Lesson #64

• MEMORY VERSE: LUK 16:10

• THE PARABLE OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS STEWARD (LUK 16:1-13)
• READ LUK 16:1-13 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• BACKGROUND:
• THE WORD, “MAMMON” MEANS = MONEY OR RICHES. IT IS THAT WHICH IS OF THE WORLD AS CONTRASTED WITH WHAT IS OWED TO GOD. (9,11)
• “MAMMON” OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IS WORLDLY RICHES.
• TO WHOM IS THE PARABLE SPOKEN?
• JESUS SPOKE THIS PARABLE TO HIS DISCIPLES (1). HOWEVER, THE MIXED MULTITUDE WAS STILL THERE LISTENING. (NOTICE THE WORD, “ALSO”, IN VERSE 1.)
• WHO DOES THE RICH MAN REPRESENT? (11)
• THE RICH MAN REPRESENTS GOD.
• WHO DOES THE STEWARD REPRESENT?
• THE STEWARD REPRESENTS THE BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST.
• WHAT DO THE “GOODS” THAT WERE WASTED REPRESENT?
• THE “GOODS” REPRESENT TALENTS, GIFTS, TIME, KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORD OF GOD, OR IN OTHER WORDS, ALL THE BLESSINGS OF GOD.
• WHAT DID THE STEWARD DO? (5-7)
• THE STEWARD WENT TO THOSE WHO OWED HIS MASTER MONEY AND TOLD THEM TO FALSIFY THE DEBT. WHY?
• HE TOLD THEM THAT SO THAT THEY WOULD BE INDEBTED TO HIM. WHEN HE WAS OUT OF A JOB, THEY WOULD HELP HIM.
• READ 1COR 4:1-2
• PAUL SAYS THAT WE ARE STEWARDS OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD.
• DISCUSSION: WHAT DO YOU THINK PAUL MEANS BY, “STEWARDS OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD”?

• WE ARE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. WE ARE TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE KNOW OF THE WORD OF GOD.
• THE PHARISEES WERE SUPPOSED TO BE CONCERNED WITH THE MYSTERIES OF GOD IN HIS WORD. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO SHARE THOSE THINGS IN THE WORD OF GOD WITH OTHERS, BUT THEY MISUSED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND PRODUCED NO FRUIT.
• ALL OF THE THINGS GOD REVEALS TO US IN HIS WORD ARE MEANT TO BE SHARED WITH OTHERS SO THAT WE PRODUCE FRUIT.

NEW TESTAMENT BIBLICAL MYSTERIES
MAT 13 MAR 4:11

• IS JESUS PRAISING THE STEWARD FOR HIS DECEITFUL WAYS?
• NO. JESUS DID NOT PRAISE DECEIT.
• FOR WHAT DID THE LORD PRAISE THE STEWARD?
• JESUS PRAISED THE STEWARD FOR HIS WISDOM IN LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. HE WAS AN ASTUTE MAN.
• JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES TO LEARN A LESSON FROM SUCCESSFUL MEN IN THE WORLD.
• DISCUSSION: WHAT QUALITIES DO SUCCESSFUL MEN OF THE WORLD HAVE THAT WE SHOULD COPY?

• A SUCCESSFUL MAN HAS A REALISTIC PERSPECTIVE OF THE CONDITION OF THINGS SUCH AS THE MARKET, HIS PRODUCT, AND HIS COMPETITION.
• A SUCCESSFUL MAN HAS PERSEVERANCE IN BUSINESS.
• A SUCCESSFUL MAN HAS LONG TERM GOALS.
• A SUCCESSFUL MAN HAS AN EYE FOR OPPORTUNITY.

• WHO ARE THE SONS OF THIS AGE? (8)
• THE SONS OF THIS AGE ARE WORLDLY NON-BELIEVERS.
• WHO ARE THE SONS OF LIGHT? (8)
• BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST ARE THE SONS OF LIGHT. (1JOH 1:7)

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
• THE POSSESSION OF MATERIAL WEALTH AND OTHER BLESSINGS OF THE LORD SHOULD BE USED WITH AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE IN ORDER TO WIN OTHERS TO CHRIST.
• WE HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN 2 MOTIVES:
• =1= THE LOVE OF POSSESSIONS FOR THEIR OWN SAKE, WHICH IS THE LOVE OF SELF.
• =2= THE USE OF POSSESSIONS AS A TRUST FROM GOD FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS AND FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
• IN LIGHT OF THE CENTRAL TRUTH, WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAYS WE SHOULD MAKE FRIENDS BY USING THE MONEY OF THIS WORLD? (9)
• JESUS MEANS THAT WE ARE TO USE THE MATERIAL WEALTH THAT GOD GIVES US TO MAKE FRIENDS FOR JESUS.
• HOW DO WE DO THAT?
• WE ARE TO GIVE TO OTHERS IN THE NAME OF JESUS WITH THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTIAN LOVE.
• YOUR MATERIAL WEALTH WILL FADE WHEN YOU DIE, BUT THE REWARD FOR YOUR GOOD USE OF IT WILL BE IN HEAVEN FOREVER.
• NOTICE THAT THE “THEY” WHO RECEIVE YOU INTO ETERNITY ARE THOSE WHO BENEFITTED FROM YOUR EARTHLY WEALTH. (9)
• WHAT WAS THE REACTION TO THE PARABLE? (14,15)
• THE PHARISEES LAUGHED AT HIM
• IT SAYS THAT THE PHARISEES WERE COVETOUS. THE WORD LITERALLY MEANS = LOVERS OF MONEY.
• WHAT IS THE KINGDOM PRINCIPLE IN THIS PARABLE? (10)
• THE PERSON THAT IS FAITHFUL IN A LITTLE, WILL BE FAITHFUL IN MUCH.
• THE PERSON THAT WILL CHEAT IN A LITTLE, WILL CHEAT IN MUCH.
• THEREFORE, FAITHFULNESS IS THE BASIS OF REWARD IN HEAVEN.
• WHAT ARE THE TRUE RICHES MENTIONED IN VERSE 11?
• THE TRUE RICHES OF GOD ARE SPIRITUAL WISDOM AND SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE SEED AND THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS (LUK 17:7-10)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANWERS TO HOMEWORK QUESTIONS TO THETEACHER FOR CORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS STEWARD (LUK 16:1-13)
• WHAT CHANGES DO YOU NEED TO MAKE IN YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD POSSESSIONS AND WEALTH?
• WHAT CHANGES DO YOU NEED TO MAKE IN YOUR USE OF YOUR BLESSINGS FROM GOD?
• YOUR MATERIAL BLESSINGS?

• YOUR SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS?

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE SEED AND THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS (LUK 17:7-10)
• READ LUK 17:1-10 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• IF YOU HAVE THEM, READ YOUR NOTES FROM LESSON #37, ABOUT THE PARABLE OF THE GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED (MAT 17:19-21)
• THE USE OF THE MUSTARD SEED TO INDICATE SOMETHING QUITE SMALL WAS A COMMON METAPHOR. A SEED CONTAINS LIFE AND GROWTH POTENTIAL.
• WHO DOES THE SERVANT REPRESENT? (7)
• FOR BACKGROUND, READ EXO 21:1-6 AND ROM 1:1

• GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD SERVANT OR A SLAVE? 

• WHO DOES THE MASTER (IMPLIED IN THE PARABLE) REPRESENT?

• WHAT DOES THE “PLOUGHING AND FEEDING CATTLE” REPRESENT IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE? (7)
• READ 1PET 5:2 AND ACT 20:28

• WHY ARE WE ALL “UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS”? (10)

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?

• MEMORY VERSE: 1COR 3:8