Parable of the Unjust Steward: What Can We Learn?

One of the least-known and most-misunderstood parables of Jesus is recorded in Luke 16, often known as the parable of the unjust steward (or manager). Like the parable of the unjust judge, it uses a negative example to highlight biblical principles. The main part of the parable occurs in verses 1–9:

He also 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.’ And 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. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. (Luke 16:1–9)

In Galilee, it was common for absentee landlords to leave their estates in the hands of stewards who would manage the property on the owner’s behalf. In the parable, hostile charges were brought to the owner against the steward, and the response of both indicates that the charges were, in fact, true.

The steward is immediately faced with a conundrum. He will not easily find another position as a steward, and he is both too weak for manual labor and too proud to beg. He immediately comes up with a solution—he is being dismissed for mismanaging the owner’s property, and he will use his last act as steward to use the owner’s property (the debts others owe the owner) to secure his own future.

The steward calls in debtors, who would have written promissory notes in their own handwriting. He tells them to rewrite the debts for lower amounts, saving them substantial amounts of money, with the assumption that the grateful debtors will repay the favor and support the jobless steward.

The owner commended the dishonest steward—but why would he commend someone who has just stolen a great deal of money from him, and why would Jesus set him up as an example?

What Does and What Doesn’t the Parable Teach?

Parables often have one major spiritual point that is sometimes explicitly expressed by Jesus, and this is the case for this parable. Jesus says, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:8–9). To understand the meaning of the parable, we have to understand Jesus’ summary statement.

Jesus sets up a dichotomy between the “sons of this world” and “the sons of light” in regard to “shrewdness.” The word translated “shrewdness” is phronimos. It’s the same word for the “wise” man who built his house upon the rock (Matthew 7:24) or being “wise” as serpents (Matthew 10:16). The faithful and wise manager of Luke 12:42 was described as phronimos as well. However, unlike sophia, this word for wisdom is not inherently good but can be used by either good or evil people. Importantly, the Septuagint translates the “shrewdness” of the serpent in Genesis 3:1 with phronimos. So fundamentally, this parable is about a trait of amoral wisdom that the ungodly spirits and people have always used more naturally than godly people.

Just as the shrewd steward used his master’s wealth to secure a place for himself to live, we should use the riches of this world to secure our heavenly dwelling.

The specific application is to make use of “unrighteous wealth” so that when it fails, “they” may receive you into the eternal dwellings. So this is contrasting earthly riches with eternal dwellings—not the first parable that does this! Just as the shrewd steward used his master’s wealth to secure a place for himself to live, we should use the riches of this world (that will be taken from us at death) to secure our heavenly dwelling. But why is the wealth called “unrighteous,” and who are the friends that will receive us into the heavenly dwellings?

The best explanation is “unrighteous wealth” is idiomatic, like “filthy lucre” is, and doesn’t mean wealth gained unrighteously. It simply means “worldly wealth,” though we can remember that the love of money is the root of all types of evil.1

But what does it mean that we should make friends who will welcome us into heavenly dwellings? In the same chapter, Luke 16:19 begins the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man used his wealth to provide comfort during his earthly life but made no provision for his eternal dwelling. Regardless of exactly who is doing the welcoming into heaven, the idea is that believers will use their wealth in such a way that their eternal home is in view.

But isn’t this perilously close to teaching works salvation? Rather, Jesus is giving the parable to people who are already saved, and there are elsewhere in Scripture allusions to differences in how people arrive in heaven—some with rewards and some by the skin of their teeth “as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15).

Once we recognize the point of the parable, interpreting the parable itself is much easier. The parable of the unjust steward commends quick thinking and shrewdness of action in times of crisis. Likely equivalent to being described as “quick on your feet.” It is most likely that the master who commended the unjust steward (verse 8) is just a character in the parable and does not represent Jesus himself. It would be hard to imagine Jesus commending theft and dishonesty, as that is not the point of the parable, nor would it be something Jesus would do. Indeed, the parable commends not the original theft(s) or the dishonesty in business but the shrewdness of the manager. Jesus tells us that the sons of the light (verse 8) should heed the example of the steward and should use their wealth, not to swindle others, as he did, but in such a way that God will be pleased with their gifts (Romans 12:13; 2 Corinthians 9:1–13; 1 Timothy 6:17–19). Those who squander the physical riches entrusted to them will likewise not be fit managers of spiritual things.

