Luke 16:1-13 - Managing Temporary Wealth for Eternal Reward

In 1985, Steve Jobs was ousted from the company he had cofounded, Apple Computer. 11 years later he was invited back to rescue the struggling business. If you had invested $1,000 in Apple stock on Feb. 4, 1997, the day that Jobs returned as CEO, today, you would have over $1.3 million. Just for perspective, a similar $1,000 investment in an index fund that replicates the S&P 500 would be worth around $6,000.

Steve Jobs was a genius. But by all accounts, he was also a jerk. Sure, he built the most valuable company on the planet. But as they say, isn't money the root of all evil? 

As we continue on in Luke, Jesus tells a controversial story commonly referred to as the parable of the dishonest manager. We read that by carefully taking advantage of his present situation, the dishonest manager secured a better future for himself. Surprisingly, Jesus complimented the manager. However, he didn’t compliment him for his dishonesty but rather his shrewdness. Jesus taught his disciples that they too were to be shrewd managers of temporal wealth in order to obtain for themselves eternal riches. According to Jesus, it matters how we manage our money now so that we may be truly rich later.