loose his job.
Mrs White writes of this Parable,
Christ Objects Lesson.
The servant in the parable had made no provision for the future. The goods entrusted to him for the benefit of others he had used for himself; but he had thought only of the present. When the stewardship should be taken from him, he would have nothing to call his own. But his master’s goods were still in his hands, and he determined p 370 to use them so as to secure himself against future want. To accomplish this he must work on a new plan. Instead of gathering for himself, he must impart to others. Thus he might secure friends, who, when he should be cast out, would receive him.
Christ’s Object Lessons Chapter 26—“Friends by the Mammon of Unrighteousness”
The servant in the parable had made no provision for the future. The goods entrusted to him for the benefit of others he had used for himself; but he had thought only of the present. When the stewardship should be taken from him, he would have nothing to call his own. But his master’s goods were still in his hands, and he determined p 370 to use them so as to secure himself against future want. To accomplish this he must work on a new plan. Instead of gathering for himself, he must impart to others. Thus he might secure friends, who, when he should be cast out, would receive him.
Slide
White, E. G. (1900). Christ’s Object Lessons (pp. 369–370). Review and Herald Publishing Association.
Christ’s Object Lessons Chapter 26—“Friends by the Mammon of Unrighteousness”
The servant in the parable had made no provision for the future. The goods entrusted to him for the benefit of others he had used for himself; but he had thought only of the present. When the stewardship should be taken from him, he would have nothing to call his own. But his master’s goods were still in his hands, and he determined p 370 to use them so as to secure himself against future want. To accomplish this he must work on a new plan. Instead of gathering for himself, he must impart to others. Thus he might secure friends, who, when he should be cast out, would receive him.
Christ’s Object Lessons Chapter 26—“Friends by the Mammon of Unrighteousness”
The servant in the parable had made no provision for the future. The goods entrusted to him for the benefit of others he had used for himself; but he had thought only of the present. When the stewardship should be taken from him, he would have nothing to call his own. But his master’s goods were still in his hands, and he determined p 370 to use them so as to secure himself against future want. To accomplish this he must work on a new plan. Instead of gathering for himself, he must impart to others. Thus he might secure friends, who, when he should be cast out, would receive him.
Instead of gathering for himself, he must impart to others!
Christ’s Object Lessons Chapter 26—“Friends by the Mammon of Unrighteousness”
The servant in the parable had made no provision for the future. The goods entrusted to him for the benefit of others he had used for himself; but he had thought only of the present. When the stewardship should be taken from him, he would have nothing to call his own. But his master’s goods were still in his hands, and he determined p 370 to use them so as to secure himself against future want. To accomplish this he must work on a new plan. Instead of gathering for himself, he must impart to others. Thus he might secure friends, who, when he should be cast out, would receive him.
Christ’s Object Lessons Chapter 26—“Friends by the Mammon of Unrighteousness”
To accomplish this he must work on a new plan. Instead of gathering for himself, he must impart to others. Thus he might secure friends, who, when he should be cast out, would receive him.
Blank Slide
The Manager had recognised that change had come.
The Master had come.
His game was up.
He had been found out as dishonest in handling the affairs of the Master.
He had limited time left
He had to change his plan to secure his future welfare.
He was shrewd enough to realise it!
He was shrewd enough to do something about it
That is what His Master was commending.
The Manager’s New Plan
The Manager’s New Plan
Judgement and a final accounting was coming with his Master.
Instead of gathering for himself, he must now impart to others!
And that by imparting to others, he could ensure his future welfare.
“To accomplish this he must work on a new plan. Instead of gathering for himself, he must impart to others. Thus he might secure friends, who, when he should be cast out, would receive him”
He only had his Master’s Riches to use!
The First Advent of Jesus
The First Advent of Jesus
Is this not the very essence of the Gospel Message and Stewardship?
Jesus has come.
The True Master has come.
Be ready (imperative) in season and out of season.
The True Rich Man has come
Reprove (imperative).
God has come.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:143
Rebuke (imperative).
He has lived the perfect life.
Exhort (imperative).
We beheld His glory.
Morning and Evening Morning, August 24
Inasmuch as Jesus has gone before us, things remain not as they would have been had he never passed that way.
Glory veiled.
Full of Grace and Truth
With (preposition) complete/all (adjective) patience (noun, dative)) and teaching (noun, dative).
He died the criminals death.
Dativus instrumenti: The dativus instrumenti, or the 'dative of instrument,' is when the dative is used to denote an instrument or means of a certain action (or, more accurately, as the instrumental case). For example:
He has risen as Conquerer.
And He has ascended to the very right hand of God as Victor.
"με κτείνει δόλῳ." (Homer, Odyssey 9.407)
Morning and Evening Morning, August 24
Inasmuch as Jesus has gone before us, things remain not as they would have been had he never passed that way. He has conquered every foe that obstructed the way.
"He kills me with a bait (i.e., by means of a bait)."
