April 25 2025

Friday April 25

Luke 16:1-3 – “What Shall I Do?”

1 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. 2 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.' 3 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.

In Luke 16 Jesus continues His messages to His disciples, the crowds, the Pharisees, and I’m sure they are meant for us today! It appears that the main theme of this chapter is stewardship and our accountability over what the Lord has entrusted us with. The Wall Street Journal quoted an anonymous wit who defined money as "an article which may be used as a universal passport to everywhere except heaven, and as a universal provider for everything except happiness." Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:10, that the love of money is still "a root of all kinds of evil" which has helped fill our world with corruption and lust (1 Peter 1:4).

When you read our Lord's sermons and parables, you are struck with the fact that He had a great deal to say about the subjects of money along with heaven and hell. Teaching us that one day we will give an account of what we did with the resources that He trusted us with. So, we had better heed what Jesus says in this chapter about the right and wrong use of wealth. Neither of the two accounts in this chapter is called a parable either by Jesus or by Luke, so it is likely that our Lord was describing actual happenings. However, whether they are actual events or only parables, the spiritual values are the same.

In this first story, Jesus speaks to His disciples about a steward—a manager of his master’s wealth—who’s accused of squandering resources. The master demands an account and fires him. Facing a crisis, the steward panics, realizing he’s unfit for manual labor and too proud to beg. He then asks himself the question, “What shall I do?” A good question we should be asking as we are reminded that we are stewards of God’s gifts, not owners.

In this first story, the steward’s role was to manage his master’s wealth for his master’s benefit, but he wasted it through carelessness or dishonesty. His failure led to a reckoning, where he had to account for his actions and he got fired. Jesus uses this story to remind us that everything we have; time, money, talents, and the gospel, all belongs to God. We’re entrusted to use these gifts wisely, not for selfish gain but to honor Him and bless others.

The steward’s crisis mirrors our reality. One day, we’ll all give an account to God for how we’ve managed His blessings. Like the steward, we might be tempted to waste what God gives us, like the prodigal son in the previous chapter, spending time carelessly, hoarding resources, or neglecting our gifts. Yet, the story also sparks hope: even in his failure, the steward begins to think strategically about his future. Jesus isn’t praising his dishonesty but pointing out his urgency to act wisely in a crisis. We, too, must act with purpose, knowing our time as stewards is limited.

God calls us to invest our lives, not just spend or waste them. This means using our money to help the needy, our time to serve others, and our abilities to share the gospel. Unlike the world’s shrewdness, which seeks temporary gain, our stewardship aims for eternal impact. Are we living as faithful stewards, or are we squandering God’s gifts? The steward’s question, “What shall I do?” is ours to answer today. May the Lord help us to choose to manage God’s resources with gratitude, diligence, and love, preparing for the day we stand before Him.

Today, I want to challenge each of us to invest wisely by reflecting on one area of our life; time, money, or talents, where we might have been wasting or hoarding God’s gifts. In prayer, we should ask God to show us how to invest that gift for His kingdom. Then, we should take one practical step this week: Give generously to someone in need, dedicate time to serve in our church or community, or use a talent to encourage others or share the gospel. By acting faithfully now, we will prepare for a future of eternal reward and bring glory to God.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for entrusting us with Your gifts. Forgive us for wasting what’s Yours. Help us invest our time, resources, and talents for Your glory and others’ good. Guide our actions this week to honor You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God bless!