“So if you have not been trustworthy in managing worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” – Jesus, Luke 16:11
When I was in middle school, my family briefly flirted with involvement in a church plant. We went to a few services led by a pastor in my uncle’s home. After one, my parents wanted to know what I thought. Should we become involved, or not?
I tried to be polite, but I didn’t see it. When asked why, I told my parents, “The preacher has two boys and they are absolute terrors. If he can’t keep his kids under control, how could he lead a church?”
I’m pretty sure my parents felt the same way, but they were surprised to hear my reasoning. “Did you know,” they asked, “that is a biblical principle?” It was my turn to be surprised: If I’d ever read I Timothy 3:4-5 (unlikely), I certainly wasn’t quoting it. I had no idea that managing one’s family well was a biblical prerequisite for pastoral leadership. It just made sense to me.
Fast forward forty years or so. I now have two children of my own and am much more sympathetic to pastoral parenting struggles. But I’ve also learned that there are foundational skills and qualities that are essential to ministry success. Managing your family is one, as is not being fall-down drunk. Paul teaches us that character is important for leaders, and we turn to I Timothy 3 whenever we vet candidates who aspire to a “noble task.” Our character is a lid on our leadership.
But according to Jesus, poor stewardship may be the reason our churches don’t grow.
You remember the parable because it’s, well, weird. In Luke 16, Jesus tells the story of an employee who is commended for short-selling his master’s debtors for his personal gain. The point isn’t that crime pays; instead, Jesus wants us to recognize the proper function of money. In speaking to the Pharisees, who loved money too much, he reminds us that money is a test. The more we manage money well, the more we will be given to manage.
But here’s something you may never have noticed: in verse 11, Jesus makes a distinction between “worldly wealth” and “true riches.” You won’t be given true riches to manage until you steward the money with which you have been entrusted. Now, look at it again and I believe you will find that the “true riches” are things of eternal spiritual significance.
So here’s how I read Luke 16:11: Churches and pastors who steward money poorly will not be given people (the true riches!) to manage. Why? Because money is a test.
If we can’t manage money – which has no eternal significance – why would God give us even one soul to superintend?
How we manage our personal finances is important, because it speaks to our character and reliability. Whether or not we tithe is important, because generous churches are led by generous pastors. And how we administer the business of our churches is a big deal, too. To reap the spiritual harvest we long for, we must first manage our worldly riches with excellence.
