Faithful Stewardship (preaching resource for 9/21 & 9/28/25, 15th & 16th Sundays after Pentecost)

This post exegetes Luke chapter 16 providing context for the Gospel readings on 9/21 & 9/28/25, the 15th and 16th Sundays after Pentecost. Insights are drawn from Warren Wiersbe ("The Bible Expository Commentary"), Howard Marshall ("New Bible Commentary") and Robert Farrar Capon ("Kingdom, Grace, Judgment"). 

"Lazarus and the Rich Man" by Bassano (public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Introduction

Jesus—the supremely faithful steward of God’s gifts to humanity—calls us to participate, by the Spirit, in his ongoing life of stewardship in our world. Jesus addressed this calling in his parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). There a generous father faithfully stewards his family wealth. Sadly, his younger son (before returning to the father) squanders it (Luke 15:13) and his older son self-righteously hoards it. Jesus now explores further this theme of faithful stewardship in Luke chapter 16. His instruction centers on two parables—one about a shrewd steward, the other about a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. Let's learn from our Lord.

The parable of the shrewd steward 

Luke 16:1–13 

1 Jesus told his disciples: There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.'

A first century “manager” was the steward of his master’s wealth. Though he did not own that wealth, he had the privilege of enjoying it so long as he managed it faithfully. But this particular steward is “wasting” his master’s possessions (“wasting” is from the same Greek word translated “squandered” to describe the prodigal son’s misbehavior in Luke 15:13).  He is thus the prodigal steward. Upon learning this, the master demands an inventory of his possessions and an audit of his books. He also fires the steward. Notice the steward’s response:

3 The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg-- 4 I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.' 5 So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6 'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied. The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.' 7 Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?' 'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he replied. He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.' 8 The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.

Though he could not undo the past, the steward could prepare for the future by befriending his master’s creditors so that they would take him in when his master threw him out. He extended a generous discount, provided they paid up immediately, and they were only too glad to cooperate. Even his master complimented him on his cleverness (v8a)! Then in v8b Jesus commends the steward’s behavior. Clearly, Jesus is not advocating robbery. Rather, Jesus is commending the steward for his shrewd use of opportunity. “The people of this world,” like this steward, tend to act decisively to take advantage of opportunities to get ahead. Jesus wants his followers (“the people of the light,” v8b) to do likewise—however,  “getting ahead” for Jesus is not about lining one’s own pockets, but about advancing the Father’s kingdom—being shrewdly and lavishly generous in serving others in ways that yield eternal benefits for all. This, of course, is exactly what Jesus did (and still does)—and in that sense, the shrewd steward is a picture of Jesus himself. 

And Jesus wants his followers to share in this creative and focused stewardship with him:

9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.

Note that in these verses, Jesus gives three admonitions concerning stewardship: 

Use opportunity wisely (v9)

One of these days, life will end, and we will not be able to earn or use money. Therefore, while we have opportunity, let us invest our resources to “gain friends” for the Lord. This means participating in what Jesus is doing, in the Spirit, to call people to follow him—such people will one day welcome us into the “eternal dwellings” of a new heaven and new earth that never fades away (unlike our temporary wealth in this world).

Be faithful in using material wealth (vv10–12) 

Jesus makes it clear that we cannot divorce the “spiritual” from the “material.” Notice the contrasts he makes: 

Why is Jesus so concerned about the use of money? Because, by its very nature, money defiles and debases those who love and serve it. “We cannot safely use mammon,” writes Richard Foster, “until we are absolutely clear that we are dealing, not just with mammon, but with unrighteous mammon” (Money, Sex and Power, p. 57).  People who are unfaithful in their stewardship of money are also unfaithful in the way they use the “true riches” of God’s kingdom. 

Be wholly devoted to God and single-minded (v13) 

We can’t serve two masters. If God is our Master, we will use our resources to advance his kingdom. But if money is our master, we will waste our lives instead of investing them in the kingdom. Jesus is saying: “Make money your servant and use today’s opportunities to invest in tomorrow’s dividends.”

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus 

Luke 16:14–31

14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight. 16 The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17 It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. 18 Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

Jesus has been speaking to his disciples, but the Pharisees have been listening, and now, in derision, “sneer” at Jesus. Jesus’ reply is that despite their outward veneer of religiosity, inside the Pharisees are corrupt. Jesus exhorts them to stop “drifting” with the crowd, and, instead, “force” (enthusiastically press) into the kingdom as his faithful followers are now doing. The Pharisees rejected the ministry of John the Baptist, even though they knew he was God’s prophet. And now they are rejecting the one John announced—Jesus, their promised Messiah. The Pharisees covetousness has blinded them. 

