“Intentional” 3-8-26

Overview

Living with Intention: The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager in Luke 16:1-9 is widely regarded as one of Jesus' most puzzling teachings. Like working a complex puzzle, it helps to start with the perimeter—the framing pieces—before working toward the center. The first piece is this: Jesus is speaking, and Jesus always speaks with intention. Every word He utters carries purpose, because the Word of God is never wasteful. The second piece is the audience. While the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and prodigal son in Luke 15 were directed at the grumbling Pharisees and scribes, Luke 16:1 tells us this parable is spoken to the disciples—those who follow Christ and sit at His feet. The final piece of the perimeter is the cross itself: Jesus acted with intention in His suffering, death, and resurrection, and He sent His disciples out with intention as His witnesses (Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8).

With that frame in place, the inside of the puzzle begins to make sense. A manager is accused of "squandering" his master's property—the same Greek word used of the prodigal son's scattering of his inheritance. The manager has been managing without purpose. Faced with dismissal, he finally acts deliberately: he calls in his master's debtors and reduces their bills, securing relationships for his future. Surprisingly, the master commends him—not for dishonesty, but for shrewdness, for finally thinking ahead. Jesus then draws the comparison: "the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light." If unbelievers plan so carefully for an earthly tomorrow, how much more should believers, whose tomorrow stretches into eternity, live with intentional purpose today?

The manager handled earthly goods. Believers, however, have been entrusted with something far greater: the treasure of God's Word and the gospel of forgiveness, a treasure carried in jars of clay 2 Corinthians 4:7. Our debt of sin—one we could never repay through our own righteousness—has been intentionally paid by Christ on the cross. That is the real treasure we steward.

So the pastoral question is direct: are we intentional with this treasure? Think of the people in your life—neighbors, coworkers, family members. Every single one is in debt to the Savior because of sin, and that debt has been paid in Christ. This is the good news we have been given freely, lovingly, and graciously, and it is the news we are sent to share. Use the worldly goods God has entrusted to you wisely, but above all, dole out the gospel intentionally—because unlike worldly wealth, this treasure never runs out. It is promised to all who believe, and it welcomes us into eternal homes.

Transcript

If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the 16th chapter. 2s

If you're using a Pue edition of this Bible, you will find it on page 68 in the New Testament. 8s

We're in Luke, chapter 16. 15s

Parables are so interesting to read. 19s

We know that parables are an earthly story with a kingdom purpose, with something that we 22s

learn about the kingdom of God and many parables begin with. 29s

The kingdom of heaven is like, or to what shall I compare the kingdom of heaven. 33s

A parable begins, a soar went out to sow. 39s

Another one begins, there was a landowner who planted a vineyard. 42s

The parable that we're examining today does not begin like any of these. 48s

And as I began to study for this sermon and began to look and study and dive into the text, 54s

without fail, every single study, paper, sermon, commentary that I would open would begin 64s

with, this is the most difficult parable. 71s

Or this parable is a real puzzler. 75s

And so I thought, you know what? 78s

How do we deal with puzzles? 80s

This is exactly how we're going to deal with this. 82s

Anyone who has ever done a puzzle that is more than 24 pieces knows that what you do 85s

with a puzzle is you build the perimeter of the puzzle and then work your way in, filling 91s

in or figuring out the center. 98s

But it's really important to get those outside pieces completed first. 101s

So that's exactly what we're going to do. 106s

We're going to go through this puzzle by building or this parable by building the outside, 109s

the perimeter of this parable first. 115s

So we're going to start with square one. 121s

The first thing we need to understand is that Jesus is speaking. 124s

Jesus is speaking and we know that when Jesus speaks, it's with intention. 130s

It's with purpose. 137s

There is a reason why he says the words he says. 139s

And so that's our very, very starting corner piece that Jesus is speaking and so we know 144s

there's purpose. 151s

There's meaning we need to pay attention. 153s

Then we're going to look at who Jesus is addressing. 157s

You know, in chapter 14, we read as Jesus begins his teaching, we read in verse 25. 162s

Now large crowds were traveling with him and he turned and said to them. 171s

So we know that Jesus is teaching large crowds in chapter 15. 176s

It begins now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him and the Pharisees 182s

and the scribes were grumbling and saying, this fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them. 189s

So we know that these crowds that are traveling with him, the crowds are filled with sinners 195s

and tax collectors. 201s

And so Jesus is teaching the crowds teaching and the tax collectors and the sinners are 203s

drawing nearer to him. 211s

Well, we also have the Pharisees and the scribes here who are grumbling about the sinners 213s

being near or with Jesus. 219s

And so then we read in verse 3 of chapter 15, so he told them this parable. 222s

So then we have Jesus speaking to those who are grumbling about the sinners and the tax collectors. 230s

So then he shares parables directed to the scribes and the Pharisees, the parables of the 237s

lost sheep, the lost coin, the prodigal son and his brother. 244s

And then we get to our parable. 252s

Look with me, please, at the first part of verse 1 in chapter 16, then Jesus said to the disciples, 257s

there's another piece in that perimeter of our puzzle of this parable. 266s

Jesus is now directing this parable to his disciples. 272s

He's directing the parable to those who follow him, who sit at his feet to receive his teaching. 279s

These are the people. 288s

To whom Jesus shares this parable. 290s

Jesus speaks with intention. 297s

Jesus speaks with purpose with every word that crosses his mouth. 302s

We know that the word of God is not wasteful. 308s

The word of God has intention and purpose behind every single letter, syllable word. 315s

So we're going to add to that perimeter. 325s

We know that Jesus is speaking, we know who he's speaking to, and then let's complete 330s

the perimeter of our parable. 337s

In Luke 22 verse 2, we hear that the scribes and Pharisees intentionally sought away to put 341s

Jesus to death. 349s

Then we have Jesus intentionally instituting the Lord's supper so that you and I might have the 351s

tangible forgiveness of our sins. 360s

Then Jesus goes with some of his disciples to the garden to pray and he tells them intentionally 364s

pray, pray with intention that they may not come into the time of trial. 371s

Then Judas comes and betrays Jesus with a kiss. 379s

It was the intentional sign that Judas used to mark the one for the crowd to arrest. 384s

The soldiers were intentional when they placed the crown of thorns upon the head of Christ. 394s

The crowd was intentional as they stood before pilot saying, crucify him, crucify him. 401s

And Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God was intentional as he hung on the cross. 413s

And he said, father into your hands, I commend my spirit. 421s

Having said this, he breathed his last. 428s

Jesus spoke with intention. 436s

Jesus acted with intention, certainly in life, but Jesus acted with intention in his death. 441s

He intended and intentionally hung on that cross, suffering for your debt and for mine, 452s

the debt of our sin that we can never cover in our own righteousness, never cover in our own doing. 460s

And yet, Jesus died for us. 468s

And Jesus was very intentional that in his death, he would conquer death because in God's 475s

intentionality, on the third day, Jesus rose again, living, resurrected. 482s

He intentionally showed himself to his disciples. 488s

And before he ascended to the Father, he intentionally spoke to his disciples again, giving them, 493s

giving them a promise and a commission. 502s

Where we read in the book of Acts, he tells his disciples, you will be my witnesses. 509s

In the book or the gospel of Matthew, he says that you will go out making disciples of all the nations. 516s

Jesus had intentionality in his sending. 527s

Jesus has intention in every word and deed and promise that he's made. 533s

So now we have that perimeter. 545s

We have the perimeter. 547s

We know that Jesus is speaking to his disciples and we know that Jesus in all his intentionality suffered 549s

for our sin, died and rose again and sends his disciples forth. 561s

So now we look at putting the inside pieces of this puzzle together, making sense of this 568s

parable as we think or consider the perimeter of our puzzle. 577s

So look with me, please, as he begins his parable in the second part of verse 1 in chapter 16. 585s

He says there was a rich man who had a manager and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. 592s

So he summoned him and said to him, what is this that I hear about you? 601s

Give me an accounting of your management because you cannot be my manager any longer. 605s

Now that word squandering, we've just heard that word in the previous parable. 613s

Jesus, as he's sharing the parable of the prodigal son with the Pharisees or directed to the Pharisees and the scribes, he uses the word squandering that the younger son who had taken his inheritance, 620s

squandered his inheritance. 636s

And here we have the manager squandering, not his own goods, but his masters goods. 637s

Squandering in the Greek text, it's the same as saying, scattering about. 647s

So the young son scattered about his wealth, his inheritance. 653s

He had no intentional purpose of where he was spending. 659s

He was spending for his pleasure. 662s

Here we have this manager who is just scattering about his master's goods, his master's profits. 664s

And he's just scattering. He has no intention, no purpose, no deliberate plan for the management that he has been called to. 675s

So we know that this squandering is taking place. 687s

There is no purpose to it. 693s

Now we go on, inverse three. 695s

Then the manager said to himself, what will I do now? 697s

That my master is taking the position away from me. 701s

I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. 704s

I have decided what to do so that when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes. 708s

We get the privilege of having that inside dialogue that the manager is having with himself. 716s

He realizes that he has been squandering, that he has had no plan or purpose, 723s

and he realizes he needs to put a plan into action. 730s

He needs to have intention. 735s

And so then we continue inverse five with that plan that he puts in place. 738s

So summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, how much do you owe my master? 746s

