Parable of the Unjust Steward

The following study was not written to address any particular issue concerning the Family, with the exception of the almost complete lack of Bible study that is a Family characteristic. It is therefore posted here as an example of how to study, rather than an exposition of Family doctrines.

Luke 16:1-8 (NASB)

16:1 Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and this steward was reported to him as squandering his possessions. 2 “And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ 3 “And the steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 ‘I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the stewardship, they will receive me into their homes.’ 5 “And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 “Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 “And his master praised the unrighteous steward because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.

Genre

This is a ‘true parable’ containing characters, a plot and a conclusion. It is not allegorical, as Jesus does not ascribe any particular meaning to any of the characters in the story. In fact, much of the difficulty with this parable may lie in an over-eagerness to find specific meaning within the details. As a parable, it is a self-contained story, designed to illustrate a point. It does not contain explicit doctrinal teaching, it illustrates a point Jesus felt needed to be made. As a parable, its intent is to “call for a response” through the ‘shock value’ of the unexpected turn of events following the identification of the audience with key figures in the story. In other words, this is a story about everyday life in first century Palestine with an “unrealistic portion” which brings out the point.

Luke’s purpose

Luke, in his gospel and in the book of Acts, was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write a joyful account of Jesus’ ministry to the poor, the marginalised and the Gentiles. Luke’s theme is that salvation has come for all strata of society, and no one can now be excluded on the basis of their nationality, social caste, wealth, or reputation. Himself a Gentile now accepted into the kingdom of God, Luke delights in exposing the contrast between worldly and true riches, and includes many occasions when the gospel conflicts with the doctrines of the Pharisees, or with contemporary prevailing attitudes. This particular parable teaches by contrast. It shows that not only can the gospel be accepted by members of every caste, it can also be rejected by any caste due to inappropriate action or priorities. The parable urges its readers to distance themselves from worldly priorities, and to recognise the urgency of accepting true values.

The context

The previous chapter (Luke 15) concludes with the story of the prodigal son, but there is no particular link between the two parables to suggest that Jesus told them both on the same occasion, apart from the fact that they address similar themes. It seems probable that Luke 16 is a complete unit, spoken on one occasion, as the references to ‘unrighteous mammon’, service, and the contrast between worldly priorities and true riches continue throughout. The parable of the unrighteous steward (vs.1-9) is followed by an exhortation on faithfulness and service (vs.10-13), a short digression on the Pharisees and the law (vs.14-18), and then Jesus returns to the theme of worldly priorities contrasted with true riches, with the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (vs. 19-31). The entire chapter addresses a unified theme from different angles, succinctly summarised as “that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15 NASB).

The parable of the unrighteous steward begins in Luke 16:1, but it is unclear where it ends. Most translations include Luke 16:9 as a concluding summary of the parable (NASB, NIV, RSV, NET). The NKJV alone concludes the parable at vs.8 and uses vs.9 as a prefix to the following section on faithfulness and money.

“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9 NASB).

The references to ‘make friends’, the ‘mammon of unrighteousness’ and ‘receive you’ into ‘dwellings’ in vs.9 strongly echo key terms in the parable in vs.1-8. Moreover, the ‘mammon of unrighteousness’ is again echoed in verse 11, which seems to indicate the unity of the entire passage from vs.1-13. This means it is important to interpret the parable in light of the plain teaching which followed it, and which it probably illustrated.

The audience

The audience is identified as the disciples in vs.1, and includes Pharisees in vs.14. An understanding of these listeners and their reaction to this parable is as important in its exegesis as are the details of the plot, due the nature of the ‘shock value’ in parables. In other words, as the main point of many parables was taught by the surprising ending, it is important to pinpoint exactly what would have been surprising to Jesus’ original audience.

The disciples came from a varied background: Matthew may have been quite well off, while the fishermen may have been poor. They all, however, could relate to the situation in the parable and were familiar with the problems of debt and corruption. The Pharisees in the audience, on the other hand, are specifically identified as ‘lovers of money’ (vs.14). Jesus told them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men” (Luke 16:14). For them, two things were essential: the accumulation of wealth and their reputation. Two chapters later, Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, directing it specifically at ‘people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous’ (Luke 18:9-14). It is likely that the Pharisees initially found a reference point in the rich man.

The characters

Like many of the other parables, this one is based on a ‘triadic structure’ comprising the master, the steward, and the debtors.

