In this post, we dive deep into the Parable of the Unjust Steward (also called the Parable of the Shrewd Manager) in Luke 16:1-13, one of Jesus's most controversial and thought-provoking teachings. While it may initially appear to commend immorality, understanding its true meaning reveals 5 life-changing lessons that challenge us to live with a sense of eternal responsibility and faithful stewardship. Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way or watch the accompanying sermon to learn the important lessons.

https://youtu.be/rXeNjXab5UE

Luke 16:1-13 contains the Parable of the Unjust Steward (or Shrewd Manager), which teaches that money is the foundation of faithfulness.

Table of contentsWas Jesus Applauding Dishonesty Or Doing Something Else?1. The Parable of the Unjust Steward Teaches We Will Give an Account2. The Parable of the Unjust Steward Teaches Us to Prepare for the Future3. The Parable of the Unjust Steward Teaches We Have a Narrow Window of Time to Use Our Master’s Resources4. The Parable of the Unjust Steward Teaches Us to Work Hard5. The Parable of the Unjust Steward Teaches Us to Use Money to Make FriendsPrinciple One: If We Can’t Be Faithful with Money, We Can’t Be Faithful with Much ElsePrinciple Two: Serving God or MoneyWe Must Choose

What could motivate us to be better stewards of our finances than a parable Jesus taught about financial stewardship? The parable of the unjust steward is one of Jesus’s most controversial and confusing teachings because it seems to commend immorality; therefore, please bear with me through the groundwork that explains why this is not the case. Luke 16:1-2 opens the parable of the unjust steward:

[Jesus] said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.”

The manager here is a steward, which is how it’s translated in many Bibles. Stewards don’t own anything. Instead, they’re responsible for someone else’s possessions, which is why this person is called a manager. Stewards were trusted servants because they had full authority over their master’s possessions and could conduct business transactions in the master’s name.

The master thinks the steward is incompetent (“wasting his possessions”) versus dishonest, so he tells the steward he will fire him in the future versus immediately. This mistake allowed the steward to keep control of the master’s assets and rip him off. Luke 16:3-8 records the steward’s thoughts and actions after learning of his termination:

The manager said to himself, “What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.” So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, “How much do you owe my master?” He said, “A hundred measures of oil.” He said to him, “Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.” Then he said to another, “And how much do you owe?” He said, “A hundred measures of wheat.” He said to him, “Take your bill, and write eighty.” The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.

If you ever learned you would lose your job, you would probably immediately start thinking about what to do next. That’s what the steward did, but he found his options unattractive. He was “not strong enough to dig,” perhaps because he was old or disabled, and he was too “ashamed to beg,” perhaps because doing so was beneath him after having held such a prestigious position.

More than likely, the steward lived in his rich master’s house. When he was fired, not only would he lose his job, but he would also lose his pleasant living situation.