Monday, September 22, 2008

Commending the Unjust Steward

 
Commending the Unjust Steward
 
Luke 16:1  And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
 
There was a rich man, which had a steward who took care of all he owned. Someone accused the steward of wasting his master's goods. Not always are the accused guilty. The devil is the chief accuser. Jesus Christ was accused of wrong doing by the Pharisees and chief priests, he answered nothing in his defense. Sometimes silence is better than reacting to accusations. The word of God needs no defense; to oppose it is to oppose God. Jesus spoke the word and did only good.
 
Luke 23:9  Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
Luke 23:10  And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
Luke 23:11  And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.
Luke 23:12  And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
 
This is an important thing to see. Although Pilate and Herod were not friends, they became one in accusing Jesus. In our witnessing the gospel, people will be for you or against you. People who fight with each other, will join together to oppose you. Like Spirits, come together so be sure that you defend the Lord's people and side with them, for there will be a dividing. The sheep shall be divided from the goats. We are to be on the Lord's side.

Luke 16:2  And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
 
The rich man called the steward to give an account of his stewardship; he was no longer to be his steward. Perhaps the man was guilty as accused; one thing is for sure, we will be called to give an account of what we have done with what God has given to us. The parable of the talents refers to the use of what God has given to us. The one who increased the most by using his master's talents wisely was given more authority. The one who was fearful and hid his one talent, was cast away.
 
Mat 25:28  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
Mat 25:29  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
Mat 25:30  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The LORD supplies and we are to use what he has given to us to increase His kingdom. We are not accountable for what we do not have.

Luke 16:3  Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
Luke 16:4  I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
Luke 16:5  So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
Luke 16:6  And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
Luke 16:7  Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
Luke 16:8  And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
Luke 16:9  And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
The lord commended the unjust steward. He was unjust, unworthy to be a steward, so why was he commended? He was wise in using his masters goods to bless others by giving grace and lessening the burdens of others. We are to use what the master has given to us to lessen the burdens of others and forgiveness is part of this.
 
Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
 
Mat 4:23  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Mat 5:38  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 5:40  And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
Mat 5:41  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Mat 5:42  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Mat 5:43  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Mat 5:46  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
Mat 5:47  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Mat 5:48  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Mat 6:1  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
The LORD said that the "children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." We are told to be wise.
 
Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Mat 10:17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Mat 10:18  And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
Mat 10:19  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
Mat 10:20  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
Mat 10:21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Mat 10:23  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Mat 10:24  The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
Mat 10:25  It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
Mat 10:26  Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
Mat 10:27  What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Luke 16:10  He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
 
1 Cor 4:2  Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
1 Cor 4:3  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
1 Cor 4:4  For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
1 Cor 4:5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
 
Luke 16:11  If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Luke 16:12  And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
 
Luke 12:42  And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Luke 12:43  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Luke 12:44  Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

Luke 16:13  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
 
Mat 7:18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
We will show where our heart is, by what we do with what God has given to us. I used an illustration of two vines, the fruitful vine is as the grape. The ivy clings to a tree and takes life from it. We are to be fruitful.

Luke 16:14  And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
 
To deride by turning up the nose, to sneer at, to scoff at. Blessed are those who hear and do the Lord's commands.

Luke 16:15  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
 
1 John 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
 
Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

We are to be good stewards of what God has given to us; so we do all things as unto the LORD for we will give an account and be rewarded for what is done with that which we have received. We are not to covet anothers gift or wealth, but to use what God has given to us. He has supplied and will do his will through us. Yield your heart to the moving of His Spirit.
 
Mat 25:20  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
Mat 25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

No comments: