15th Sunday after Pentecost Luke 16:1-13

Introduction 

Luke 16:1-13 isn’t an easy parable to preach on. It looks for all the world like Jesus is commending a guy who’s basically a dishonest rascal. You will sometimes see interpreters tying themselves in knots trying to get around this. I don’t think you should. Jesus is not commending the dishonesty. Instead, he’s praising the shrewdness in his use of money—something he is encouraging.

(Note, unless otherwise noted, I'll be using the ESV translation for Bible quotations.)

Interpreting Parables: A Parable and a Joke Walk Into a Bar...

One of the most helpful explanations of parables I have read was from Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, who argue that the function of story parables (like…

1. How have you thought about this parable in the past? How have you understood the teaching of Jesus about the dishonest manager? Does this interpretation change the way you look at the parable?

2. Why does Jesus say that the “sons of light” are less shrewd than those who are ignorant of God’s laws? 

3. What would it look like to be “shrewd” with your money in the way Jesus has in mind? How does it differ from the way we usually think of someone who is “shrewd” with money?

4. What are some ways in which you may sometimes have served “mammon” rather than God? Are there habits or desires that need to be brought before God today?

5. What are some concrete ways you might be more “shrewd” and use your money for the advancement of God’s…