16 December — Luke 16, “Faithful In the Temporary, With Eyes On Eternity”
Hey friends, welcome to December 16th. As we edge toward a new year, Luke 16 hits like a divine audit — parables and a true story challenging us to examine our stewardship. What are we doing with the time, talents, and treasures God has loaned us? Faithful stewardship isn’t just about tithing or budgeting; it’s about eternal perspective. In the coming year, let’s commit to using every temporary gift for eternal impact—being faithful in the little, so God can entrust us with much.
Part 1 – The Unjust Steward: Wise Stewardship in the Temporary (vv. 1-13)
A rich man hears his steward is wasting his goods. He calls him in: “Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.”
The steward, knowing he’s about to be fired, shrewdly reduces the debts of his master’s debtors so they’ll welcome him when he’s out of a job.
The master actually commends him—not for dishonesty, but for shrewdness. Jesus says,
“The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations” (vv. 8-9).
The point? The world is shrewd with temporary things—why aren’t we, as children of light, even shrewder for eternity? Use earthly resources—money, opportunities, relationships—wisely and eternally. Be faithful in the temporary to be trusted with the eternal.
“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much… If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (vv. 10-11).
“No servant can serve two masters… Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (v. 13).
As we step into a new year, let’s apply these stewardship principles:
- Our Finances: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof” (Ps. 24:1). God gives us power to get wealth (Deut. 8:18), but we’re stewards, not owners. In 2026, budget with eternity in mind—give generously, avoid debt traps, and remember, “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6).
- Our Friendships: Like the steward making friends for the future, invest in souls. Share the gospel, disciple others—turn temporary relationships into eternal ones. “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (Dan. 12:3).
- Our Faith: After faith for salvation, faithfulness begins, but it often starts small. Prove trustworthy in daily devotion, integrity at work, kindness to strangers—and God will open doors to greater things. “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16).
Stewardship is worship—serving God, not mammon, with everything He’s given.
Part 2 – The Rich Man and Lazarus: The Eternal Stakes (vv. 19-31)
A rich man lives in luxury—purple, fine linen, feasting every day.
At his gate lies Lazarus, full of sores, craving crumbs, dogs licking his wounds.
Both die. Death is the great equaliser, and like the famous boards in New York and London after the Titanic, “Those known to be saved,” and “Those known to be lost,” all that matters at death is not our wealth, status, or class. It is whether we are saved or lost!
Lazarus is carried by angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man lifts up his eyes in hell, “being in torments.”
He begs Abraham: “Father Abraham, have mercy… send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame” (v. 24).
Abraham answers, “Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed.”
The rich man’s final plea: “Send him to my father’s house… lest they also come into this place of torment” (v. 28).
Abraham’s reply: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them… If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (vv. 29, 31).
Purple and fine linen come to nothing. Daily feasting ends.
Hell is real—conscious, eternal torment. The rich man’s prayer from hell is too late—for himself and his brothers.
As Charles Spurgeon warned: “Think lightly of Hell, and you will think lightly of the cross. Think little of the sufferings of lost souls and you will soon think little of the Saviour who delivers them.”
In a new year full of distractions, don’t waste your stewardship chasing what fades. Hell’s reality should fuel our urgency to live faithfully and share the gospel.
Three truths for the new year:
Be faithful in the little—money, time, influence—because it prepares us for true riches.
Serve God, not mammon—because you can’t do both.
Hear Moses, the prophets, and the One who rose from the dead—while there’s still time.
Friends, this Christmas, while the world chases purple and feasting, remember: one day the gate will close, the gulf will be fixed.
But today, the Saviour who rose from the dead still says, “Come.”
Steward well. Live eternally. Start this new year faithful.
See you tomorrow for Luke 17. Grace and peace! 🙏
