What does "when I am removed from management" teach about earthly possessions? Setting the Scene Luke 16:4 records the steward’s private resolve: “I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, people will welcome me into their homes.” Key Observation • The steward does not doubt that his dismissal is certain. • Knowing the end of his stewardship shapes every action he takes in the brief time that remains. Lessons on Earthly Possessions • Temporary Trust – Every possession in our hands is on loan, not owned. – Psalm 24:1 reminds, “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof.” – Like the steward, we manage what ultimately belongs to Another. • Accountability Is Inevitable – Luke 16:2 shows the master calling the steward to “give an account of your management.” – Romans 14:12 echoes this universal principle: “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” • Time-Limited Opportunity – The steward’s looming removal urges swift, purposeful action. – Ephesians 5:16 urges believers to be “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” • Use Possessions for Eternal Friendships – The steward spends earthly resources to secure relationships that outlast his job. – Jesus applies this in Luke 16:9: “Make friends for yourselves by means of worldly wealth, so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings.” – Earthly goods should advance eternal good. • Faithfulness in Small Things – Luke 16:10–11: “Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much… If you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?” – God gauges our fitness for heavenly responsibilities by our conduct with earthly assets. • Priority of the True Master – Luke 16:13: “You cannot serve God and money.” – Possessions reveal loyalties; stewardship demands single-hearted devotion to God. Putting It Together • “When I am removed from management” spotlights life’s brevity and the fleeting nature of material wealth. • Scripture calls believers to treat every possession as a tool for God’s purposes, accountable to Him, with eternity in view. |
    |