Question: Would you please comment on Luke 16:8-9?
Answer: Luke 16:9, was the subject of a previous question and was discussed at an earlier time in this column so I will not take time and space to rehearse it here again. But I will comment to the best of my ability and understanding on Luke 16:8, which reads thus: “And the Lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.”
Now it must be evident unto all that any scripture must be interpreted and discussed within the scope of its setting and context in order to be properly understood. Jesus is by no means teaching here that the children of light should take the world’s management of its affairs, business, and manner of life as a pattern of their own just because the world’s wisdom exceeds that of the saints. The last half of the first chapter of I Corinthians draws a clear distinction between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of men of the world. I will insert a few verses here. “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men;…For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise;…” I Corinthians 1:19-27. And I Corinthians 1:30, says that Christ, “…is made unto us wisdom,….” He is the source of all true wisdom.
And again, James draws a striking comparison between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God in James 3:13-17. Verses 14 and 15 say, “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” Verse 17 says, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
The book of Psalms opens with this statement, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,…” There may be intellectual giants in the world, and there most certainly are, but some of them are ungodly men and their counsel would not do to follow. I Corinthians 2:14, says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” The “natural man” is the fleshly, carnal, unregenerate man and Paul says in Romans 8:5, “…They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;…” They are of the flesh and they think and speak in terms of the flesh which corresponds to the wisdom which James describes in James 3:15, as being “earthly, sensual, devilish.” These people are very versed in worldly matters and the things of this present life and are able to give good counsel in this area, but as to the things and course in life which will lead to peace with God and bring His blessings into your life and eternal life in the end, they know very little or maybe nothing. They may give good advice in things pertaining to the world and this present life, but confront them with some of the plain wisdom of God in the Scriptures and they will guffaw at you and tell you that in this enlightened age we are smarter than that and have better ways of handling these matters and that those things just simply do not work out to the best advantage.
In II Timothy 3:15, Paul says that the holy Scriptures “…are able to make thee wise unto salvation…” This should be the desire and purpose of heart of every humble child of God to be made wise unto salvation. In verses 16 and 17 we are told that in the holy Scriptures is everything necessary to perfect us in Christ and thoroughly furnish us unto every good work. The child of God has the Scriptures to instruct him and the Holy Spirit to guide him and teach him, and that is the place I would advise him to go for all of his instructions in all his affairs of life. God has placed in the Church certain God-called, God-gifted, God-qualified, Spirit filled men (ministers and established saints) who are skilled in interpreting scriptures and scriptural principles which would apply to any situation in life. My advice would be to all the saints to seek to this source to be directed in your affairs of life (any or all of them) rather than seeking guidance from worldly wise men.
The apostle Paul urged this idea in rather strong language in the 6th chapter of I Corinthians This was in regard to saints going to law with saints. In I Corinthians 6:5-6 he says, “I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.” In other words, they were using the world’s method instead of God’s method of settling differences. While this particular case involves the matter of going to law to settle disputes, the principle would cover any case where counsel and guidance are needed. In James 1:5, we read, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
This all points to the fact that God has His own provisions for all the affairs in the lives of the saints. The Church of God is self-contained and every provision for regulating the lives and affairs of the saints is in it. The Psalmist said concerning Zion, “…All my springs are in thee.” (Psalm 87:7.) I promise that all who will observe this principle of truth will prosper more spiritually, materially, and physically.
Now, let’s return to the text presented in the question. Referring to the premise we’ve already laid down that a text must be interpreted and discussed within the scope of its setting and context, let us go on from here. The verses, leading up to this statement Jesus made in Luke 16:8, were regarding a steward who was being dismissed from his stewardship because he had wasted his master’s goods. When he learned he was to be dismissed, he called in his master’s debtors and discounted every man’s bill. His objective was to lay a foundation and prepare the way for these men to favor him and take care of him when he was put out of his stewardship. Jesus commended him because he had done wisely. He did not commend him for being unjust and dishonest. He did not commend him for his embezzlement. It is such absurdities as these we run into when we try to extend a scripture beyond its proper use or to interpret a text totally in every detail that is being used for a specified purpose and to illustrate a particular point such as this text is. What Jesus commended this man for was that he looked ahead and made provisions for his future. The lesson He is teaching us here and which is brought out in a few verses following this one, is that while we are living in this life we should be looking ahead to the end of life and so ordering all of our affairs in every phase and area of our lives so as to make our calling and election sure with God and secure us a place in the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The lesson of this particular text is for us to follow this man’s pattern in so managing all of our affairs to assure us a place in God’s heavenly kingdom and nothing else.