He answered, a hundred jugs of olive oil. 753s

He said to him, take your bill sit down quickly and make it 50. 756s

Then he asked another, and how much do you owe? 762s

He replied, a hundred containers of wheat. 765s

He said to him, take your bill and make it 80. 768s

And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. 773s

So the plan was put into action. 782s

The plan was put into action and he took those that were indebted to his master, 786s

and he shortened or lessened their bill. 794s

Now, if we were the master and we heard that our manager was taking 800s

and giving our those in debt to us, giving them a break on what they owed, 809s

our natural gut reaction would be to say, buddy, what are you doing? 815s

You've already lost your job, you're making it worse. 820s

And yet here we have the master commending the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. 822s

The manager had now acted wisely, prudently. 834s

He had intention, he had purpose, he had an action, a plan in place, 840s

and he was carrying it through. 846s

We continue for the cause, sorry, and his master commended the dishonest manager 850s

because he had acted shrewdly. 857s

For the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation 858s

than are the children of light. 864s

When he speaks of the children of this generation, that is the children that are unbelievers. 867s

And the children of light are believers. 873s

And so here, Jesus is saying that this dishonest manager acted shrewdly. 876s

He acted wisely, he was thinking about what was to come tomorrow. 882s

He cut the bills of those indebted to his master because he wanted he wanted to restore a relationship with those indebted, 888s

so that he would be received well tomorrow. 904s

And so Jesus says that the master commended him for thinking about his tomorrow. 910s

If the unbeliever puts that much care and that much wisdom and prudency into tomorrow, 921s

how much more do the children of light put in to tomorrow? 930s

Because the children of light, those who have been called to believe and know that we have been forgiven, 938s

we know that tomorrow is not just 24 hours from now, 947s

but we know that tomorrow stretches into all of eternity. 952s

And tomorrow is an extension of today. 958s

The manager, the manager that we read of. 968s

He's dealing with earthly goods. 972s

He's dealing with the master's earthly goods. 974s

And he's dealing shrewdly. He's dealing wisely with what he has to manage. 978s

Now we think, of course, of the blessings that God has given us. 988s

We think of the homes that we are blessed to live in. 992s

The cars, the vacations, the jobs that we are blessed to experience. 995s

We think of all those wonderful, earthly goods that God has given us. 1000s

And we think of how we manage those, how we stewor those. 1006s

But what is the true treasure? 1014s

What is the true treasure that you and I have been given? 1017s

Well, it's that perimeter. 1023s

It's that perimeter of the puzzle. 1025s

The true treasure that we as children of God have been given is the treasure of his word. 1028s

The treasure that is in clay jars, as scripture tells us. 1034s

It is the treasure that we know indeed that we have been forgiven, 1040s

and it is not our own doing, but it is the gift of God. 1045s

That our debts have been paid for us intentionally by Christ. 1051s

And so as we carry this treasure with us on a daily basis, are we intentional in our use of it? 1060s

Are we intentional in sharing the treasure that we have been so graciously given? 1074s

Verse 9, verse 9 of our parable, says, 1084s

And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, 1089s

they may welcome you into the eternal homes. 1095s

Now, this dishonest wealth or this unrighteous wealth, that's an idiom that describes worldly goods. 1099s

And Jesus is saying, use your worldly goods, but for the time here, 1107s

but act and use the treasure look to the treasure that awaits you, the real treasure. 1116s

The manager was true in how he managed the worldly goods of his rich master. 1125s

He was true in how he dealt with those who were in debt to his master. 1138s

I want you to think for a moment, think of the people in your life, 1145s

and I know that's a really broad category. 1149s

So let's narrow it down. Think of ten people in your life. 1152s

And let's narrow it down even more. Think of one person in your life. 1158s

Can you name one person who is in debt by their sin to the Savior? 1163s

And if you can't think of one person who is in debt by their sin to the Savior, 1171s

then you know no one. 1179s

Because we are all in debt by our sin to the Savior. 1183s

But it is this debt that has been paid for by the one to whom we owe to the Savior. 1192s

So let's go the debt. This is the treasure that we carry with us. 1201s

This is the treasure that we hold so dearly. 1207s

This is the treasure that Jesus says, go, go, make disciples, go, you are my witnesses. 1211s

It is this treasure with which God sends us forth. 1221s

It is this treasure that we seek to use wisely, 1225s

prudently, intentionally, because it is the treasure that has been given to us freely, 1233s

lovingly, graciously by God. 1245s

So as you go forth this week, as you go forth puzzling through this beautiful word that we have, 1249s

remember your perimeter, your perimeter that Jesus speaks. 1262s

Jesus speaks to you as His disciples. 1268s

Jesus speaks to you the treasure of His word that He was crucified, 1272s

died, was buried and rose again for the forgiveness of your debts. 1278s

This is the treasure that is yours. 1288s

This is your treasure to hold. This is your treasure to carry. 1291s

And this is your treasure to dole out, to dole out intentionally, 1295s

because this is the treasure that never runs out, 1304s

but the treasure that is promised for all who believe. 1308s