The Illusion of Authority

Luke 16:1-13

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. ²So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ ³Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. ⁴I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ ⁵So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ⁶He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ ⁷Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ ⁸And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. ⁹And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.

¹⁰ “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. ¹¹If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? ¹²And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? ¹³No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Introduction:

In Luke 16:1-13, Jesus speaks to His disciples—calling their attention to a parable that, at first blush, unsettles our sense of justice. Yet, within it lies a profound call to faithful stewardship under God’s sovereign rule. Jesus’ message in this passage is clear: everything we have—our resources, abilities, and opportunities—comes from God and is given to us to manage. How we use these gifts isn’t a side matter; it shows what we truly believe about God’s plan and our role in it.

This passage from Luke 16:1-13 challenges how we view power and authority. It encourages us to move beyond the idea that we control our own possessions or positions, offering instead a perspective grounded in faithful stewardship under God. Rather than seeing power as something we own, we are reminded that all we have is entrusted to us for a purpose beyond ourselves.

Power and influence often seduce us into thinking we are sovereign over our circumstances and resources. In society, power is sought, wielded, and defended as a means to self-advancement and security. Yet, the parable’s steward discovers, in crisis, that his apparent authority is fragile and contingent. His position is subject to the will of another—the master. In the same way, whatever influence or resources we are given in this world are not ends in themselves but means to a greater purpose: God’s Will.

The call to stewardship removes the illusion of autonomy. It transforms our approach to power, prompting us to ask: How am I using my status, resources, and opportunities to serve not myself, but the purposes of God? Earthly power is revealed as a temporary trust, measured not by worldly standards, but by faithfulness to God who will one day call us to account.

Divine Authority: The True Source and Goal

When we recognize God’s absolute authority, our stewardship becomes an act of worship and obedience. Every aspect of life falls under Christ’s lordship—no realm of creation stands outside His sovereignty. As stewards, we are called to reflect the character and priorities of God, using our earthly power for eternal purposes: investing in the kingdom, serving others, and advancing the gospel.

The tension between earthly power and divine authority is resolved in the life of stewardship. Instead of viewing influence as a possession to be guarded, we see it as a gift to be multiplied for the glory of God. The faithfulness required in “little” and “much” (Luke 16:10-12) is less about the magnitude of trust and more about the integrity of the steward’s heart before God.

A call to stewardship reshapes our relationship with both earthly power and divine authority. It frees us from the bondage of self-sovereignty and invites us into the joyous responsibility of living for God’s glory. Every choice, every resource entrusted, becomes an opportunity to demonstrate our allegiance—not to passing powers, but to the eternal King.

Investing Earthly Resources for God’s Kingdom

According to Luke 16:9-12, disciples are called to steward their worldly resources—described as unrighteous wealth—under the sovereign providence of God, recognizing that such possessions are not inherently evil but become corrupting only through the sinful love of money and its misuse. The Lord instructs His people to employ temporal wealth for eternal purposes: making friends, serving others, advancing the gospel, and thus investing in the kingdom of God.

Christ further reveals that faithfulness in small matters is indicative of faithfulness in greater responsibilities; it is in these everyday acts of stewardship that a believer’s true character and gratitude to God are displayed. Stewardship is not a means to merit divine favor but a fruit of genuine faith and obedience to Christ; it is worship, plain and simple. Ultimately, we are but caretakers, accountable to God for the use of His gifts to us, knowing that each will give an account before the Lord for how these resources have been managed.

Undivided Allegiance: Serving God Alone

Jesus’ words in Luke 16:13 pierce the believer’s heart, exposing the impossibility of divided allegiance: “No servant can serve two masters.” Jesus makes it clear that there is no middle ground between serving God and serving wealth. Our natural tendency toward divided loyalty comes from our inclination to seek security and identity in lesser things. However, it is only through God’s sovereign grace, received by faith, that believers are rescued from conflicting allegiances and drawn into wholehearted devotion. A single-minded, Christ-centered loyalty does not come from human effort but is the result of God transforming our desires, teaching us to trust and serve Him above all else.

Stewardship Is Living Every Day for the Glory of God

Everything we have—our wealth, opportunities, and connections—is entrusted to us by God’s hand. When we steward these gifts, we do so as an expression of worship and gratitude, honoring God’s authority over our lives. Viewed through the lens of the gospel, we recognize that Christ, the true and faithful steward, laid down everything for our redemption, calling us not merely to dutiful management but to joyful participation in His gospel work.

The Parable of the Dishonest Steward is a reminder that any authority we hold in this life is, at best, provisional. Though we may be given responsibility, influence, or resources, Jesus makes it clear that these are not truly ours to possess. Like the steward in the story, our apparent control is subject to the sovereignty of God, the true owner of all things. Ultimately, every position and every possession is on loan—granted for a season to be used for a purpose greater than ourselves.

It is easy to fall into the trap of believing we are the masters of our own fate, building our sense of worth and security on what we appear to control. Yet, Jesus’ words reveal just how fragile and fleeting earthly authority truly is. Everything we have can be taken or lost in an instant, underscoring our dependence on God’s providence.

This truth reorients our hearts: we are called not to serve our own ambitions, but to steward every gift—time, talent, finances, relationships—in a way that glorifies the Giver. Our stewardship, then, becomes an ongoing act of worship. By recognizing that we hold nothing in absolute terms, we are freed to use all things for God’s purposes, knowing that faithfulness in this life prepares us for the true riches of eternity.

In practical terms, we must therefore examine how we wield our time, talents, finances, and relationships—discerning whether our efforts serve the advancement of God’s kingdom or our own interests. Faithful gospel stewardship invests in eternal relationships. Every aspect of daily life, no matter how common, is to be received as a sacred trust and performed in faithfulness unto God. This requires a continual re-examination of our hearts for rival affections, a spirit of repentance for misplaced loyalties, and a renewed commitment to Christ’s lordship. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

An Exhortation to Response

What Luke 16, the parable of the dishonest manager, tells us is to turn from all idolatry and confess before the Lord those occasions where our loyalty has been divided. It is a call to cast yourself upon Christ alone in confession for pardon and renewal by the Spirit. To set our hopes not on the fleeting things of this age, but on the eternal inheritance kept in heaven for you. Our treasures are where Christ reigns, unspoiled by corruption or decay, with eyes fixed on His glory. In summary: As hard as it may be to hear and understand, Luke 16:1-13 is a summons to a life marked by faithful stewardship, singular devotion to Christ, and wise investment in that which is eternal.

Let us pray: “Almighty and sovereign God, grant us grace, wisdom, and fidelity as stewards of your manifold gifts. Enable us to serve you with undivided hearts, that Christ may be magnified in all things and all people built up to the praise of your glory. Amen.”

Bibliography

Meeks, Wayne A., et al., The Harper Collins Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical Books. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1993.

“NRSVue.” Holy Bible/ With Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament. Washington: Zondervan, 2021.