Luke 16:8

That manager was cheating his boss, but his boss thought, ‘This man is a liar and a cheat, but he is smart too. He has done something that will help him get his food later.’” Then Jesus said, “You know, the people that don’t care about God, but only care about the things in this world, they are smart with the things of this world. God’s people are not so smart with the things of this world.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

7Then the manager asked the next man, ‘What did you borrow from my boss?’ That man said, ‘I borrowed 100 bags of flour.’ The manager said, ‘We can change that. Here is the paper that has the numbers on it. I’ll let you change it right now. Make it 80 bags of flour.’

9This is what you can learn from that story. Use your money now to help people that need money, and then later, after you die, and you haven’t got any money, God will say, ‘Good on you. Come and live with me for ever.’”

Read all of Luke 16

Cross References

Luke 16:4What can I do? I know what to do. I will do something to get people to like me, so that after I lose my job, they will look after me, and they will let me live in their homes.’

Luke 18:6Then Jesus said, “That judge was a bad man, but think about what he said to himself. That woman kept on asking him, and in the end, he did the right thing.

Matthew Henry on Luke 16:2-19

The Unjust Steward. 1 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. 2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. 3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Luke 16:8