There are two main characters, the steward, who may have been a trained slave (NET Bible, footnote to Luke 16:1), and his master, as well as two debtors and an unnamed accuser of the steward. The steward was ‘shrewd’: the Greek word (NT:5429) means “mindful of one’s interests” (Thayer). He was a ‘manager’ (NT:3623) which means “the manager of a farm or landed estate, an overseer (whether free-born, or, as was usually the case, a freed-man or slave)” (ibid.). He had an important position and was responsible for large amounts of money and property. The master was very wealthy, and apparently dealt in agricultural products (oil and wheat are mentioned), but no further details are given.

The debtors owed large amounts of money to the rich man. They obviously could not pay, and had not made any payments for some time, as the steward was unsure of the exact amount of each debt. While there does not appear to be any urgency in the repayments in this case, the position of a debtor in ancient times was precarious. In another parable, Jesus told of a debtor who was himself sold, together with his wife and children, in order to repay the debt (Matt 18:25).

The story

The parable begins with the discovery that the steward had been squandering his master’s possessions. The steward, upon realising that his wastefulness had been uncovered, immediately began ingratiating himself with his master’s debtors, in the hope of finding new employment. He therefore privately renegotiated the deals the debtors had made with his master, reducing the debt by 50% in one instance, and 20% in the next. The amounts defrauded from the master are considerably large. Jesus does not explain how the steward’s plan was uncovered, for the next verse shows the steward standing before the master, who has apparently become fully aware of the situation. The master commended the steward, and at this point the story suddenly stops. Jesus wraps up his message with a short application, and turns his attention to other, related matters.

Audience reaction

Prior to the master’s commendation of the steward, Jesus’ audience could probably relate to the situation on several levels. They were familiar with the agricultural realities of financial managers, debt, and the hardships of repayments. Listeners from lower socio-economic backgrounds might have been somewhat lacking in sympathy for the rich man, who could probably have afforded the loss of his property without suffering hardship: “Maybe he deserved it!” Listeners who were more well-off may have identified, at least partially, with the rich man, and so felt indignant at the steward’s craftiness, incurring, as it did, such a large loss to his master. Listeners who were themselves in debt may have wishfully imagined the reduction of their own debt, in a similar fashion to people who imagine themselves winning the lottery.

Most, if not all, the audience probably expected some form of punishment for the steward, but Jesus deliberately shocked all His listeners (and modern readers alike) with the punch line: the steward was actually praised for his actions by the very man he had cheated! He was not even reprimanded! It is easy to imagine the shock and confusion that resulted from such a punch line; similar confusion exists today over the meaning of this parable. Rich and poor alike were probably surprised and puzzled as to why the steward was commended rather than punished.

A second jolt follows hard upon the first, for Jesus then dismisses all the characters as “sons of this age” (“people of this world” NIV). Suddenly, many in the audience found themselves identifying with a ‘worldly person’, shrewd and cunning, in opposition to the “sons of light”. In fact, it almost appears as if Jesus had deliberately trapped them into identifying with the characters before the punch line. He knew they were “lovers of money” (vs.14) and wished to show clearly that “that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15 NASB).

Meaning of the parable

There are several possible ‘messages’ that this parable may be illustrating. In the first place, a case may be made that this parable is an introduction to the following teaching on wealth and faithfulness. If so, then as that section focuses on personal priorities, the parable may broach a similar topic. In vs.9-15, Jesus does not condemn the possession of wealth per se, but He firmly positions it in its proper place in respect to the ‘true riches’: “If you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? (Luke 16:11 NASB). His point is that if people place so much emphasis on the personal acquisition of wealth, how much more should they seek the Kingdom of God!

Therefore, if the parable was intended as an illustration of these principles, then the dishonest steward was commended (by one of his ‘own kind’, not by Jesus, vs.8) because of the action he took in pursuit of his goals. How much more, Jesus appears to be saying, should the ‘sons of light’ take action in pursuing the true riches of the Kingdom of God! The ‘sons of this age’ actively prepare ahead according to their worldly priorities, and so those who consider themselves ‘sons of light’ should even more actively prepare ahead according to godly priorities. A footnote to the parable in the NET Bible states “The point is that those of the world often think ahead about consequences better than the righteous do”. In other words, “worldlings … are often more consistent and more persistent in obtaining their goals than Christians” (Stedman). So, Jesus may have been teaching the importance of forward preparation while cautioning His hearers to retain godly values.

