Luke 16:9
And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse is a call to use our current resources, even those that feel "unrighteous" or unreliable, to build relationships that will last. It’s not about the money itself being inherently bad, but about its tendency to lead us astray, and how we can redirect it to create lasting connections for eternity.
This verse follows Jesus' parable of the shrewd manager who, facing dismissal, cleverly reduces the debts of his master's tenants to secure their favor for his future. Jesus then uses this story to illustrate a principle for his disciples, urging them to use their material wealth, which he calls "unrighteous mammon," wisely. The context highlights the temporary nature of earthly riches and contrasts the worldly wisdom of making provision for the future with the spiritual call to secure eternal security.
Why does Jesus call riches 'unrighteous wealth'? It's not just about ill-gotten gains, but about their very nature and how easily they lead us astray.
Jesus uses the term 'mammon of unrighteousness' (or 'unrighteous wealth') here not primarily to condemn how wealth is acquired, but to highlight its inherent nature and the dangers it poses.
The Deceitful Nature of Riches
Jesus isn't saying all wealth is evil, but that it's inherently unstable and prone to leading people away from God. Therefore, we must use it wisely.
The parable's steward made friends to secure his future. How can we do the same, not through fraud, but through wisdom?
Jesus commends the prudence of the unjust steward, not his dishonesty. He used the resources he had – even improperly – to ensure his future well-being when his current position failed.
The Strategy of Generosity
Understand the original words
mamōnās tēs adikias · Greek Noun phrase
Wealth or material possessions, often characterized as 'unrighteous' because of its origin in a fallen world or its potential to corrupt the heart, but which can be used for kingdom purposes.
aiōnioi skēnai · Greek Noun phrase
Refers to the permanent, heavenly home promised to the faithful, contrasting with the temporary nature of earthly existence.
This parable was delivered during Jesus' ministry at a time when he was actively confronting the hypocrisy and greed of the religious elite. The message about using earthly resources wisely for eternal gain was a direct challenge to their priorities.
c. 30-33 AD— this verse
Jesus teaches the Parable of the Unjust Steward
Jesus tells the parable to his disciples, including Pharisees who were present and had mocked him. This parable critiques their love of money and calls for a different use of wealth.
c. 30-33 AD
Pharisees Mock Jesus
The Pharisees, described as covetous, heard Jesus' teachings and ridiculed him. Jesus directly confronts their hypocrisy, stating that God knows their hearts.
c. 40s-60s AD
Luke Compiles the Gospels
Luke gathers accounts and traditions about Jesus' life and teachings, including this parable, to provide an orderly account for his readers.
c. 60-62 AD
Paul Writes to Timothy
Paul writes to Timothy, warning against the love of money and instructing him on true riches, mentioning 'mammon' in a similar context.
This passage speaks to honoring the Lord with our wealth, suggesting that true prosperity and abundance come from a right relationship with God, mirroring the idea of securing 'eternal dwellings' through wise stewardship.
Matthew 6:19-21Jesus directly contrasts earthly treasures with heavenly ones, urging believers to store up treasures in heaven. This directly relates to the Luke passage's theme of using temporary 'unrighteous mammon' to gain lasting rewards.
1 Timothy 6:17-19This text warns against the love of money and encourages the wealthy to do good, be generous, and store up a good foundation for the future. It echoes the parable's call to use riches for eternal benefit rather than relying on their deceitful nature.
Ecclesiastes 11:1-2This passage encourages generous giving, even in uncertain times, stating that it will yield returns. It aligns with the parable's wisdom of investing resources in ways that will bring future security and favor.
calvinLuke 16:1-15: "And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods."
- And he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and he was accused to him that he was wasting his estate. 2. And he called him, and said to him, What is this that I hear of thee? render an account of thy stewardship, for thou shalt no longer have it in thy power to be steward. 3. And the stew…
vincentLuke 16:9: "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."
Make to yourselves friendsCompare Virgil, "Aeneid," vi., 664:. Among the tenants of Elysium he sees "those who, by good desert, made others mindful of them."Of the mammon of unrighteousness (ἐκ τοῦ μαμωνᾶ τῆς ἀδικίας)The same idiom as in Luke 16:8, steward of injustice. Compare unrighteous mammon, Luke 16:11. Mammon should be…
This verse is a call to use our current resources, even those that feel "unrighteous" or unreliable, to build relationships that will last. It’s not about the money itself being inherently bad, but about its tendency to lead us astray, and how we can redirect it to create lasting connections for eternity.
This verse follows Jesus' parable of the shrewd manager who, facing dismissal, cleverly reduces the debts of his master's tenants to secure their favor for his future. Jesus then uses this story to illustrate a principle for his disciples, urging them to use their material wealth, which he calls "unrighteous mammon," wisely. The context highlights the temporary nature of earthly riches and contrasts the worldly wisdom of making provision for the future with the spiritual call to secure eternal security.
This verse follows Jesus' parable of the shrewd manager who, facing dismissal, cleverly reduces the debts of his master's tenants to secure their favor for his future. Jesus then uses this story to illustrate a principle for his disciples, urging them to use their material wealth, which he calls "unrighteous mammon," wisely. The context highlights the temporary nature of earthly riches and contrasts the worldly wisdom of making provision for the future with the spiritual call to secure eternal security.
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The core idea is to transfer the focus from accumulating wealth for ourselves to using it for God's purposes, which involves investing in others and building a legacy of love and mercy that echoes into eternity.
"And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings." — This verse is a call to use our current resources, even those that feel "unrighteous" or unreliable, to build relationships that will last. It’s not about the money itself being inherently bad, but a…
