Corruption of the Gospel of Christ Comes by Money, Possessions, and Social Favor

Luke 16:1-18

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

• Unfaithful stewardship over the resources of our employers.
• Best efforts may fall short but at least it is our best effort.
• Be trustworthy employees and stewards over other people’s things.
• Those who live for prosperity also live for the honor of one another.

The key to understanding this passage is this verse, “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.” Luke 16:14

Unfaithful stewardship over the resources of our employers.
“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 squandering his goods. 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’. 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.‘” Luke 16:1

The Pharisees were that rich man, rich in the Old Testament Scriptures, rich in power and influence over the Jewish people. Jesus, and everyone who followed Him, were accused of squandering the laws of Judaism and were thrown out of the Jewish culture for doing so. The question for the Jewish followers of Jesus Christ was, “What shall I do?” They had no way to support themselves and couldn’t dig and were too embarrassed to ask help from non-Jewish Gentiles.

Also, Jesus is saying this parable to all of His disciples, including you and me today. This involves a man who was given a job as the administrator of a rich man’s financial affairs. This is like any Christian of today working for others and being a steward of whatever task we are given to do. The steward over the rich man’s estate was accused of embezzling or otherwise mishandling the wealth of the rich man. Our Lord Jesus does not want us to be untrustworthy employees by mishandling finances, time, benefits, or any of our employer’s resources.

The steward was demanded to go through an audit to give account for the rich man’s squandered wealth and was told that he would be fired. Jesus wants us to do an audit within our own soul to determine if we are squandering the presence of the Holy Spirit by defrauding our employer in any way at all. The steward was concerned about his future without employment, not being able to do manual labor and too ashamed to ask for public assistance. Losing a job by defrauding an employer has dire consequences when job references are needed from previous employers. Jesus wants us to think about those earthly consequences, especially if the humbleness found in the Holy Spirit is not in us and we are too proud to do manual labor or to ask for public or government assistance.

What shall we do? That is the question we would ask after being fired from employment and future job possibilities are bleak. In these times, we need to have our heart right with Jesus Christ to embrace the humbleness of the Holy Spirit. This means to learn to do well for the employers we detest, to be a good steward over the tasks we are assigned to do, whether cleaning toilets or an administrator over others.

Best efforts may fall short but at least it is our best effort.
“I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’ So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 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.’” Luke 16:4-7

Those who were ostracized from the Jewish culture for forsaking the laws of Judaism to follow Jesus learned really quick what to do. They called on the Jewish people who were put under heavy burdens by the Pharisees. The heavy burdens involved strict adherence to the laws of Judaism and in contributing exacts amount of money to the Pharisees. They were very gracious, forgiving, and merciful to those who were weighed down with heavy burdens. They did this in the name of Jesus Christ, as a witness to His grace, mercy, and forgiveness. The purpose was to release the burdens of the laws of Judaism to allow people to have the oil of the Holy Spirit and to live on the Bread of Life, [the Gospel of Jesus Christ].

The steward had an idea of how to stay in “good graces” when the time came that he would be put out of his job as stewards over the rich man’s wealth. Jesus Christ wants us to stay in the “good graces” of those we work for [through the Holy Spirit], even when it appears we will be fired for not being faithful employees. The unfaithful steward decided to do everything possible to retrieve as much of the man’s money as possible and return it to him. Our Lord Jesus wants us to remedy the issues that our employer has against us, to restore our standing as honest and trustworthy employees.

The unjust steward wasn’t able to collect all of the money owed to the wealthy man, but he put all of his talents and efforts into retrieving what he could. One client owed the wealthy man 100 measures of oil, and another client owed 100 measures of wheat. The steward asked one to repay 1/2 of what he owed and asked the other to pay 80% of what he owed. Our Lord Jesus understands that as Christians we will never be able to meet the expectations of worldly employers. Our best efforts may only be 50 or 80 percent of what we are asked to accomplish, but the important thing is that we give 100% in our effort to do all that we are asked to do. That is much better than being an absolute liability to our employer. The process of sanctification is to root out any negative and ugly feelings towards others, including our employers, and to do what we can to accomplish what they ask of us.

In today’s culture, there is a huge difference between trying to sabotage those we work for and doing our best to accomplish what we are asked to do. Those of today’s community are synchronized from one employer to the next, from one co-worker to the next, from one person to the next. They live for the entity that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel and they will plainly say, “We know” or “We see”. If we are known to be at war with them, we will find ourselves in the absolute least desirable work or no work at all. They will be very reluctant to assist us in any way at all when we are “down and out”. If we at least try to do what they assign us to do, then they will be much more likely to receive us in one way or another.

“…be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.” Titus 3:1-2

Be trustworthy employees and stewards over other people’s things.
“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. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when it fails, they may receive you into an everlasting home.” Luke 16:8-9

The Pharisees were more concerned with having money than living for God, “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?” Matthew 23:16-19 During that time, the sons of light were considered to be the Jewish culture to whom the word of God was entrusted, and the sons of the world were all non-Jewish people, and the followers of Jesus Christ. To make friends with “unrighteous mammon” referred to Jewish people making friends with the followers of Jesus Christ who had the money of His promises of Salvation and eternal life. By doing that, when the laws of Judaism and the Jewish culture began to fail the Christians would be able to welcome them into an eternal home through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The wealthy man was very pleased with the behavior of the steward who put forth his best effort to retrieve what the clients owed the wealthy man. As followers of Jesus Christ, our efforts of trying to accomplish deadlines and tasks assigned to us is better than defrauding our employers. Our Lord Jesus said that the children of this world are wiser than the children of light. Our Lord Jesus wants us to be wise when working for the secular world, not to make war against them but to do what we can to work with them. “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16 Jesus also said in a parable, “You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’” Luke 19:22-23

Jesus says, “…make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when it fails, they may receive you into an everlasting home.” “Unrighteous mammon” is the money earned in the secular world, which includes any of the wages we earn within today’s culture. “Righteous mammon” would be the treasures we store up in heaven through the Holy Spirit. To make friends with “unrighteous mammon” is to be good stewards of the resources, time, money, and every task we are assigned to do by those in authority over us. If our job is as an investor of someone else’s money, then we are to do what we can to help them to profit from that investment. If we are unsupervised in a janitorial night job and paid for working 8 hours, then we should not work 4 hours and say that we worked 8.

“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” Luke 16:10-12

The Pharisees were unfaithful in what they had relating to the word of God being entrusted to them, they corrupted the Jewish people with corrupt teaching, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:15 In contrast, those who are faithful in living for Jesus Christ are also faithful in much, much being the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The Pharisees considered the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be “unrighteous mammon“. Since they were unfaithful to God through Jesus Christ, how could they be trusted with the true riches of the resurrection, Salvation, and eternal life by faith in Jesus? The Pharisees were not faithful to the spiritual life of the Jewish people, so how could they expect God to give to them what was theirs through the promises of the Old Testament? The Pharisees were no longer considered to be the seed of Abraham, everything they had was taken away and given to the followers of Jesus Christ, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ… And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-27, 29

Whether we are put to the task of holding onto a few dollars for someone, or to vacuum a carpet for someone, or to clean up “poop” after our pet, let’s do it for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s not about money and possessions, but it is all about living in the Spirit of Christ. Let’s be faithful stewards of the Holy Spirit and the Bible. The true riches come through Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, and includes eternal life. If fraud, vengeance, rebellion, or bitterness is part of who we are, how can God commit to us the Holy Spirit? God welcomes us into an eternal home as we are good stewards within this world, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how will it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Matthew 5:13

There is a better chance of being welcomed by today’s culture if we serve them well than if we fight against everything they do. What we do is done in the presence of the Holy Spirit as we avoid living by the atheistic entity that gives people what to speak, do, think, and feel.

“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.” Luke 16:13

The Pharisees loved money more than they did the word of God. Matthew 23 is a whole chapter of how they despised the commandments of God to enrich themselves.

To serve God is to live for Jesus Christ in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We serve Him and not the money of this world. This means we are good stewards in the presence of the Holy Spirit for those we work for, without being swayed by those profiting by the money of this world. They may be rich in the prosperity of this world, but they are poor in the riches in Heaven. We are loyal to Jesus Christ and despise the riches of this world, while others despise Jesus Christ and live for the prosperity of this world. We have to choose. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

Those who live for prosperity also live for the honor of one another.
“Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.” Luke 16:14

The Pharisees chose earthly prosperity over God and were very belligerent towards Jesus Christ upon hearing His parable. They were offended about Him teaching His disciples that it was OK to pay 50 or 80 per-cent of what was owed to the Pharisees who governed over the Jewish people. Jesus was teaching to live in the presence of the Holy Spirit and to put in a 100% effort to retrieve all that was owed. The Pharisees were strict on the Jewish people bringing their offerings and tithes to them, in the proper amount and no less. Our Lord Jesus said this, “Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” Mark 12:41-44

In today’s culture, employers can be very unforgiving, intolerant, and quick to fire employees who do not live up to their expectations. Especially towards Christians who live in the presence of the Holy Spirit instead of living by community standards that require conformity to the beast that gives what to speak, think, feel, and do. That beast gives life/breath to the image of the beast to speak by speaking and living through people as they are groomed to the mark, number, and name of the beast by what they are given to say and do.

“And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” Luke 16:15

Our Lord Jesus says, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” John 5:44

“The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.” Luke 16:16-17

Jesus made it clear to the Pharisees that the law and the prophets have been fulfilled by His coming, since the preaching of John the Baptist, who said, “‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’…I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’” Matthew 3:3, 11 The Kingdom of God is within us through the Holy Spirit, and everyone was pressing into it, “For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:21

Not one tittle of the law and prophets fail, Jesus is the Christ and Son of God as spoken about in the law and prophets. This present heaven and earth will pass away before that truth does.

“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.” Luke 16:18

The Pharisees divorced God by rejecting Jesus Christ and married themselves to another. In the case of the Pharisees, they had married themselves to the ways of this world’s prosperity. In the case of the Jewish people of today, they have married themselves to promises that will never be fulfilled without Jesus as their Christ and Lord. They are committing adultery with another other than Jesus Christ. In the case of today’s culture, they have divorced themselves from the Gospel of Jesus Christ to commit adultery with the beast that gives them what to speak, think, feel, and do. This entity promises global prosperity.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11