Luke 16

The Church I attended today preached out of Luke 16. I find that my understanding of this passage is far different than how they understand it. The position of this passage seems quite clear - Christ rebukes the Pharisees for their love of money. These men are so enwrapped with themselves that they press into the Kingdom of God their own vices and guile. Christ says that God's word stands and will not pass away even to the small law. Of course this chapter is added to enforce the truth that Christ is the Perfector of the Law. He has done what no man has done.
If one wants to consider the whole Chapter it is that we are called to be faithful stewards of God's word. Teachers and Pastors have a greater responsibility to preach the whole counsel of God. As Calvin says this has less to do with our life and more to do with our doctrine.

 "And the master commended the unjust steward Here it is obvious that if we were to attempt to find a meaning for every minute circumstance, we would act absurdly. To make donations out of what belongs to another man, is an action which is very far from deserving applause; and who would patiently endure that an unprincipled villain should rob him of his property, and give it away according to his own fancy? It were indeed the grossest stupidity, if that man who beheld a portion of his substance taken away, should commend the person who stole the remainder of it and bestowed it on others. But Christ only meant what he adds a little afterwards, that ungodly and worldly men are more industrious and skillful in conducting the affairs of this fading life, than the children of God are anxious to obtain the heavenly and eternal life, or careful to make it the subject of their study and meditation.
By this comparison he charges us with highly criminal indifference, in not providing for the future, with at least as much earnestness as ungodly men display by attending to their own interests in this world. How disgraceful is it that the children of light, whom God enlightens by his Spirit and word, should slumber and neglect the hope of eternal blessedness held out to them, while worldly men are so eagerly bent on their own accommodations, and so provident and sagacious! Hence we infer, that our Lord does not intend to compare the wisdom of the Spirit to the wisdom of the flesh, (which could not have been done without pouring contempt on God himself,) but only to arouse believers to consider more attentively what belongs to the future life, and not to shut their eyes against the light of the Gospel, when they perceive that even the blind, amidst their darkness, see more clearly. And, indeed, the children of light ought to be more powerfully excited, when they behold the children of this world making provision against a distant period, for a life which is fading, and which passes in a moment" - John Calvin, Commentary on Luke 16:8


"by 'mammon' are designed riches, wealth, and substance; (See Gill on Matthew 6:24) and is called 'mammon of unrighteousness', because such wealth is often unrighteously detained, and is not made use of to right and good purposes, by the owners of it; or because, generally speaking, it is possessed by unrighteous men; and, for the most part, used in an unrighteous manner, in luxury, pride and intemperance, and is the root, instrument, and means of such unrighteousness: or it maybe rendered 'mammon of hurt', or 'hurtful mammon'; as it often is to those who are over anxious and desirous of it, or other disuse or misuse of it: or, as best of all, 'mammon of falsehood', or 'deceitful mammon'; so in the Targum ^F23, frequent mention is made of (rqvd Nwmm) , 'mammon of falsity'; and stands opposed to "true riches" in ( Luke 16:10 ) for worldly riches are very empty and fallacious; wherefore deceitfulness is ascribed to them; and they are called uncertain riches, which are not to be depended upon. ( Matthew 13:22 ) ( 1 Timothy 6:17 ) unless it should be rather thought that it is so called, because gotten in an unrighteous way; as it was by Zacchaeus, and might be by Matthew, one of the disciples, Christ now speaks to, and the publicans and sinners, who were lately become his followers, and whom he advises, as the highest piece of wisdom and prudence, to dispose of in such a manner, as of it to 'make' themselves 'friends'; not God, Father, Son, and Spirit. These indeed are friends to the saints, but they are not made so by money; reconciliation and redemption are not procured this way; nor is the favour of the judge to be got by such means; the only means of reconciliation, are the blood and death of Christ; though indeed acts of beneficence, rightly performed, are well pleasing to God: nor are the angels meant, who are very friendly to all good men; nor rich men, to whom riches are not to be given, ( Proverbs 22:16 ) but rather riches themselves, which, if not rightly used, and so made friends of, will cry, and be a witness against the owners of them, ( James 5:1-3 ) though it may be the poor saints are intended; who by their prayers are capable of doing either a great deal of hurt, or a great deal of good; and it is the interest of rich men to make them their friends:" John Gill, Commentary

Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters