Ezekiel Kimosop Supporter

What is the meaning of this verse: "And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings"?

This statement by Jesus lies in the concluding section of the Parable of the Unjust Steward in Luke 16:1-13. The parable was part of a number of kingdom parables series that Jesus made in Luke 14-16, including the parable of the Great Supper (14:15-24); the Lost Sheep (15:1-7); the Lost Coin (15:8-10); the Lost Son (15:11-32) and the Rich Man and Lazarus (16:19-31). 

These parables are centered on outlining kingdom principles to God's people. In the parable of the Unjust Steward, Jesus made a satirical statement to describe the foolishness of the unjust steward in attempting to mischievously make the best of a worse situation. The unjust steward devised a crafty way to inflict maximum financial hemorrhage on his master's resources in an attempt to please the master's debtors and gain their favor when he finally gets fired. 

What did Jesus mean by the statement in Luke 16:9? He said: "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home" (Luke 16:9, NKJV). Jesus used the parable of the Unjust Steward to warn his hearers [and us] that evil actions have consequences. No matter how it is meticulously crafted, no evil will be concealed from the omniscience of our holy and righteous God. The wicked will ultimately be punished by God.

The unjust steward may have forfeited a golden opportunity for owning up to his misdeeds and seeking forgiveness from His master (v.1-2). Instead, he chose the highway. He possibly imagined that His master would buy into the deception but he was utterly mistaken. We serve an all knowing God. 

The statement in v.9 serves to mock unjust application of skills and talents that God has vested in us. God will demand an account of how we have invested the talents, skills, and opportunities at our disposal. No matter how one engages in ungodly deeds, none of those they associate with and who show them favor on earth will save them from the imminence God's judgment. 

The word "Mammon" is an Aramaic term that is here metaphorically employed by Jesus to refer to wealth or material riches that can become a false master, competing with God for human devotion and loyalty. It is a representation of naked idolatry - the devotion to the corruption of this passing evil world that does not offer any assurance of eternal hope in God. 

The reaction of the Pharisees in vv. 14-15 is instructive of the captivation of the spirit of Mammon even among the religious class of Jesus' day. The writer of Scripture reports that the Pharisees derided Him. Jesus' reply is compelling: "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God." (NKJV). 

Jeremiah 17:9 proclaims "The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
10 I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings." (NKJV).

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Billy P Eldred Supporter

I have never been taught the gist of this verse, but to me, the key to this verse is the last verse Jesus used in this lesson. Luke 16:13 NIV
[13] “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.”

I think what Jesus was teaching here is to be careful not to put your trust in "money." A paraphrase for me would be, "Go ahead and spend all your money so that when it is gone, you might open up and seek the true 'way' to heaven. The friends you make spending your money will do you no good in getting you there!

When He said so that "your friends will welcome you to eternal dwellings" I think He was implying "as if they could"!

It was basically the same lesson taught when he told the rich young man who wanted to know how to get eternal life, "Go give all your wealth to the poor, then come follow Me!"

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Donna Williams Supporter

Brother Ken, in my opinion the Passion Translation makes it easier to understand. 

Luke 16:8-9 reads as follows: Jesus continued, "Remember this: the sons of darkness interact more wisely than the sons of light. Use the wealth of this world to demonstrate your friendship with God by winning friends and blessing others. Then, when it runs out, your generosity will provide you with an eternal reward."

The shrewd manager/steward dealt wisely to make friends in order that he would have a place to stay when he would lose his position as a manager. Even though his master commended him for acting wisely, he still wasn't a man of integrity. However, Jesus was teaching his disciples to use the wealth of this world to glorify God and to bless others. 

As Christians, we are to be men and women of integrity in our every day lives. We are not to be selfish, but to genuinely be concerned about the needs of others!

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