The Parable of the Unjust Steward
The Most Difficult of the Parables of Jesus?
The parables of Jesus are among the most powerful teaching tools in all of Scripture. Drawing on the imagery of everyday life in first-century Israel, they convey deep spiritual truth in memorable, accessible form. They appear in the synoptic gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke - but not in John, which presents Christ's teachings through extended discourses and revelation rather than parable. Of all these stories, one stands apart for its difficulty: The Parable of the Unjust Steward. This study examines why it puzzles so many - and what Jesus was actually teaching.
Understanding Parables in General
Jesus often employed parables to veil His teachings. When His disciples asked Him why He spoke to the crowd in parables, Jesus responded,
Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Matthew 13:10-11
We find something similar in the Book of Mark:
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
Mark 4:11
Jesus' parables serve a dual purpose: they reveal spiritual truth to those whom God has given ears to hear, and conceal it from those who have not. This is not a matter of intelligence or education - it is a matter of divine grace. God opens eyes; God closes them. The same event, the same word, the same person can be seen in entirely different ways depending on whether God has granted understanding.
The Bible gives us several vivid examples of this:
Exodus 14:19-20: The same pillar of cloud that gave light to Israel brought darkness to the Egyptians. One object, two utterly different experiences - not because of what the pillar was, but because of what God willed for each group.
2 Kings 6:15-17: Elisha's servant saw only the surrounding enemy army and despaired. Elisha prayed that God would open his eyes - and suddenly the servant saw the mountains filled with horses and chariots of fire. The situation had not changed. God had simply granted him sight to see what was already there.
Luke 24:13-35: The risen Jesus walked with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and they did not recognise Him - not because He was disguised, but because their eyes were holden that they should not know him. (Luke 24:16) It was only when He broke bread that their eyes were opened, and they knew him. (Luke 24:31) Recognition was God's gift, given in His own time.
Acts 9:1-9: On the road to Damascus, Saul was struck down by a blinding light and heard the voice of Jesus. Those travelling with him heard the sound but saw no one. The same moment - radically different experiences. God chose what each person perceived, and Saul alone was called.
The Parable of the Unjust Steward
The Parable of the Unjust Steward (or Shrewd Manager) is found in Luke 16:1-13. This parable presents a complex narrative that challenges conventional moral expectations and invites deeper reflection on the use of worldly resources and the nature of true wisdom and foresight.
Text of the Parable
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. 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.' 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. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, 'How much owest thou unto my lord?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said unto him, 'Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.' Then said he to another, 'And how much owest thou?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said unto him, 'Take thy bill, and write fourscore.' 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. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
- Luke 16:1-13
Analysis
1. Setting and Characters:
The parable involves a rich man and his steward, who is responsible for managing his master's estate. The steward is accused of wasting the master's goods, which puts his position and future security at risk.
2. The Steward's Dilemma:
Faced with the loss of his job and the prospect of a bleak future, the steward devises a plan to secure his well-being. Recognizing his limitations and unwillingness to perform manual labor or beg, he decides to use his current position to gain favor with his master's debtors.
3. The Steward's Plan:
The steward calls in the debtors and reduces their debts. This act would have made the debtors favorably disposed towards him, potentially offering him support or shelter once he is no longer in his position. It's important to note that the steward's actions, while seemingly generous, are driven by self-interest and are executed at his master's expense.
4. The Master's Response:
Surprisingly, the master commends the steward for his shrewdness. This commendation is not for the steward's dishonesty but for his foresight and cleverness in securing his future.
5. Jesus' Commentary:
Jesus uses this story to make a broader point about the use of worldly wealth. He suggests that his followers, the "children of light," could learn from the shrewdness of worldly people in how they manage temporal affairs. The phrase "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness" suggests using worldly resources to secure eternal rewards, possibly implying that material wealth should be used in a way that benefits others and furthers the kingdom of God.
6. Concluding Exhortation:
The parable concludes with a lesson about faithfulness and stewardship. Jesus emphasizes that one who is faithful in little is also faithful in much, and conversely, one who is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in greater ones. The parable ends with the statement, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon," highlighting the ultimate choice between serving God or wealth.
Interpretations
The challenge in this parable lies in its apparent approval of dishonest behavior for personal gain. However, the focus is not on the steward's ethics but on his resourcefulness in the face of crisis. The parable encourages believers to use their resources-however worldly or unrighteous they may seem-in a way that prepares for their future, particularly their eternal future. It's a call to spiritual wisdom, urging believers to be as prudent in their spiritual investments as the people of this world are in their temporal ones.
This parable, like many others, uses a complex narrative to convey deeper spiritual truths, inviting readers to reflect on their use of resources, their foresight in spiritual matters, and their ultimate allegiance to God over material wealth.
"Mammon" is a term that originates from the New Testament, where it is used to describe wealth or material possessions, often with a connotation of something that can exert a corrupting influence or be an object of excessive desire. The word itself is derived from Late Latin 'mammona', which was taken from the Greek 'mamōnas', and ultimately traces back to an Aramaic word meaning "wealth" or "riches". In biblical context, mammon is not just money or material wealth; it represents an idolatrous focus or dependence on wealth as a source of security and value, which can lead to avarice and greed.
The most famous reference to mammon in the Bible is in the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus, found in Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13.
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
- Matthew 6:24
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
- Luke 16:13
In this context, Jesus is teaching about the impossibility of being devoted to both God and wealth, highlighting a fundamental choice between spiritual values and material gain. The use of "mammon" in this passage emphasizes the idea that wealth can become a master or god if it is allowed to dominate one's life, priorities, and values, thereby diverting loyalty and devotion from God.
The verse appears twice in Scripture - in the Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 6:24 ) and immediately following the parable of the unjust steward ( Luke 16:13 ). The repetition is deliberate. In Matthew, the setting is a call to store treasure in heaven rather than on earth, trusting God for provision. In Luke, it is the direct conclusion of this very parable - the punchline, if you will. In both contexts, Jesus is saying the same thing: the heart cannot be divided. You will orient your life around one master or the other. There is no middle ground.
Conclusion
The parable of the Unjust Steward is unsettling precisely because it should be. Jesus is not commending dishonesty - He is confronting us with a question about urgency and allegiance. The steward, facing crisis, acted with total decisiveness to secure his future. Do we bring the same seriousness to our eternal one? The children of this world plan ahead with worldly resources; the children of light are called to invest in what lasts. And at the heart of it all stands the starkest of choices: God or mammon. Not both. Never both.