A second possible message comes from treating the parable as being explained by Jesus’ commentary in vs.8-9, which means the exhortation in vs.10-13 is a new, although related, topic. Doing this shifts the focus somewhat to the desperation felt by the steward as he saw his judgement approaching. The intention, then, may have been to induce a similar urgency in Jesus’ audience regarding their own impending judgement should they not enter into the Kingdom of God. Jesus told other such parables illustrating the pointlessness of preparing for a material future, without taking regard for the possibility of an unexpectedly early judgement (as for example, the parable of the rich fool, Luke 12:16-21). In this case, the message is that “the urgency of the hour demands action” (Fee & Stuart).

Another possible message may be drawn from the impact on the audience when Jesus combined each of the characters into one group, the ‘sons of this age’. The Greek phrase ‘sons of this age’ (NT:5207 & 165) means “men controlled by the thoughts and pursuits of this present time, conformably to the age to which this (wicked) world belongs” (Thayer). Regardless of their socio-economic status, the steward, the master and the debtors were all the “people of this world” (NIV). They were all “of their own kind”. This word (NT:1074) means “metaphorically, a race of men very like each other in endowments, pursuits, character; and especially in a bad sense, a perverse race” (Thayer). This grouping of the master, the steward and the debtors as one kind may have produced considerable discomfort in any listeners who had been unconsciously identifying themselves with one or more of the characters in the story. Jesus dismisses all as ‘worldly people’ which forces His listeners to consider alternate reference points. If they were not to come under the designation of ‘worldly people’ they would have to look for a contrast between themselves and the characters in the story, rather than an identification. In fact, it almost appears as if Jesus deliberately drew His audience into the ‘trap’ of identifying with one or more of the characters. In that case, His intention may have been to point out the ease with which people assume a worldly perspective. He wished to begin His exhortations on wealth with an audience trying to distance themselves from worldly attitudes. With the parable, He effectively spurred His listeners into actively reassessing their priorities, and shunning corrupt practices.

Other meanings may be brought out through treating Luke 16:9 as the summary to the parable. For example, the LB paraphrases Luke 16:9, interpreting Jesus’ words as an ironic question: “But shall I tell you to act that way, to buy friendship through cheating? Will this ensure your entry into an everlasting home in heaven?” In this case, the message is one of condemnation of unscrupulous financial practices.

The NLT also has a paraphrase “I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven.” The message here is that believers should be generous.

Conclusion

This parable is not allegorical, although the characters are portrayed as representatives of the people of this world, in contrast to the ‘people of the light’. Jesus shocked his audience with the commendation one of His characters bestowed on another character and shocked them again with His dismissal of all the characters as ungodly people, thereby forcing His listeners to step outside the story and rapidly reassess their own priorities.

In the first place, Jesus probably intended that His audience take notice of the decisive foresight and urgency with which the dishonest steward acted. Secondly, they were to note the difference between the “sons of this age” and the “sons of light”. They were then to distance themselves from worldly principles and act with similar foresight and urgency to secure their own entrance into the kingdom of God, and to discontinue those actions characteristic of the world. This was admirable preparation for the following passage where Jesus focussed on the love of wealth.

The principles of separation from the world, foresight and action are timeless. These are the messages which remain relevant and applicable today, regardless of the historical difference between the New Testament world and these modern times. Modern believers should therefore assess their own action and foresight in matters pertaining to the kingdom of God, especially before assessing their financial situation. It is interesting to note that a few chapters later, Luke tells the story of Zaccheus, who when confronted with his own worldliness, took immediate, generous action and then was assured by Jesus of his acceptance into the kingdom of God (Luke 19:1-10). Action, said Jesus to his contemporary hearers, was necessary. This parable proclaims to modern believers that action is still necessary.

References

Fee, GD & Stuart, D 2002, How to Read the Bible Book by Book, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids MI.

Fee, GD & Stuart, D 2003, How to Read the Bible for All its Worth (Third Edition), Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids MI.

Klein, WW, Blomberg, CL, & Hubbard, RL 2004, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN.

Stedman, RC 1995, Get Smart with Money!, Discovery Publishing, Palo Alto, CA. http://www.pbc.org/library/files/html/0378.html

Thayer, JH 2003, Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, Biblesoft, Seattle, WA.

The Holy Bible: The NET Bible (NET) 2005, Biblical Studies Press, Dallas, TX. http://www.bible.org/netbible/

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