Luke 16:1–13
The parable of the dishonest manager is preceded by the parable of the prodigal son and followed by the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Interestingly, all three parables have to do with money.
- The prodigal son ends up in a hopeless situation after foolishly squandering the money from his inheritance.
- The dishonest manager is accused of wasting his master’s possessions,
- and the rich man in the parable of Lazarus suffers eternal punishment because he selfishly enjoyed his money without helping the poor man who suffered at his doorstep.
Someone might ask, “Why does Jesus talk so much about money?” Well, it is because people’s true attachment is revealed by what they do with their money and by how they feel when it is time to give.
- Do you remember the rich young ruler, who walked away from Jesus because he was wealthy?
- Do you remember Levi, who left everything and followed Jesus?
- Do you remember the Sermon on the Mount and the wildflowers, which neither labor nor spin?
- Do you remember the camel that tries to pass through the eye of a needle?
- And the widow, who put everything she had into the temple treasury?
These are all accounts of people’s devotion to one thing or another, and their reactions when they met Jesus reveal what is important to them and whom they love — God or mammon.
The Content of the Parable
When we listen to a parable, we must remember that it is a short, invented story, usually ending with an unexpected twist. It is designed to shed light on a particular spiritual truth. Let us see what that truth is.
1 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. (Luke 16:1)
Notice that this manager, or steward (oikonomon), is accused (diaballo) of not doing his job well and of “wasting the possessions” of his master. We do not know whether this accusation is true or not. Further on in the parable Jesus calls this manager “dishonest” because of the actions that follow, but for now we only know that he may simply have been wasteful. This accusation, however, definitely affects the rich man, who is the owner of the estate, and he decides to fire him.
2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ (Luke 16:2)
From the master’s words we can tell that he is prejudiced and has already made up his mind. Regardless of the outcome of the audit he intends to carry out, he has already decided to dismiss this steward of his. Interestingly, the accused says nothing in reply — perhaps he has nothing to say in his own defense, or perhaps his master gives him no chance to defend himself at all.
The moment he is left alone with himself and can think the situation through, the dishonest manager comes to the conclusion that he has only two options:
3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— (Luke 16:3)
Both options, however — hard physical labor and begging — are unacceptable to him. He is too weak to dig and too proud to beg. He has sat in his office his whole life, and now the hoe holds no appeal for him, while begging would be humiliating. And then, suddenly, a brilliant idea comes to him:
4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ (Luke 16:4)
This verse is very important, because it shows that the dishonest manager is thinking about his future. His goal is to secure a safe and comfortable future for himself. His goal is to be welcomed (dexontai) into the houses of his friends, to be fed and cared for after his dismissal. In verse 9, which contains the lesson of the whole parable, a similar expression is used — “you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”
5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ (Luke 16:5–6)
“Sit down quickly, and make it…” — do you sense the urgency in the manager’s words? Because everything is being done in secret, the job has to be done quickly — before the news of the manager’s dismissal has spread into the public sphere.
Keep in mind that a hundred measures, or baths (batos), of oil is more than 3,600 liters — that is, he forgives his master’s debtor not 1 or 2, but more than 1,800 liters of olive oil.
7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ (Luke 16:7)
Here only 20 percent is forgiven, but that is hardly a small amount. A hundred measures, or cors (koros), of wheat is more than 50 cubic meters of grain — that is, he forgives him more than 10 cubic meters of wheat. I do not know how many kilograms that is, but I mention these measures so that you understand that we are dealing here with serious agricultural businessmen, not petty traders.
In addition, Jesus gives only two examples here, but the dishonest manager could surely have gone to many more debtors. Verse 5 says that he “called in each one of his master’s debtors,” meeting with each one separately — so that they could not exchange information among themselves, and each one would think that the manager was doing a favor only for him.
