"The Shrewd Unjust Manager!"

Luke 16:1-15  

This is a great, but troubling story. Jesus statements about being faithful with little, being trustworthy with money, and faithful with what belongs to others are challenging and helpful. In addition we are told that we can’t serve two masters. We can have only one ultimate allegiance and we can’t serve both God and money. We are cautioned as Jesus refutes the Pharisees’ love of money and how they sought to justify themselves and their own action in the eyes of men; but God knew their hearts. (16:10-15)

However, this ‘unjust manager’ is commended even though he does not come across as either likable or worthy of praise. That the ‘unjust manager’ is used as an example and that he is commended is troubling. Jesus tells his disciples of a rich man who decided to terminate his manager for misusing his resources. The master called the manager to give an account of his management. Surely the master would not have let the manager go so easily if he was being a ‘good steward’ with the master’s assets. The manager realizes he is being sacked, but as he says he can’t dig and is ashamed to beg. He gets an idea so he calls his master’s debtors and reduces their debts considerably (20 months wages). The manager does this in order to be welcomed into homes once he losses his job. He was clever in looking out for his own interest, but it seems difficult to commend him since he had mismanaging things and he is described as 'unjust’. (16:1-9)

Curiously, the master commends the ‘unjust manager’ for acting shrewdly. This is surprising because the manager reduces the amount that the master’s debtors owed the master. But the master commends the manager for acting shrewdly in the manager’s own interest and to the master’s disadvantage. Some commentators say that the master was likely using an underhanded way of charging his debtors an overage or usury (see Exodus 22:25). If the manager removed the extra ‘interest’ or ‘usury’ than the master could not hold the manager responsible for the reduction without admitting his own wrongdoing. If so than the master may have seen the manager as acting shrewdly in the manager’s own interest and in the interest of the masters’ debtors. The master must have admired the way the manager used the situation in order to win friends that would feel obligated to help the manager once he was out of work.

Oddly, Jesus uses the example of an ‘unjust manager’ to teach his followers something about discipleship. So what can we learn from the ‘unjust manager’. This manager knew he was losing his job. He also knew that he couldn’t dig and that he was ashamed to beg. He called in the master’s debtors and reduced their debts. The masters’ debtors whose debts the manager reduced would be obligated to show the unemployed manager hospitality. Luke tells us that the children of this world are ‘more shrewd’ in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light. Jesus isn’t commending the manager’s dishonesty or the way he acted contrary to the interest of his employer. Jesus commends the manager’s shrewdness in winning friends that would welcome him into their homes. The manager was shrewd in using his position to meet his need to receive temporal hospitality.  

Jesus seems to be exhorting his disciples to use their wealth and influence in the interest of the kingdom and for the good of others. The previous parables would indicate that Jesus was thinking of ‘the lost’ (Luke 15) and ‘the marginalized and outcasts’ who were unable to return favors (14:13-24, 21). Jesus here encourages his disciples, including us, to use wealth in the interest of the kingdom of God. When we invest our resources in people for their good and for God’s glory we are acting ‘shrewdly’ and will receive eternal benefits. (16:8-9)

So the story concludes with appeals to be faithful and trustworthy stewards. What do we learn about being faithful with little things, with other people’s things and with true riches? The master commended the manager for his shrewdness in using his position to influence the debtors to show him favor because he had reduced their debts. Jesus wants us to use our position and our possessions to make friends for ourselves so that we may be received into eternal dwellings and eternal rewards. (Luke 16:8–9) Those unfaithful with little will be unfaithful with much. Those untrustworthy with money cannot be trusted with true riches. Also those who cannot be trustworthy with other people’s things cannot be trusted with their own property. (Luke 16:10–12)

Jesus makes it clear that we cannot serve two masters. You will love and be devoted to one and hate or despise the other or in other. We can only have one ultimate master and we cannot serve both ‘God and Money’. This was not popular talk among the Pharisees because we are told by the narrator (Luke) that the Pharisees’ loved money. So we leave the story with the Pharisees sneering at Jesus and the episode began with the Pharisees grumbling about Jesus associating with ‘tax-collectors and sinners’ (15:1-2). Jesus concludes by confronting these religious leaders for seeking to ‘justify themselves’ in the eyes of men. However, he assures them that God see right through them and knows their hearts and motives are not right. What they valued was looking good in the eyes of people, but the Jesus this was detestable before God!  (16:13-15)