Parable of the Unjust Steward

Text and Content

This parable, which Jesus told his disciples, appears among the Gospels only in Luke 16:1-13.

The steward (property manager) of a certain rich man is accused of wasting his master's goods and is given notice of dismissal. The steward reasons, "I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed" (Luke 16:3). To secure people who will receive him after he is put out, he calls in his master's debtors and has them rewrite their bills. A hundred measures of oil are reduced to fifty, and a hundred measures of wheat to fourscore. The master commends "the unjust steward, because he had done wisely" (Luke 16:8).

Jesus then says, "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness" (Luke 16:9). He adds that "he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much" (Luke 16:10), and he concludes the teaching with the words "Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13). The Pharisees, "who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him" (Luke 16:14).

Background

The Greek word translated "steward," oikonomos, denotes a person entrusted with managing a master's household and property. The word rendered "mammon" is mamonas in the original, a Greek transliteration of an Aramaic word meaning wealth or possessions. Estimates differ as to how large the units of oil and wheat would be in modern terms, but the reduced debts are generally thought to have been considerable.

Place within the Gospel of Luke

The parable immediately follows the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Parable of the Lost Coin, and the Parable of the Prodigal Son in chapter 15, and it precedes the account of the Rich Man and Lazarus later in chapter 16. Both the prodigal son and the steward are portrayed as men who "wasted" property (Luke 15:13; 16:1). Chapter 16 as a whole is unified by the theme of one's attitude toward wealth. A saying similar to verse 13 also appears in Matthew 6:24. Because it concerns giving an account of what has been entrusted, the parable is also related to the Parable of the Talents and the Parable of the Pounds.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• What was commended: The parable is difficult because a man who acted dishonestly receives praise. Many interpreters hold that what is commended is not his dishonesty but his shrewdness in foreseeing an impending crisis and promptly preparing for it. Some also see here a teaching method that uses a bad character as an example in order to argue "how much more"; the Parable of the Unjust Judge is a comparable case.
• The nature of the debt reduction: The common interpretation is that the steward cut into his master's share. Another view holds that he merely removed his own commission, which had been added to the debts, or interest forbidden by the Law (Deuteronomy 23:19-20). On this reading, the steward would not have caused his master any loss. The text, however, does not mention such circumstances directly.
• Who is the "lord"?: The "lord" (kyrios) in verse 8 can be read either as the rich man in the story or as Jesus himself. Scholars also disagree about where the parable ends and where Jesus' application begins.
• Everlasting habitations: Verse 9 is sometimes misread as making the sharing of wealth a condition of salvation. Many Protestant denominations, following an understanding of justification in which salvation is given by grace through faith, generally explain such sharing not as a condition of salvation but as a fruit of faith.

The text does not say whether the steward was later reemployed or whether the debtors actually received him.

In Korean Churches

In Korean churches, the parable is used in sermons on attitudes toward wealth, offerings, and almsgiving. It is also frequently cited to explain the principle of stewardship, which regards property, time, and talents as entrusted by God and to be managed accordingly. Verses 10 and 13 are often quoted on their own, apart from the parable as a whole.