Jesus then notes that “the Law and the Prophets,” on which the Pharisees superficially relied, “were proclaimed until John.” In introducing Jesus, John was announcing the inauguration of the promised kingdom and the end (fulfillment, not destruction) of the Law. There is great irony here, for the Pharisees prided themselves in their obedience to the Law and the Prophets (the Hebrew Scriptures), yet now they are rejecting the Savior to which these Scriptures testify!  Jesus mentions divorce and remarriage—perhaps to expose the Pharisees’ failed stewardship of the Law. They had harsh interpretations of the Torah’s instruction concerning divorce and remarriage—putting religious show above human need. In any case, Jesus silences their sneering, and proceeds to tell a parable that speaks to what will happen if they continue as unfaithful stewards.

19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

Jesus contrasts a rich man (who represents the Pharisees) with a poor beggar named Lazarus (who seems to represent Jesus himself). The rich man lives in luxury while Lazarus suffers at his front gate in poverty and ill health. The rich man is easily able to relieve Lazarus, but ignores him and selfishly hoards his wealth. The rich man obviously has no concept of God’s generosity and mercy, nor of his responsibility to faithfully steward God’s riches. Then the scene changes…

22 The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.

Death is the “great leveler”—both rich and poor end up dead and in death stripped of all their earthly possessions. However, in death, Lazarus is carried by the angels to “Abraham’s side.” But the rich man, who lived luxuriously in life, does not fare so well in death: 

23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' 25 But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' 27 He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29 Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 30 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'

The Greek word translated hell (v23) is hades. Jews in Jesus’ day saw hades (sheol in Hebrew) as the intermediate state between death and bodily resurrection—the “place” (condition) of disembodied spirits waiting to be reunited with a resurrection body at the final judgment. They viewed hades/sheol as having two sections: one for the righteous dead at “Abraham’s side” (“Abraham’s bosom”), and a second section of torment for the unrighteous dead. Whether or not Jesus is endorsing this first century popular Jewish view of hades, we don’t know. Moreover, this parable does not address what happened to hades (and the spirits of people residing there) at Jesus’ death and resurrection. In any case, we should remember that the purpose of this parable is not to provide a detailed description of the intermediate state, but to address the topic of that bad stewardship of the Pharisees.

Tormented in hades, the rich man begins to pray. First, he prays that Abraham (over in the “paradise” compartment of hades) will have mercy on him and allow Lazarus to bring him some comfort (what chutzpah!). Even a drop of cool water will be welcomed. Abraham replies that Lazarus cannot bring the requested comfort. First, because the rich man has lived for the “good things” of earth, he has already received his reward—he can expect no more. Second, the nature of hades is such that Lazarus cannot cross over from paradise (Abraham's bosom) and make even a brief visit to the other side of hades where the rich man is confined.

Next, the rich man prays for his five living brothers, fearing that similar torment awaits them in hades when they die. Verse 28 suggests that Lazarus had testified in life to the rich man and probably his brothers too—but none took his witness seriously. But now, Lazarus’ testimony is very important to the rich man, who reasons that his brothers know that Lazarus has died, and were the beggar to appear from the grave to them, they will be frightened into repentance. Abraham replies that only one thing can prevent the five brothers from eventually joining their brother in torment—a repentant response to the testimony of God’s word (including both the testimony from Jesus, and the testimony of the Scriptures that are read every Sabbath in the synagogue). Ironically, a man named Lazarus did later come back from the dead (again, a type of Jesus), and rather than repenting upon receiving this powerful testimony, the Jews sought to kill both Jesus and Lazarus! (see John 11:43–57; 12:10).  Thus, in the rich man’s lifetime, God had already spoken his word to him in many ways. Though God permitted him great wealth, his heart remained unbelieving and utterly self-centered. Now he prays, but for his comfort and for the safety of his family. He argues with God instead of submitting to God’s will. He thus fails in both life and death to be faithful in his stewardship of God’s abundant gifts.

Conclusion

Jesus—the supremely faithful steward of God’s gifts to humanity—goes to the uttermost to draw people into the communion that he has with the Father and the Spirit, in union with all humanity. It is within this divine-human communion that God’s own life is experienced and enjoyed forever. Jesus calls his disciples to join with him in faithfully stewarding God’s many gifts for the eternal benefit of others. At some point, each person will be given opportunity to decide if they will or will not embrace Jesus and his call to faithful stewardship. There are consequences for such decisions. Let us, with Jesus, affirm and strengthen our own. Let us share actively in Jesus’ life of faithful stewardship.