The Dishonest Steward - Luke 16, 1-13

Luke 16, 1-13 – The Dishonest Steward

This is a rather difficult parable to interpret because it seems to suggest that a dishonest man can get away with dishonesty. He appears to be even praised by Jesus himself: in verse 8, it reads, “And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.” Further, Jesus says, “for the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” It seems that the obvious lesson of the parable is to be as smart and shrewd as dishonest people, so long as you do it for God’s work.

This is one instance wherein we can clearly apply the principle that we use the Bible to interpret the Bible. We cannot take a passage or verse out of context. Instead, we interpret and compare with the other message in other parts of the bible and clearly, God does not condone dishonesty, even if for noble ends.

Observation and Interpretation

It is important therefore to really understand the culture at that time to appreciate the parable. Let’s consider the following:

- first, the position of steward is a trusted position. He becomes the manager of the master’s estate, which can be very large, so there must have been a long period of friendship and trust that precedes any appointment of a steward.

- this long relationship probably explains why, firstly, the steward did not anymore bother to deny or appeal the decision of the master to dismiss him (which is unlikely in the culture); and secondly, why the master did not sue him which could have likely landed him in jail. The relationship was still worth something, and the steward therefore felt that his master was generous to him to the very end, despite of his fault.

- secondly, it would be helpful if we knew exactly what is the scheme that the steward try to pull off in order to be ingratiated to the tenants later on? Did he overprice the rental initially and simply brought it back to the original amount? This is unlikely since the rent was generally known to everyone and it would be easy to discover if one has been overcharged, and tenants could even go straight to the master to appeal the rates. It seems that the what the steward did was to simply reduce the expected rental from the tenants. The rent is usually paid after the harvest, and can be reduced due to many stipulated reasons like bad weather, crop disease, drought, and others. Thus, their anticipated payment was reduced, and therefore perceived as an act of generosity by the steward and, obviously, of the master as well, since the former would not have the authority to act without permission of the master. This act of the steward therefore served two purposes: it ingratiated him to the tenants (which he would now need that he is fired), and it also projected the master as generous and understanding.

The master compliments the steward not only for being sly and scheming, but also in recognizing his generosity and projecting such generosity to the tenants.

This interpretation make sense when we notice that while this parable was being told to the disciples, verse 14 also says that the Pharisees were part of the audience and could hear what he was saying. The Pharisees sneered at Jesus “dahil alam nila na sila ang pinatatamaan.”

The Pharisees firmly believed that obeying the law was the way to righteousness. Jesus had another message: God is not legalistic but merciful and generous, to the extent of even complimenting a sinner who recognizes such characteristics of our true Father. By the way, verse 10 when he repudiates the dishonest person in small matters.

Generalization:

When we look at God as an accountant who keeps a record of our rights and wrongs, then we overlook his mercy and generosity.

Application:

- Share an experience when you felt God’s generosity exceeded God’s justice.

Personal

I have always felt that I got more than I deserve during times I have turned to God, and less than I deserve when I have turned away from Him. When I was young and foolish, I went home intoxicated and slept while driving. I woke up a split second before hitting a parked truck and while I hit it anyway, I escaped with minor injuries and it became a wake up call to turn back to him. Jesus used a mishap to bless me. Such generosity. End of sharing.