1 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. 2 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. 3 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. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. 10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own? (Luke 16:1-13 KJV)
The Parable of the Dishonest Manager
We are mistaken if we think that the purpose of Christ’s teaching and holy religion is to amuse us with ideas about divine mysteries or to entertain us with talk of divine mercy. The gospel reveals both to stir us to practice Christian duties—especially kindness and doing good to those in need. Jesus emphasizes this by reminding us that we are stewards of God’s blessings. Since we’ve often been unfaithful and forfeited our Lord’s favor, it’s wise to consider how we can put what we have to good use.
Parables shouldn’t be stretched beyond their intended meaning, so we shouldn’t assume that anyone can help us if we’re under the Lord’s displeasure. But we should understand that we must use our resources for piety and charity so we may meet them again with joy after death. If we would act wisely, we must be as diligent in doing good with our wealth as worldly people are in using theirs for temporal gain.
Let us consider the parable itself, in which all people are represented as stewards of what they have in this world. Whatever we possess ultimately belongs to God; we are only entrusted with it to use according to his will and for his glory. Rabbi Kimchi, quoted by Dr. Lightfoot, says: “This world is a house; heaven the roof; the stars the lights; the earth, with its fruits, a table spread; the Master of the house is the holy and blessed God; man is the steward, into whose hands the goods of this house are delivered; if he behaves well, he shall find favor in the eyes of his Lord; if not, he shall be turned out of his stewardship.”
First, we see the dishonesty of this steward. He wasted his master’s goods—whether by misuse, carelessness, or negligence. For this, he was accused (Luke 16:1). All of us are similarly guilty; we have misused what God has given us. So, to avoid judgment, we should judge ourselves.
Next, the steward is removed. His master calls him and says, “How is it that I hear this about you? I expected better from you” (Luke 16:2). He must give an account and be dismissed. This reminds us that we will all be discharged from our stewardship. Death ends our opportunity, and others will take our place. This is deserved, for we’ve wasted the Lord’s goods. When our stewardship ends, we must give an account—for after death comes judgment.
Then comes the steward’s reflection. “What shall I do?” he asks (Luke 16:3). It is wise to consider this while there is time. We’ve all been told we’ll soon lose our stewardship; we must think ahead. He must survive—but how? He admits, “I can’t dig.” Not because of age or disability, but laziness. His “can’t” means “won’t.” Spiritually, we can’t save ourselves through earthly labor.
He also says, “To beg I am ashamed.” That’s pride. If providence has made someone dependent, they should not be ashamed to ask for help. He had more reason to be ashamed of cheating than of begging.
He decides to make friends with his master’s debtors—tenants behind on rent. “I’m resolved what to do,” he says (Luke 16:4). “My master is dismissing me. I know his tenants; I’ll do them one more favor. That way, they’ll welcome me into their homes.” He reduces their debts: one who owed 100 measures of oil is told to write 50 (Luke 16:6); another who owed 100 measures of wheat is told to write 80 (Luke 16:7). He hurries them: “Sit down quickly and do it,” before it’s questioned. He likely treated others similarly, adjusting the debt according to what favor he expected.
This shows the uncertainty of worldly possessions—especially when we entrust them to others. It also shows how rare faithful people are. Though punished for dishonesty, he continues in it, showing how hard it is for some to change. Then comes the master’s response: “The lord commended the unjust steward because he had acted wisely” (Luke 16:8). This likely refers to Christ, not praising the fraud, but the foresight. Perhaps the steward also did justice to the tenants by reducing unfair rents. In that sense, it was just and compassionate.
He had once served only his master, but now considered the tenants, hoping for their kindness after his dismissal. Lowering their rent would be a lasting favor. His strategy for future comfort in this world highlights our lack of foresight for eternity. “The children of this world” are often wiser in handling their affairs than “the children of light” are in handling spiritual matters (Luke 16:8).
Worldly people prepare for the future—seizing opportunity, investing wisely. We should imitate this spiritually—making the most of opportunities, trusting what’s lasting, and preparing for eternity. Though we’re told our stewardship will end, we often live as if we’ll never die. Though we know of the world to come, we don’t send our treasures ahead.
Jesus then applies the parable (Luke 16:9): “Make friends for yourselves with the mammon of unrighteousness.” As the steward used his master’s goods to secure future welcome, we should use ours for eternal reward. “Cast your bread upon the waters and you will find it again after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1). Though our possessions are God’s, when we use them to help his people, we honor him and act wisely for ourselves.
Worldly riches are called “the mammon of unrighteousness,” not only because often gained wrongly, but because they deceive those who trust them. Riches are unstable and will fail those who rely on them. Still, though they cannot buy heaven, they can be used to direct our hearts there. By helping the poor and honoring God, we make Christ and the saints our friends and store up favor for the life to come.
At death, we will fail—our comforts will fail. We must be prepared to be received into eternal dwellings—prepared by Christ (2 Corinthians 5:1). Abraham’s bosom is ready for those who gave to the needy. Angels will carry them, and saints will welcome them. This is why we must use our possessions for God’s glory and the good of others—so we lay up a good foundation for eternity (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
If we do not make right use of God’s gifts, how can we expect spiritual blessings? Jesus compares these, showing that while faithful use of earthly things doesn’t earn God’s favor, unfaithfulness may forfeit grace (Luke 16:10-14). The riches of this world are lesser things; grace and glory are greater. If we are unfaithful with worldly things, we will likely also be unfaithful with spiritual riches. Those who serve God and do good with money will do so with grace. But those who waste wealth will not use grace well. God withholds grace from the covetous more than we realize.
Worldly riches are deceitful and uncertain; they vanish quickly. If we do not use them well, how can we expect to be entrusted with true riches? (Luke 16:11). Those who are rich in faith, in God, in Christ, and in the hope of heaven are truly rich. So we must lay up treasure in spiritual things, seek the kingdom of God first, and use temporal blessings in spiritual ways—so we may receive even more grace from God (Ecclesiastes 2:26).
Worldly riches are not truly ours; they belong to God. We merely use them and must leave them behind when we die. But spiritual riches are truly ours. If we make Christ and heaven our own, we possess what can never be taken. But how can we expect this if we are not faithful with the wealth we now hold?
We cannot prove we are God’s servants unless we devote ourselves entirely to him—making worldly gain serve his purposes (Luke 16:13). No one can serve two masters. If someone loves the world, they will end up despising God. But if they love God, they will treat worldly gain as secondary. You cannot serve God and mammon. If we are resolved to serve God, we must reject the world’s service.