Thematic Selections from the Bible

The parable of the shrewd manger is a very confusing one for many people. Why is it that the master commended his manager even though he was dishonest? Well, firstly, let’s take a look at the context in which this was being written. This parable was told in front of Pharisees who felt that wealth equated to status, and showed how much God was pleased/blessing his people. Jesus, on the other hand, showed the irony of how even a dishonest manager could make use of wealth to ‘bless’ others, and in so doing ‘gain friends for’ himself. On the other hand, ‘people of the light’ horded money for themselves, and did not use money effectively. Through this passage, Jesus was trying to show that money was meant to be used simply as tool, and not kept to show one’s status or degree of blessings.

Jesus was not condoning the dishonesty of the manager. In no way did he express that this was the right thing to do. However, what he was expressing was the fact that we, too, should learn to use money to ‘gain friends for yourselves’. If money can bring a person to Christ, then we will be storing up riches in heaven, and will be ‘welcomed into eternal dwellings’ when it is gone.

Lk 16:1-8

1 And he said also unto the disciples, There was a certain rich man, who had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he was wasting his goods.

2 And he called him, and said unto him, What is this that I hear of thee? render the account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward.

3 And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to dig; to beg I am ashamed.

4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

5 And calling to him each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

6 And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bond, and sit down quickly and write fifty.

7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. He saith unto him, Take thy bond, and write fourscore.

8 And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light.