The Shrewd Manager | Luke 16:1-15

 

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
Luke 16.1-15

1. Start with the parable – verses 1-8a 
2. Please bear in mind that, generally speaking, a parable is told to make a key point. What do you think that may be?
3. There are aspects of this parable that are very specifically grounded in the culture of Jesus day. What do you think some of them might be? e.g., Lending with interest was forbidden so people just marked up the price of goods.
4. The manager acted shrewdly. How is this an example of what Jesus talks about in 16.8b?
5. Verse 9 has often been misunderstood or mis translated. This is how Tom Wright puts it. ‘So let me tell you this: use that dishonest stuff called money to make friends! Then, when it gives out, they will welcome you into homes that will last’.
6. Can we buy our way into heaven?
7. How do you understand what Jesus is trying to say in verses 10-12?
8. There is a big principle here in verse 13. How do we apply that personally and where have we seen this play out?
9. Do verses 14 and 15 bring out what’s going on here?
10. In your life how can the love of money become a problem? Is money the problem or what we do with it?
11. How could all of this apply to us as a faith community?