How Should Christians View Money?
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The Parable of the Dishonest Manager (Luke 16:1-13) is considered to be one of the most difficult of Jesus’ parables to understand. It’s about money. It’s about using it wisely without it becoming an idol, a master over us. The parable itself illustrates how the manager was shrewd and wise even in his unrighteous acts against his employer, but it is in Jesus’ poetic wisdom that follows the parable where we can clearly see the lessons about how we as Christians should view money.
“The sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.”
The parable begins with a manager who was wasting his wealthy employer’s property. The rich man heard of it and fired the manager. He then directed the manager to give him the accounting books and be gone.
Now the manager went to work. Thinking he would have no way of making a living, he decided to do favors for some of his employer’s debtors—he would reduce their debts and in appreciation they would make sure the fired manager would be taken care of. The rich man heard about this and commended his fired manager “for his shrewdness,” while observing that “the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8). In other words, the unrighteous “sons of this world” are wiser with how they use their wealth than God’s “sons of light”; they are more shrewd than those who follow Jesus and are called Christians.
A little dishonesty tends to lead a person to greater dishonesty.
Beginning with faithfulness and dishonesty, Jesus then explains. The manager was unfaithful and dishonest. Jesus declares the wisdom of God—the wisdom of how we humans operate:
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?” (Luke 16:10-11)
Paying faithful attention to the small things leads to the habit of faithfulness with greater things. A little dishonesty tends to lead a person to greater dishonesty. Jesus points out that a person who does not handle even small amounts of money well cannot be trusted with true riches—the riches of righteousness and eternal joy.
A test of faithfulness is how we handle the money God has entrusted to us.
Next, with an echo to the unrighteous manager of the parable he just told, Jesus focuses on being faithful with another person’s property (Luke 16:12-13). A test of faithfulness is how you handle someone else’s property when you are entrusted with it. All things belong to God. He has entrusted us with the good gifts of his creation, with money being a means of exchange allowing us to efficiently use property and wealth to further the kingdom of God.
Do we use money for our own selfish purposes or are we faithful stewards, using it wisely to care for our families, support the church, and give to those in need? While how we handle money is a test of faithfulness, it does not merit the grace of God and his love and mercy. Yet, as a demonstration of our faith in Christ Jesus, how we manage and use our wealth can be a strong example of God’s grace and faithfulness to his people. Making good decisions with our money shows who we are serving—ourselves or God.
Keep the eternal, heavenly kingdom of God in mind even as you deal with worldly endeavors.
In fact, Jesus concludes with the well-known aphorism,
“No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:13)
We either serve God or money. In the eyes of Christ Jesus there is no middle ground. Divided loyalties don’t work. If you love money and are devoted to it, you will not be serving God but will instead be despising him. One will be master over you. Will it be God or money? This is the bottom-line in regard to the wisdom required when it comes to money.
Be wise in how you make decisions with what God has given to you—keep the eternal, heavenly kingdom of God in mind even as you deal with worldly endeavors. Serve God as your Master, being circumspect with all decisions involving money and looking to him for wisdom and help. Never the let money be the master or idol that captures your focus, and the grace of God will grant to you riches beyond belief—riches that never fade away—eternal riches of heaven itself, the true and lasting treasure of the heart.
This article is adapted from “Serving God or Money” from Beautiful Christian Life’s August 2024 newsletter.
