In Luke 16, Jesus tells a parable that we should pay attention to. Why? Because it has a surprise twist and a shocking ending. But even more importantly, it is a reflection of all of us.

Luke 16:1 (NKJV)- 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 wasting his goods.”

In Bible times, the wealthy would often appoint stewards to manage their money and financial affairs. The Greek word “steward” actually comes from two words: one that means “house” and one that means “manager.” So the steward in this parable was literally a “house-manager,” the manager of an estate or business.

The steward would have control of his master’s assets, full authority to deal with debtors and creditors, full power of attorney to act in the name of his master, and he represented his master in every business transaction. His job was to manage the assets of the business as effectively as possible.

The steward in this parable owned nothing, but he was put in charge of everything. He knew, or at least should have known, that he would be watched, audited, and that he would have to give an account for what he did with his master’s money. This is what happens in verse 2.

Luke 16:2 (NKJV)- 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.’

Somehow, the rich man found out that the steward was mismanaging his money. We aren’t told whether the steward was doing something unethical or if he was simply bad at math. But we do know that an audit of the books showed that they didn’t balance, and the steward had to answer for the discrepancy.

This is just like us. One of these days, we will have to give an account to God: not only for our money, but also for our lives.

Romans 14:12 (NKJV)- So then each of us shall give account of himself unto God.

 In other words, we will have to give an account for our account, and we will be held responsible if we manage the money that God has given us carelessly.

You may have read about the billionaire Leona Helmsley. Although she left two of her grandchildren out of her will, she left $12 million in a trust fund for Trouble. Who was Trouble? Trouble was her dog.

Can you imagine all the hungry children $12 million could have fed? Can you imagine how many children $12 million could have clothed? But before you think about how ridiculous giving $12 million to a dog is (and it is ridiculous), how much more do we mismanage the money God has entrusted to us? We mismanage it on things we don’t really want and don’t really need, but we spend it just the same.

Back to the parable.

At this point in the story, the steward realizes that he is in big trouble. The jig is up. He starts to panic a little.

Luke 16:3 (NKJV)- “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.’

I find it amusing that the steward is too lazy to dig and too proud to beg, but at least he could mismanage money! What is he going to do? He comes up with a plan and a strategy that are unbelievably clear… and lead to a second principle.

Take a look inside your wallet. Go on, take a look. What do you see? You probably see your driver’s license, a couple of credit cards, and a few receipts. You might even see some cash. How do you see that cash? If you’re like most people, you see your cash, or your money.

I’ve noticed that, whenever a pastor discusses money, finances, and giving, people get trapped into this kind of thinking: “The pastor and the church are just out to get my money. They’re just like the government. Instead of a tax, they try to charge a tithe. All they want is my money.” From this perspective, the offering becomes a tug-of-war: the pastor is up there, pulling with all his might to get your money, while the individual pulls with all his might to keep it.

But the fact of the matter is, Jesus found the issue of finances very important. In Luke 16, He tells a parable about how to see “stuff” and how to manage money. It may surprise you to learn that Jesus talked more about these issues than he talked about heaven and hell. In the four Gospels, one out of every ten verses deals with managing money. One would assume that the Bible would discuss prayer more often than money, but while over 2,500 verses deal with money, only 500 verses deal with prayer.

Right now you might be thinking, “Wow! Jesus was obsessed with money!” But Jesus didn’t talk about money because he was obsessed with it. He talked about money because he knew we would be obsessed with it.

Most people make three assumptions: First, that their money belongs to them. Second, that giving at the church means giving to the church. Third, that the cost of giving outweighs the benefits of giving. That’s why most people don’t plan their giving. Either they don’t give, or they give as an afterthought. They reach into their wallet, pull out a bill, throw it in the offering plate, and move on.

We don’t have a problem with purses or pocketbooks. We have a problem with our perspective. But if we learn to see our “stuff” the way God sees it, we will no longer see our money in our wallets. We will see a way to invest in eternity. If we ever learn what God could do with our stuff, we will never, ever have a lack to do what He has called us to do.