Four Radical Things Jesus Said About Money: A Look at Some of His Most Puzzling ParablesSample

The parable we looked at yesterday illustrated the counterintuitive idea that your money is not yours. You manage it during your lifetime, but ultimately, your money will outlive you. 

Jesus reiterates that point in the way he sets up today’s parable. The master (who represents God) owns the money. The servants (who represent us) are merely entrusted with it for a period of time. Eventually, the money goes back to the master, and—here is where Jesus introduces a new idea—the servants are held responsible and accountable for what they did with the money while they had it. 

Some of us feel accountable to our spouse or children as it relates to how we handle our money, since they are influenced by our decisions. Some of us are responsible for others’ finances because we manage family accounts or company funds. But how many of us feel financially responsible and accountable to God?

What might change if we did?

What would you prioritize financially if you thought one day you would have to explain yourself to God—if you had to answer these questions: What did you do with what I gave you? What did you make of the opportunities you had? What meaningful things did you do with the money you’ve been managing? 

For many of us, the first step toward worthy answers to those questions is simply knowing where God’s money is going. We haven’t felt responsible or accountable, so we’ve simply lost track. Let’s change that. 

Open your account statements and look. You might find yourself asking: How could one person eat that much money? How could one person wear that much money? How could one person spend that much money?

Then, come back as we look at one more parable. Jesus uses an unlikely character and an unexpected twist to introduce an idea that may change how you spend, save, and see your money for good.