The steward does not try to steal the money and hide it for himself. Unlike the prodigal son, who wanted his father’s inheritance in order to go off to another country and spend it, this man is thinking about the future. He tries to make friends among his master’s debtors while he still has the chance to do so. He hopes that they will return the “favor” when he falls into need. He had good reason to believe they would, because in that culture returning a good deed was obligatory. As we say, “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” Equal repayment stands at the foundation of the ethic of reciprocity. In Luke 14:12 Jesus said to the man who had invited Him to his home:
12 When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. (Luke 14:12)
The surprise in the parable lies in the reaction of the dishonest manager’s master. We would assume that when he discovered the deception, he would grow furious with his manager, curse him, berate him, and take him to court. But instead, in verse 8 we read:
8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. (Luke 16:8)
The manager’s master commends him even though he himself is the one harmed by his manager’s actions. What does he commend him for? Not for his dishonesty, but for his shrewdness, prudence, and foresight. Despite his dishonesty (adikias), he is perceptive and forward-looking (phronimos). This is precisely what is praiseworthy in him. He looks toward the future, sees what is coming, and takes fitting action to achieve the best results.
The Lessons of the Parable
Here the parable ends and Jesus’ commentary begins:
For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. (Luke 16:8)
Jesus, like the manager’s master, does not deny the man’s dishonesty. And yet He too commends him for his shrewdness. Perhaps this parable sounds to you as though Jesus is teaching us that it is more important to be clever than to be honest, but that is not the case!
How Do You Use Your Money and Your Material Possessions?
9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. (Luke 16:9)
What is “worldly wealth”? Here it does not mean wealth gained by dishonest means. Jesus would not tell us to use money earned dishonestly, because that would be sin. “Worldly wealth” (mammon tes adikias) simply means money. “Mammon” is the Aramaic word for money (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). Money can be called “unrighteous” because, on the one hand, it is often used to do evil (worldwide, most of it circulates through corrupt businesses, the stockpiling of weapons, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, pornography, and so on). On the other hand, can money be relied upon? It is so uncertain (it can be stolen, it can lose its value, whatever it is invested in can be swept away by natural disasters… and so on).
The shrewdness of the dishonest manager consists in this: he places the building of good relationships above money. If you have money, it will run out; but if you have true friends — especially if they are believers — they are eternal, because they have eternal life. Jesus knew the evil power hidden in money, but He taught that God’s servants must use it for the advance of God’s kingdom. It is good for money to be invested in winning friends. When, thanks to our kindness and blessing toward them, they receive Jesus, they will gain eternal dwellings, and when we come to heaven, they will greet us with joy, gratitude, and warm affection.
The question is: are we as concerned to secure a future with God as the dishonest manager was concerned to secure a future in this world? A day is coming when we, like him, will have to “give an account of our management.” Realizing this, we would do well to take certain steps to prepare for the moment of our welcome into heaven. What steps? To make friends for ourselves with what we have.
9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. (Luke 16:9)
This is not about using our money or our worldly wealth to “buy a ticket” to heaven. That idea is entirely foreign to the context. We are not saved by our good works. But our good works could win us friends who will greet us with joy when we enter the heavenly Jerusalem.
The dishonest manager is a swindler, but what he can teach us is:
- to think about our future; knowing what awaits him, he prepares for it in advance.
- to value relationships more than money; instead of spending his master’s money or keeping it for himself, the dishonest manager invests it in friendships.
Gain friends? What kind of friends is Jesus talking about here? He hints at the answer to this question in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–30), which follows the parable of the dishonest manager. In that parable the rich man is condemned to eternal torment in hell because, despite the abundance of “worldly wealth” that he had, he failed to gain a friend who would “welcome” him into his eternal dwelling (Luke 16:19–20).
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. (Luke 16:19–21)
Notice that this rich man was not moved by the condition of poor Lazarus. He lived in luxury amid his abundance and did not even think to help the poor man. A French philosopher and theologian named Jacques Maritain (1872–1973), in his book Freedom in the Modern World, writes the following:
“The bread that is mine is a material matter;
the bread that belongs to my neighbor is a spiritual matter.”
