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)
The core insight here isn't about how to cheat your boss, but about using what you have, even flawed earthly wealth, to secure eternal favor. Jesus is challenging us to be as shrewd and proactive in pursuing heavenly things as worldly people are in pursuing their fleeting gains.
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)
This verse is part of a parable Jesus tells after the Pharisees mock him for associating with tax collectors and sinners. He illustrates the shrewdness of those focused on worldly gain by describing a dishonest steward who, facing dismissal, manipulates his master's accounts to secure future favor from the debtors. Jesus then uses this steward's self-serving foresight as a springboard to challenge his disciples about their own priorities regarding wealth and eternity.
Why does Jesus call earthly wealth 'unrighteous' or 'unjust'?
Jesus uses the term 'mammon of unrighteousness' (or 'unjust wealth') to describe earthly riches. This isn't necessarily saying the wealth was gained illegally, but rather highlighting its nature:
By calling it 'unrighteous,' Jesus is urging us not to place our ultimate trust in it. Instead, he wants us to use this temporary, often problematic resource wisely.
How can spending money today lead to future rewards?
The core idea here is wise stewardship and prioritizing eternal values over temporary ones.
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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 teaching arises directly from Jesus interacting with both his disciples (likely including tax collectors) and the wealthy, covetous Pharisees. The parable serves as a pointed lesson on how to use earthly resources wisely for eternal gain, directly contrasting with the Pharisees' materialistic values.
c. 30-33 AD— this verse
Jesus Teaches Disciples
Jesus teaches his disciples, including many who were likely publicans (tax collectors), a group often associated with wealth and potentially questionable practices.
c. 30-33 AD
Parable of the Unjust Steward
Jesus tells the parable of a shrewd but dishonest steward who uses his master's resources to secure future favor, illustrating a principle for disciples.
c. 30-33 AD
Pharisees Mock Jesus
Covetous Pharisees, who hear Jesus' teachings on wealth and stewardship, mock him, revealing their materialistic values and opposition to Jesus' message.
This verse highlights God's direct observation and repayment for acts of kindness, especially toward the poor, aligning with the idea that charitable deeds have eternal consequences.
Matthew 6:19-21Jesus directly contrasts earthly treasures with heavenly ones, urging believers to store up treasures in heaven, which directly echoes the parable's call to use earthly resources for eternal gain.
1 Timothy 6:17-19This passage instructs the wealthy not to trust in riches but in God, and to be generous and ready to share, reinforcing the theme of using material wealth for eternal purposes rather than relying on its fleeting nature.
Ecclesiastes 11:1-2This text encourages distributing wealth generously, even to multiple recipients, with the acknowledgment that the outcome is uncertain in this life but ultimately rests with God, mirroring the prudence of using wealth wisely for the future.
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…
The core insight here isn't about how to cheat your boss, but about using what you have, even flawed earthly wealth, to secure eternal favor. Jesus is challenging us to be as shrewd and proactive in pursuing heavenly things as worldly people are in pursuing their fleeting gains.
This verse is part of a parable Jesus tells after the Pharisees mock him for associating with tax collectors and sinners. He illustrates the shrewdness of those focused on worldly gain by describing a dishonest steward who, facing dismissal, manipulates his master's accounts to secure future favor from the debtors. Jesus then uses this steward's self-serving foresight as a springboard to challenge his disciples about their own priorities regarding wealth and eternity.
This verse is part of a parable Jesus tells after the Pharisees mock him for associating with tax collectors and sinners. He illustrates the shrewdness of those focused on worldly gain by describing a dishonest steward who, facing dismissal, manipulates his master's accounts to secure future favor from the debtors. Jesus then uses this steward's self-serving foresight as a springboard to challenge his disciples about their own priorities regarding wealth and 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." — The core insight here isn't about how to cheat your boss, but about using what you have, even flawed earthly wealth, to secure eternal favor. Jesus is challenging us to be as shrewd and proactive i…
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Last reviewed October 2026