“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:9–10; NKJV)

Some things in Scripture are hard to understand. For me, the Parable of the Unjust Steward is one of those things. From the first time I read it, I’ve struggled to relate the story in the parable to its moral. Is Jesus really praising the unjust steward? Is He telling us to gain earthly riches through unrighteousness? Well, I’ve just come across this parable again in my personal devotions, and now seems as good a time as any to try and understand it.

When interpreting parables, it is important to focus on the main idea. A parable, as Roy Zuck explains, “is a true-to-life story to illustrate or illuminate a truth.”¹ Parables are not allegories, and if we go looking for meaning in every detail we’re sure to miss the point. Thankfully, with this parable, Jesus gives us the moral, which helps make sense of the parable. 

Zuck also gives some helpful guidelines for interpreting parables that I’ll rely on here:

1. understand the true-to-life scenario;
2. understand the reason Jesus told the parable;
3. identify the explicit moral(s), if given;
4. Cross-reference the moral(s) with Scripture; and
5. Note the intended and actual responses.²

Note that of these relate to an area of context—culture, circumstances (before and after), purpose, and the canon of Scripture. We always need to pay close attention to context.

The Parable of the Unjust Steward is not an answer to a question or complaint. It seems unprompted. But Jesus directs it to His disciples, making clear that Jesus was communicating something important to His disciples.

Luke 16 is a continuation of Jesus’ journeying toward Jerusalem, tracing all the way back to chapter 13. As Luke 13:22 tells us, Jesus “went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.” Along the way, Jesus taught different people in different settings about different topics.

In Chapter 14:1–25, Jesus is in the house of a Pharisee. Here, He addresses the following people about the following topics:

• Lawyers and Pharisees: Sabbath Healing (14:1–6)
• Guests: Parable of the Ambitious Guest (14:7–14)
• Guest: Parable of the Great Supper (14:15–24)

Jesus then continues toward Jerusalem (14:25–17:10). There are five major teachings here, the middle of which is the Parable of the Unjust Steward. Here, as with the Parable of the Fig Tree, an X-shaped (chiastic) structure including strong parallelism emerges:

A. The Cost of Following Jesus (14:25–35)
     B. Three Parables of the Lost (15:1–32)
          C. The Parable of the Unjust Steward (16:1–13)
     B’. Three Warnings about the Kingdom (16:14–31)
A.’ Offenses, Faith, and Servanthood (17:1–10)

Recalling the moral of the Parable of the Fig Tree, Jesus’ journey here toward Jerusalem is that final “year,” or last chance for Israel’s corporate repentance. Israel’s window for receiving their King would soon expire. Unfortunately, the narrative shows that the leaders of Israel, generally, were unwilling to receive Him. They did not share Jesus’ concern for the spiritually lost, nor were they willing to give up their own power, status, and wealth to follow Him.

Also, our parable follows right after the Parable of the Lost Son (15:11-32). In that parable, the son valued his father’s wealth over his father’s love. Interestingly, right after our parable, verse 14 says describes these Pharisees as “lovers of money.” So, there is a strong connection with earthly riches immediately before and after our parable. Our parable, of course, centers around the steward’s misuse of his master’s money.

A key line in the parable is verse 8, “So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.” This places the focus of the parable on the shrewdness of the steward—a negative example of those who shrewdly seek after worldly riches through unrighteous measures. It then compares such shrewdness with that of those who are followers of Jesus.

Jesus is not praising the dishonesty of the steward. He is also not teaching the disciples to gain earthly riches through unrighteousness. Jesus is teaching the disciples to use their earthly resources wisely (shrewdly) for eternal purposes—to “use their wits and wealth in ways that please and serve God, for in so doing they will be received into the eternal [Kingdom] of God, rather than into the transitory earthly tents of debtors.”³

The moral of the parable is to place our trust in God, not money (v. 13). Money is a gift from God to be used to provide for the needs of one’s household and others. Followers of Jesus are to view their financial resources through a lens of manager, not owner. Wise, faithful followers of Jesus are to receive God’s provision with thanksgiving, live within that provision, and manage it in ways that they can commit a portion to Kingdom purposes, like caring for others (v. 9).

What does this mean for us today? If we truly want to live as followers of Jesus, then we do well to wisely consider who we become indebted to (Prov 22:7, 26–27). Are we trying to keep up with the Jones’s or follow after Jesus? We can’t do both (v. 13). Let’s be a people who place our hope and trust in Jesus, wisely living within the provision God provides, committing a portion Kingdom purposes, and storing up eternal treasures with Him (Matt 6:19–21).

Notes

1. Roy B. Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation: A Practical Guide to Discovering Biblical Truth (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 1991), 194. Logos Bible Software.
2. Ibid., 211–218.
3. James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, The Pillar New Testament, ed. Donald A. Carson Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2015), 457. Logos Bible Software.