Basil the Great (329–379), a patriarch of Eastern monasticism and bishop of Caesarea, said the following:
“The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry;
the coat hanging unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it;
the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes;
the money you have stored away belongs to the poor.”
Are You Faithful in the Least?
What the parable of the dishonest manager teaches us is that, on the one hand, we must use our money with eternity in mind, and on the other hand, we must be aware of the danger of misusing it.
10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, (Luke 16:10)
“Very little” (pistos en elachisto) is the highest superlative degree of small: little, less, least. How little is “the least”? The least is so small that there is nothing smaller than it. In monetary terms it is a single penny. The one who is faithful even down to a penny is also faithful with much money and in his service to God.
This is one of Jesus’ maxims. We see it at work in business relationships. The one who proves faithful in the smallest tasks and responsibilities gets promoted. This is the ladder by which people climb to the top of the hierarchy.
And conversely, the one who squanders large sums began with small ones.
and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16:10)
The dishonest manager is not faithful in the little, and that is why his master relieves him of his responsibility.
In this section, where Jesus speaks about faithfulness, He says something that seems surprising. He links our attitude toward material things with our spiritual life. According to Him, there is a connection between the two. The way we order our lives in the physical world — the way we handle money, bills, taxes, banks, and so on — is bound up with the way we relate to heavenly realities.
11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (Luke 16:11)
If we are not faithful with money, which is temporary, God is hardly likely to entrust us with treasures that are eternal. Financial abuse is one of Satan’s snares. That is why we must be especially careful about money and about what we do with what has been entrusted to us.
12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? (Luke 16:12)
How important it is to understand what it means to be a “steward.” The most important thing about a steward is that he is not the owner. He has been entrusted with responsibility for someone else’s property. In this world we are not owners but stewards. Earthly financial resources have been entrusted to us temporarily by the Owner of everything. They belong to Him and can be withdrawn at any moment. Have you ever seen anyone take something with him when he leaves this world? No. Why? Because it is not his. What is ours is hidden in our hearts and in heaven. It is with God.
Whom Do You Serve?
Jesus concludes His commentary on the parable of the dishonest manager by directing attention to the heart.
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16:13)
Jesus said similar words in Matthew 6:24–34:
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? (Matthew 6:24–25)
Notice the connection between verses 24 and 25. In the previous verse Jesus speaks about serving mammon. We would think this is about the love of money and that the warning is aimed at the rich, but in the next verse He says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.” Who worries about these things — the rich or the poor? The one who has money, or the one who has none? Worry is a way of serving money. The pursuit of ways to earn can pull us away from the church, from the family, and even from God.
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6:26–27)
Can you change anything by your worrying?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? (Matthew 6:28–30)
Notice that Jesus calls those who worry “you of little faith.” Worry is an expression of unbelief. That is why we must stop doing it!
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (Matthew 6:31–32)
Of course, this is not about relaxing and giving up work. Elsewhere in the New Testament it says:
The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10)
This is about priorities. What comes first in our lives and what comes second.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:33–34)
Material things, like a powerful magnet, tend to pull us away from God. In our worry over tomorrow or over our business, we place the earning of money above our time with God. In this way we stop serving Him and begin to serve mammon. But we must decide which of the two is the better master. Whom do we want to serve? We cannot serve both. We cannot face left and right at the same time; we cannot move east and west at the same time.
Does this mean we must have no money? No, Jesus does not say that we cannot have money. He Himself, while on earth, handled money and had a treasury and a treasurer. But He says that we cannot serve it. The question is whether we have our money or our money has us. We must not let money control us; we must control it. Otherwise we are lost! How can money remain our servant rather than become our master? By spending it wisely and generously, faithfully and with an eye to the future.
Are you shrewd with regard to the resources currently entrusted to you as their steward? Are you using them to gain friends who will welcome you into the eternal dwellings when the end of material wealth comes? Remember the words of Jesus (Luke 16:9):
9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. (Luke 16:9)