"The Children Of This World ..... Are Wiser"

In the parable of the “unjust steward” (Luke 16:1-13), we see that when the steward knew that he was going to lose his stewardship, he called in those who owed his master and reduced their debts so that they would be indebted to him for the favor. He states that he was ashamed to beg and he could not dig (manual labor), so he prepared for his well-being in a different way (Luke 16:3-7).

Jesus did not approve of his underhanded and unfair dealings with the affairs of his master, but He did commend his wisdom in preparing for his future (Luke 16:8). Then He tells His disciples, “Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations” (Luke 16:9).

It is interesting to note that those who are "children of light" (Christians), and are supposed to understand the future better than the children of the world, do not wisely use their material possessions to lay up eternal treasures (cf. 1 Timothy 6:18-19; cf. Matthew 6:19-21). In fact, the children of light can become so involved with temporary things, that they neglect eternal things. The very people who are supposed to be the wisest, and with the clearest perception of the real value of this world, are many times, not nearly as wise as children of the world.

Beloved, the moral of this parable is that if we are not faithful in correctly handling the “unrighteous mammon” (worldly riches), how can the Master trust us with “the true riches” (Luke 16:11; cf. Luke 12:33; Luke 18:22; Ephesians 3:8; James 2:5; Revelation 3:18). We must prove ourselves to be faithful in the proper use of material possessions before we can be trusted with spiritual possessions.

Any disciple who cannot handle material things honestly, will not handle the truth of the gospel honestly either. Beloved, let’s be wiser than those of the world, and “Set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2 ESV).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets