The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
“Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 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.’
“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— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
“‘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.’
“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.’
“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” Luke 16-12, NIV
The trouble you probably have with this parable is that the rich man (the “master”) accuses the manager of being a bad worker—so he terminates him. But then, this manager starts calling on all of the people who have debts with his former employer and offers them discounts! He needs some friends fast, and the ones he knows that have money, are his boss’ customers!
This does not sound very Christ-like does it? I mean, he’s using his position to give a discount to his master’s customers so that they will be nice to him in the future! I would not like that if I were the master. And yet his former master compliments him for his shrewdness! If you read it just as it is, and stop there, it appears that Jesus is holding the manager up as an example. But we know that this cannot be the case. Consider this was also Christ’s message in Luke 18:22, “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Then again He says in Luke 16:10-14, “You can’t serve both God and money.” So Christ isn’t commending dishonesty. He clearly states that the manager’s actions were unjust and sinful. However, Jesus does commend the shrewdness of the dishonest manager, although not the theft or dishonesty.
I was warned in seminary to be very careful when preaching about a parable. Parables were not literal stories, and the point being made could be lost if you read the parable out of context or too closely. Hermeneutics is the word you would use here—-it’s the task of trying to interpret what Jesus meant to say when he said things like this. (This is a good reason why a preacher or one in Christian vocation should go to seminary!)
So with this parable, in particular, we have to figure out the main point Jesus is making. If we get too caught up in the story, we lose the point. For example, nowhere does He suggest that the master is symbolic of God!—or that anyone in the parable represents righteousness—they were all bad characters! He’s making a different spiritual point. The secret to understanding His parables is to find the prominent, or key sentence.
I believe that this is the prominent line, “For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” Jesus is pointing out and reminding us, by this example, how people in the world look out for themselves in a way that God’s people often neglect. He’s not saying to be a thief or take advantage of your boss, but work smart and think about the future! And this might annoy some of a more liberal or socialist slant, but Jesus is telling His followers and disciples to look out for themselves and do not expect your boss or those in charge of the land to take care of you.
In this parable, the man who lost his job is planning for his future… he’s thinking about tomorrow! He wants to make friends so that when bad times comes he has friends he can run to for help. And Jesus is saying, “You folks should also think about tomorrow. Your time on this
earth is limited.” This shrewd manager was preparing for his old age by storing up some financial security. What about you and me in terms of our security….. our eternal home? Christ was direct: Today, start storing up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). He’s encouraging us to use our finances, our gifts, our abilities, our land and possessions in such a way so that God enthusiastically welcomes us as good and faithful servants. “Well done you good and faithful servant!” Could there be any grander words to hear when we enter into His presence?!
We know that the end of our life is coming, so if we’re half as wise as the pagan manager in this story, we’ll use our resources to help “gain friends in heavenly places.” It’s strange, though, that the master commended this dishonest manager for being shrewd and reducing the debts owed to him! And I will tell you again, the master does not represent God. This master was impressed of how clever the manager was—-and celebrated it. Why? Because he was probably also rather shrewd and clever about how to work things for his advantage. Perhaps the master was considering hiring him back! But that’s not the point Jesus was making. He wants us to take a sober look at life and your options when you think about tomorrow and your future/. This manager, corrupt as he was, realized he would be getting old, and would have a hard time finding a new job. So he tried to make friends with the ones that could help him the most——the rich clients of his master.
We might work for a master, or a boss, like the one in this parable, but our Master is Jesus Christ. He’s the one we’re supposed to be pleasing. He is the One that promises to take care of us if we focus upon the work He assign us—and that work is to seek the Kingdom of God throughout the day in all we do!. He said this: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33, NIV. If you are seeking His Kingdom, you cannot simultaneously be cheating on your wife or husband, or stealing from the one who hired you.
Now some might argue that all God’s blessings are stored up for the “sweet by and by”—-i.e. after we get to heaven. But that’s not true. Our motives for helping the poor should not be that God will bless us, nor should we tithe or donate to charities so that we will have more than we did. No, the motive should be that we can’t help it!!! It’s our new nature to be generous, extravagant, kind hearted and forgiving—-not so that we will be blessed—-but because we’ve already been blessed, the recipients of incredible grace, and we’ve been forgiven!!!
So here are some examples of how we’re supposed to be serving our master—-words from His own mouth!!
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you(Matthew 6:3-4).
Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets (Luke 6:22-23).
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked (Luke 6:35).
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use,it will be measured to you(Luke 6:38).
Then Jesus said to his host, “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. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, ,you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:12-14).
In the parable, Jesus was showing us how shrewd people of the world get along and take care of their future. They understand how to behave in ways that will ingratiate themselves to the powerful. They know how to leverage their gifts, resources, and talents in a way that benefits them. He wants to remind us that this is the world in which we live! We’re told more than once to be as gentle as doves, but as wise as serpent in the world.
But getting fired did not change the manager's heart or his goal - he wanted a comfortable lifestyle without working too hard. Jesus is certainly not holding this man up as a shining example of morality, but He was pointing out the wisdom of using every possible method of achieving his goal and aim. His plan was not noble, but his persistence and shrewdness in pursuing the aim was remarkable.
It seems that Jesus is telling us that we can learn from even ignoble actions some helpful, spiritual insights. And what a great way to begin the day! I can learn something good even from those I dislike or who behavior I disdain!
In the final part of this parable, Christ makes a surprising statement, “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”
But again, context! He’s not telling us to be dishonest, conniving or to use our money for our own glory. He’s talking about accountability. “Use worldly wealth”, is a call not only to good stewardship, but to using it in a way that advances the Kingdom of God! Have I used everything in this life that He’s given me and blessed me to bless those He loves? It’s not a call for personal poverty, but instead a call to an open hand and to have check book ready, and to ever remember that our Master is watching how we use those resources He loaned us to complete His work on this earth.
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