Hello, my wonderful young friends! Today I want to share with you [The Parable of the Shrewd Manager], one of Jesus' most interesting stories that teaches us about using what we have wisely. This parable appears in Luke 16:1-13 and might seem a bit tricky at first, but it contains valuable lessons for all of us.

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Jesus often told stories called parables to help people understand important truths about God's kingdom. In this particular story, Jesus tells about a manager who makes some clever decisions when he's about to lose his job. Though the manager wasn't perfect, Jesus points out something we can learn from his quick thinking. Let's explore together what Jesus was teaching about how we should use the resources God has given us!

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

Chapter 1: The Manager's Problem

Jesus began His story by introducing the main characters: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions" (Luke 16:1).

In Bible times, wealthy landowners often hired managers to take care of their property and business. This manager was in charge of collecting payments, keeping records, and making sure his master's business ran smoothly. It was a position of great trust and responsibility.

But something had gone wrong. Someone told the rich man that his manager was wasting his possessions—perhaps spending money unwisely, neglecting his duties, or even being dishonest. The rich man took these accusations seriously.

"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'" (Luke 16:2).

What terrible news for the manager! His master demanded a final report of the accounts, and then he would be fired. His comfortable position with its steady income and status was about to disappear. The manager knew he was in serious trouble and needed to come up with a plan—fast!

Chapter 2: A Clever Plan

The manager realized his situation was desperate. He thought 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'" (Luke 16:3).

This manager wasn't prepared for physical labor like digging ditches or working in fields. And he was too proud to become a beggar on the streets. He needed a clever solution to secure his future.

Suddenly, an idea came to him. "'I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses'" (Luke 16:4).

The manager came up with a shrewd plan. Before his master removed him from his position, he would use his remaining authority to do favors for his master's debtors. He would reduce their debts so they would feel grateful and help him later when he needed somewhere to stay or a new job.

This wasn't an honest plan, but it was certainly clever. The manager understood something important: he needed to use his current position to prepare for his future.

Chapter 3: Reducing the Debts

The manager quickly put his plan into action. "So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 'Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied. The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty'" (Luke 16:5-6).

The manager was reducing the debts by significant amounts! For the first debtor, he cut the olive oil debt in half—a huge discount that would have been worth a lot of money.

He continued with the next debtor: "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'" (Luke 16:7).

For this debtor, he reduced the wheat debt by 20%—another substantial discount. The manager was creating goodwill with these people by reducing what they owed. They would remember his kindness and be much more likely to help him after he lost his job.

The debtors probably rushed to sign the new agreements quickly, before the master found out about these unexpected discounts!

Chapter 4: The Surprising Response

When the rich man discovered what his manager had done, his reaction was unexpected: "The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly" (Luke 16:8).

Notice that the master didn't commend the manager for being dishonest—he recognized that part was wrong. What he commended was the manager's shrewdness—his clever thinking and quick action to prepare for his future.

Jesus then added an observation: "For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light" (Luke 16:8).

Jesus was pointing out that sometimes worldly people show more foresight and resourcefulness in handling their affairs than God's people do. The manager, though dishonest, understood something important: he used his present resources to secure his future.

This doesn't mean Jesus was approving of the manager's dishonesty. Rather, He was using this story to teach His followers about being wise and forward-thinking in how they use what God has given them.

Chapter 5: Jesus Explains the Point

Jesus then explained what we should learn from this parable: "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings" (Luke 16:9).

Jesus wasn't telling His followers to be dishonest like the manager. Instead, He was teaching them to use their resources wisely with eternal perspective. The money and possessions we have in this world are temporary, but we can use them in ways that have eternal impact—like helping others and advancing God's kingdom.

Jesus continued with more wisdom about handling money: "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. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" (Luke 16:10-11).

God watches how we handle the resources He's given us. If we're faithful with material things (even small amounts), God knows we can be trusted with spiritual responsibilities and blessings.

Chapter 6: Serving the Right Master

Jesus concluded His teaching with a powerful statement: "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Luke 16:13).

This is the ultimate lesson of the parable. We must decide who our true master is. If money becomes our master, it will control our decisions and priorities. But if God is our master, we'll use money as His servant—a tool to accomplish His purposes.

The shrewd manager knew he couldn't serve two masters. When his job was threatened, he chose to use his position to secure his future. As followers of Jesus, we need to be even more forward-thinking, using our resources in ways that please God and have eternal value.

Jesus wants us to be wise stewards, managing the gifts, talents, and resources He's given us with heaven in mind. Unlike the dishonest manager, we should handle everything with integrity, but we can learn from his shrewdness in planning for the future.

What Can We Learn from This Story?

1. Use what you have wisely - God wants us to be good stewards of the resources He's given us, using them in ways that honor Him and have eternal value.
2. Have eternal perspective - Like the manager who planned for his future, we should make decisions with heaven in mind, not just thinking about today.
3. We can't serve two masters - We must choose whether God or money will be most important in our lives. When God is our master, money becomes a tool for serving Him.
4. God notices how we handle small things - Being faithful and honest with what we have now shows God we can be trusted with greater responsibilities.
5. Being shrewd isn't the same as being dishonest - Jesus wants us to be wise and strategic in how we use resources for God's kingdom, while maintaining integrity.

Fun Activities for Kids

1. Stewardship Treasure Box
   Decorate a small box and fill it with reminders of things God has given us to manage (draw pictures of talents, time, money, etc.). Talk about how we can use each of these gifts to serve God and help others.
2. Two Masters Game
   Play a game where children try to follow commands from two different "masters" at the same time. (One says "jump" while the other says "sit" etc.). Discuss why it's impossible to fully obey two different masters, just as we can't serve both God and money.
3. Future Planning Activity
   Using biblewise.com as inspiration, create a "Heavenly Investment Plan" where kids write or draw ways they can use what they have now (talents, time, possessions) to make an eternal difference.
4. Shrewd vs. Dishonest Sorting
   Create cards with different scenarios and have children sort them into "shrewd" (clever and wise) versus "dishonest" (untruthful or cheating). This helps children understand that Jesus wants us to be wise without being dishonest.
5. Gratitude and Giving Calendar
   Make a calendar for the coming week. Each day, children write down something God has given them that they're thankful for and one way they can use it to help others or share God's love.

If you enjoyed "The Parable of the Shrewd Manager," I think you'll also love "The Parable of the Talents" from Matthew 25:14-30! It's another fascinating story Jesus told about managing resources wisely and using what God has given us. The master gives different amounts to three servants and returns to see what they've done with his money. Check it out next time for another wonderful Bible adventure!