Chapter sixteen contains one of the most puzzling of Jesus’ parables. It is about a dishonest manager who cheats his employer even further and ends up being commended for what he has done.
Can it be true that Jesus would recommend such a life?
Throughout the book of Luke, there has been an emphasis on how wealth is used. In chapter fourteen Jesus told the wealthy to focus on the poor when they gave a banquet – because that’s who God was focusing on. In this chapter, the failure of the rich man in the story of Lazarus was that he did not take note of the poor and help them.
And so it is, in the parable of the dishonest steward, the focus is not on what the steward did as much as the result, which was to use money to secure his future. The manager discounted the employer’s receivables, thus providing the employer with a cash flow, and providing the debtors with an opportunity to pay less by paying early. His employment was to be terminated, but by acting in this manner, he would gain friends for himself within the business world and be better able to secure a replacement position.
The employer had to admit that what his manager had done was advantageous to his future, and that is the substance of the commendation. The lesson, is that you want to use your money (or position) to receive the approval of God. What will that mean? At least in the context of Luke, it will mean that you use it to help those who cannot help themselves.