Episode 251 — Luke 16:1–13 — Handling True Riches

Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast, I’m Nick and it’s an honor to be here with you today.
Today is September 15.
Each day, we follow a simple rhythm: Slow Down, Read, Notice, Reread, Meditate, Respond, and Exercise.
Let’s begin.


Slow Down
Jesus is here. He’s sitting in your favorite spot, waiting for you to join Him.
You may have a million things on your mind, but for these few moments, set them aside. Relax. Calm your body.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, then slowly release it.
As you inhale, whisper: “Jesus, help me to be faithful.” 
As you exhale, pray: “With the resources I have.” 
Do this three times, then rest in His presence.

Read
He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 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. “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” 
(Luke 16:1–13, NLT)

Notice
What hits you most?
Is there a phrase that jumps out to you?
Hold that phrase gently before the Lord.

Reread
Hear this passage again and pay attention to the contrast between unrighteous wealth and true riches.
  
Meditate
This is one of Jesus's most confusing parables. He tells the story of a dishonest manager who's about to be fired, so he quickly reduces his master's debtors' bills to make friends for himself. And then—shockingly—the master commends him for his shrewdness.
Wait, what? Jesus is praising dishonesty?
No. Jesus is making a point about priorities and perspective. He's saying: The sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.
In other words, people who live for money are willing to be strategic, creative, and intentional about securing their future. They understand what matters to them and they act accordingly. Meanwhile, followers of Jesus often drift along, passive and uncommitted about spiritual matters.
Jesus isn't endorsing the manager's dishonesty. He's challenging us to have that same intentionality—but directed toward eternal things instead of temporal ones.
Then He drives it home with a series of statements that cut to the heart:
"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much."
How we handle money—how we handle the small, material things—reveals our character. It shows what we actually value. It shows whether we can be trusted.
"If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?"
This is the pivot. Money isn't the true riches. Money is temporary, unrighteous wealth. The true riches are spiritual—intimacy with God, transformation of character, eternal impact, spiritual authority.
And Jesus is saying: If you can't be faithful with money, why would I trust you with spiritual authority? If you can't steward the temporary, how can I entrust you with the eternal?
Then comes the final statement: "You cannot serve God and money."
Not "You shouldn't." Not "It's hard to." You cannot. It's impossible. You can't have two masters. One will win. One will lose. Either money will be your god, or Jesus will be.
Here's what should land: How you handle money isn't a side issue. It's a spiritual issue. It reveals who your master actually is.
Take a few moments to reflect on this question:
If Jesus looked at how I handle money, would He say I'm faithful in a very little? Or would He see someone divided, trying to serve two masters?

Respond
Jesus, I want to handle money the way You've called me to. I want to be faithful in the little things so You can trust me with the true riches. Help me see money as a tool for Your kingdom, not as security for myself. Make me shrewd for eternity, not just for today.

Exercise
The rush of life will meet you again when you leave this sacred place—but you can carry this moment into your day by forming new habits.
Habit: Follow the Money 
Today's habit is an act of honest stewardship.
Jesus said we can't serve two masters. So today, you're going to look at your finances and see who's actually winning.
Spend 15–20 minutes on this exercise:
Part 1: Track Your Spending Look at your spending from the last month. Where does your money actually go? (Not where you think it goes—where it actually goes.)
Write down the top 5–10 categories. Be honest.
Part 2: What Does It Reveal? Now ask yourself: What do these spending patterns reveal about what I actually value? What's my master?
Is it comfort? Security? Status? Entertainment? Experiences? Generosity? Growth? Spiritual investment?
Part 3: One Change Finally, identify one spending pattern that doesn't align with serving Jesus as your master. One thing you're spending on that's pulling you away from faithfulness.
Make one deliberate change this week. It doesn't have to be dramatic. It could be:
Redirecting $20/month to a cause that matters to God
Cutting back on one subscription and using that money for generosity
Choosing experiences with people over material purchases
Setting a boundary on impulse spending
Before you make the change, pray: "Jesus, I'm choosing to be faithful in this small thing. I'm choosing You over money. Help me steward what You've given me with wisdom and generosity."
Faithfulness in the little things opens the door to true riches.

I have two asks of you before you go, could you please share this podcast with one person today and check out the review of this podcast on Elevate Society?
That’s your two minutes with Jesus for today.
Now, take what you’ve heard…share it and live it.
Until next time, keep slowing down, keep listening, and keep walking with Jesus.