Take the Word. Live the Word. Preach the Word, as you have done in the past. The Lord Jesus has given you the promise of His Presence. Take it; appreciate it. It is not for you or me to measure the appreciation shown for the self-denial and self-sacrifice made.
His first Advent.
Things will never be the same again.
Jesus has changed everything.
God Incarnate has come.
As Servant, Messiah and Saviour.
The Suffering Servant
The Saviour of the world
The Suffering Servant
The Suffering Servant
His life is the Gospel, the good news.
He was born among us of a woman
He grew up among us, perfect and yet like a
Slides
1 Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Jesus first coming signalled a Change.
We like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way;
We are all found out.
And the sending forth of the Holy Spirit, so as to convict of sin.
We are all “Dishonest Managers”.
We are all “Unjust Stewards”, to one degree or another.
It is as true today as the first day we believed.
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
It reveals our true state before God. For Jesus is God incarnate, the ultimate revelation of God. We are all like this Manager, if we look at our hearts.
Jesus Second Advent
Jesus Second Advent
Jesus will return.
The second Advent.
That is the Gospel.
As King.
As Ruler.
As Judge.
Jesus second coming will signal Judgement, the final accounting.
For the final Judgement, the final accounting.
Living at such a Time
Living at such a Time
We live between that First Coming of Christ and His soon Return.
two time points in history.
Just as in this Parable,
The Master had come and the Manager had been found out.
Now the Manager awaited the second coming of the Master and the final accounting.
But, before that second coming,
The question for us is,
The Manager still had a chance to act with what had been entrusted to him!
Have we recognised the times in which we live?
And he Did Act!
And what is our new plan ?
We sayI am not dishonest
Yes we are.
All of us are.
We need as much grace today to stand before the Lord, as we did the first day we believed.
We like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
The manager was shrewd because he changed his plan, prepared and acted for what was to come!
Today a person is shrewd when he or she prepares, changes and acts in light of the gospel and Jesus’ second coming!
The Disciples
Change had come.
The Religion of the Day
When Jesus truly comes into a person life there is change.
There is a new plan.
It is not business as normal.
The Pharisees
The Pharisees
It is of note that we read after this Parable and in,
Slide
14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.
Their game was up.
They had been dishonest Stewards of the truths of God.
Change had come in the person of Jesus, it would never be the same again.
“Also heard all these things”
And yet,
Their response to Jesus, “They derided Him”
They did not change their plan.
But
But,
“They derided Him”
The very person who could secure their future
“They derided Him”
If they had just admitted their dishonesty before God, and changed, it could have been so different.
It is so different today?
The Dishonest Manager
The Dishonest Manager
Let us see what we can learn from this Shrewd Steward ?
Slide
3 “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have 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 master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’
He understood his predicament. “My master is taking the stewardship away from me”.
He understood his limitations. “ I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg”
He made a plan. “I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’”
He acted. To gain favour with those who could help him in his predicament.
Reduction of debt about the same in each case and substantial.
About 500 hundred denarii. About 500 days of work.
2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
He was smart and shrewd, though his methods were dishonest.
He used what was not his, to secure his future.
But He used that what was not his to secure his future. His Master’s Credit
He used His Master’s Credit to the debtors as his means to secure his future.
But wait! Is there even a lesson here for us?
Is there even a lesson here for us?
The credit of Christ’s righteousness is the only thing that can secure our standing before God and our future!
We cannot work for it, “we cannot, metaphorically, dig for it, we cannot beg for it”.
It cannot come from in us.
We must receive it, in faith, to secure the favour of God.
Banksy Port Talbot
Banksy Port Talbot
What did the Manager do to secure his future?
Gain the favour.
He acted to gain favour with those who can help him in his predicament.
That is smart
Gospel.
What did he do to secure his future?
Christ’s Object Lessons Chapter 26—“Friends by the Mammon of Unrighteousness”
The servant in the parable had made no provision for the future. The goods entrusted to him for the benefit of others he had used for himself; but he had thought only of the present. When the stewardship should be taken from him, he would have nothing to call his own. But his master’s goods were still in his hands, and he determined p 370 to use them so as to secure himself against future want. To accomplish this he must work on a new plan. Instead of gathering for himself, he must impart to others. Thus he might secure friends, who, when he should be cast out, would receive him.
25 The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.
Prov
Morning and Evening Morning, August 21
We are here taught the great lesson, that to get, we must give; that to accumulate, we must scatter; that to make ourselves happy, we must make others happy; and that in order to become spiritually vigorous, we must seek the spiritual good of others. In watering others, we are ourselves watered
The New King James Version Chapter 11
The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.
The New American Commentary: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs Type: Inclusio (11:23–27)
The inclusio states the general truth that one receives back according to one’s own behavior while vv. 24–26 deal with the concrete issue of hoarding. Those who hoard by refusal either to give (v. 24) or to sell (v. 26) finally face not only widespread hatred (v. 26) but the poverty they dread as well (v. 24). The generous only have greater and greater prosperity (v. 25)
If joy is found in freely giving to other, then Jesus joy must be complete, because his whole mission, life and service was / is about giving to others. The cross is giving to others.