Jesus uses the dishonest actions of a poor and self-seeking steward, not to counsel dishonesty but to point out that Christians should deal as shrewdly in God-honoring ways as ungodly people deal selfishly for their own ends. The man discounts the debts of his master’s debtors, in order to have their support, in case he is dismissed and without money. His actions increase his master’s cash flow by getting the money in faster than the borrowers might have done if having to pay the full amount. His master commends his shrewdness but not his integrity! The option is clear: We either serve God, or we serve unrighteous materialism. (Older versions often use the term “mammon,” which stands for money and materialism.)

Explaining the Parable

Jesus then discloses a little bit more about the meaning of this parable in verses 10–13:

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Luke 16:10–13)

Jesus calls us to be faithful stewards (1 Corinthians 4:2) and to use part of the wealth and resources we have to serve and/or provide for others, which in turn praises and glorifies God (1 Peter 4:8–11). A faithful steward needs to be honest, hardworking, responsible, patient, and generous (with his own money and resources) with others.

Applying the Parable

In verses 14–15, Jesus directed this parable to target the Pharisees who loved money. The text mentions that they ridiculed Christ. They thought of themselves as serving God and money and had no problem reconciling both in their minds. Jesus rightly called them hypocrites (Matthew 6:1–19). They used their religious positions as a means to gain money, fame, and preferential treatment. Jesus reminds them (verse 15) that God knows and sees the abominable state of their hearts.

Jesus had even had this discussion with the disciples before, telling them: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). The parable of the unjust steward is aiming to subtly pry open the Pharisees’ hearts and get them to realize that they are the unjust steward. They had squandered the resources and gifts that God gave them, they disdained the people whom they were supposed to teach, and they were strictly motivated by pride, greed, and outward shows of piety (Matthew 23; John 7:39). Jesus even said that they prevented people from the kingdom of heaven because they replaced the true gospel of faith with a doctrine of works, which itself was hypocritical because they did not follow their own rules (Matthew 23:3–13).

Paul, while speaking through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, gave sound biblical advice to those who had been thieves: “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Ephesians 4:28). This is what Jesus’ parable was getting to: Don’t serve God and money, but serve God with your money and other resources.

But Why the Commendation of the Unjust Steward?

This is the part of the parable that is most difficult to understand. What was Jesus getting at with the tale of the two primary figures in the parable? It is possible that the “rich man,” likely a business owner, was also corrupt in his dealings.2 If so, then he might have thought that the steward’s solution was brilliant. The steward’s plan might have saved him from debtor’s prison or encouraged other business owners to hire him (especially for “shady” business dealings).

As for what Jesus meant with the parable’s “rich man” commending the unjust steward, Pastor Swindoll so neatly summed up the sons of light statement: “If we were as eager and ingenious to attain wisdom and goodness as the unsaved are to attain money and comfort, our lives would show dramatic change. If we were as relentless in our pursuit of forgiveness and grace as the unsaved are in their pursuit of winning, our relationships would change.”3

Jesus seems to be saying through this parable that we need to emulate the passion that fuels unbelievers for achieving their primary goals in life (whatever they may be). If Christians were as passionate about living their lives for Christ as unbelievers are about living for themselves, the name of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the church would be more greatly honored, even by unbelievers. Just as Paul told Titus, and Peter told his readers:

Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. (Titus 2:7–8)

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:11–12)

Apologetics Takeaway

When Jesus told his disciples to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16), he was telling them to avoid unnecessarily provoking their opponents (wise) while remaining “guileless” (innocent as doves). The same instruction is being given in the parable of the unjust steward (but in the form of an antithesis).

Jesus was using the parable to instruct his disciples (and also warn the Pharisees) that being wise, prudent, bold, and yet innocent of wrongdoing would be invaluable to them as they preached the gospel in the farthest reaches of the known world.

Preaching the gospel and, in our present time, even standing for Christian principles are viewed as “hostile,” “intolerant,” and “hate speech.” However, God commands us to be bold in proclaiming his Word (Acts 28:30–31; 1 Corinthians 16:13–14; Ephesians 6:10–11; Philippians 1:12–14) and warns us that we will face persecution for his name’s sake (Luke 21:17; 2 Timothy 3:12). The unjust steward was about to suffer loss because of his own theft and embezzlement, but Jesus was using the parable to instruct his disciples (and also warn the Pharisees) that being wise, prudent, bold, and yet innocent of wrongdoing would be invaluable to them as they preached the gospel in the farthest reaches of the known world. Peter spoke a lot on this topic of the sufferings of the righteous:

For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:19–21)

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:13–17).

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. (1 Peter 4:14–16)