The gospel message had been given to us.
The Shrewd Follower of Jesus
The Shrewd Follower of Jesus
I deliberated called this message the “The Shrewd Follower of Jesus”
Why?
Because the Shrewd follower of Christ has come to spiritually comprehend some important lessons for life,
1) We are all Dishonest Managers
1) We are all Dishonest Managers
God knows all, even our deepest secrets and that All of us have been found out as a dishonest Managers,
Dishonest Managers of all God has made us to be, and given us to enjoy.
Isaiah said,
5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.”
The New King James Version Chapter 6
So I said:
“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.”
In the presence of God there is no general statement of sin, rather there is a concentration on sin.
“I am a man of unclean lips”. It is specific.
If we yield on that point, another concentration of sin will come.
If we refuse to yield, the Lord will keep bringing us back to the same point.
My Utmost for His Highest July 3rd—The Concentration of Personal Sin
The cleansing fire had to be applied where the sin had been concentrated.
2) There is a coming Judgement
2) There is a coming Judgement
The Shrewd follower of Christ has come to spiritually comprehend there is a coming Judgement for All.
A final accounting before God.
That there is a coming judgement when He/She must give an account for such before God
The Master is coming back.
We must all give a full account of the things done and said in this body.
3) Our Cause is Hopeless
3) Our Cause is Hopeless
That He/She can do nothing of themselves to avert the coming, deserved, punitive, just, awful, everlasting, judgement.
The Shrewd follower of Christ has come to spiritually comprehend that He or She’s case at the final judgment before the Master is hopeless.
Our case is hopeless.
Judgement is deserved, punitive, just, awful, and everlasting.
No Digging at my own works will avert it.
No begging for others help will work.
4) Our Hope is Christ Alone
4) Our Hope is Christ Alone
The Shrewd follower of Christ has come to spiritually comprehend that He or She’s only hope is in the Riches of Jesus.
The use of the credit of someone else, namely Jesus, who has it richly to bestow on all who believe.
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
That the only hope of gaining favour and averting such judgement is through the use of the credit of Jesus, who has it richly to bestow to all who believe.
Such faith, such realisation, transforms a person.
From the dishonest Manager, or the Lost Son, into the Family and Kingdom for God.
5) Our Future is Secure in Christ
5) Our Future is Secure in Christ
The Shrewd follower of Christ has come to spiritually comprehend that He or She’s only security for eternity is in the appropriation of the Riches of Jesus for themselves and for others.
That is why Jesus commended the Steward in this Parable.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying.
21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
The weeping willow will soon be exchanged for the Palm branches of victory.
Slide
True Stewardship is Gospel Infused Shrewd Discipleship
True Stewardship is Gospel Infused Shrewd Discipleship
I deliberately use “Gospel Infused Shrewd Discipleship”
It is not “we do this and we get what we deserve”.
That missies the whole point and the grace of God.
Rather It is we, “Through God’s enabling, we do, out of the Riches of Christ, and we receive back, out of the Riches of Christ, what we do not deserve.“
By this we are taught the great lesson of the Gospel and Stewardship,
That to get, we must give, as Christ did; that to accumulate, we must scatter, as Christ did; that to make ourselves happy, we must make others happy, as Christ did; that in order to become spiritually vigorous, we must seek the spiritual good of others, as Christ did. And In watering others, we are ourselves watered, as Christ did.
Our life is now characterised by, “as Christ did”, “For me”
So “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain”.
That is being a Shrewd Follower of Jesus!
Slide
The Sailing Boat
The Sailing Boat
I finish with an illustration.
Slide
Have you ever gone sailing?
Same sails, same boat design, same wind.
One sails East, one sails West, one sails North and one sails South.
They key is the direction you set your sails!
Final Words
Final Words
The Pharisees set there sails against Jesus, they refused to change and derided Him.
The disciples set there sails with Christ and there lives changed for ever.
They did not have it all worked out.
But there lives became one long stewardship of “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain”.
May be be Shred like this Manager, but never dishonest.
Christ’s Object Lessons Chapter 26—“Friends by the Mammon of Unrighteousness”
Christ calls upon every one to consider. Make an honest reckoning. Put into one scale Jesus, which means eternal treasure, life, truth, heaven, and the joy of Christ in souls redeemed; put into the other every attraction the world can offer. Into one scale put the loss of your own soul, and the souls of those whom you might have been instrumental in saving; into the other, for yourself and for them, a life that measures with the life of God. Weigh for time and for eternity. While you are thus engaged, Christ speaks: “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36.
The Shrewd Follower of Jesus.
An honest reckoning.
A life-long change of direction.
“For me to live is Christ, to die is gain”.