Then he also said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. 2 He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’ 3 The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ 5 He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ 7 Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred kors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ 8 And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
“For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. 9 I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. 11 If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? 12 If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? 13 No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
This parable can be difficult at first hearing. Jesus is not praising dishonesty. He is teaching His disciples to act with wise urgency for eternal life. The steward is about to lose his position for mishandling the master’s goods (vv. 1-2). Facing judgment, he acts decisively to secure a future welcome (vv. 3-7). The master recognizes the steward’s prudence, not his dishonesty (v. 8). Jesus then turns to His disciples and draws out the lessons: use passing wealth for works that lead to lasting fellowship with God (v. 9), be faithful in little things (vv. 10-12), and serve God with a single heart—do not let wealth be a rival master (v. 13).
A “steward” managed another person’s property and accounts. He had real authority but answered to the owner. That image helps us understand our lives before God. Everything we have—time, abilities, relationships, and money—belongs to God by origin and purpose. We are entrusted with these goods for a time and will give an account for how we used them. Jesus’ point is simple: act now, wisely, for what lasts forever.
The discounts the steward offers are described in ancient trade terms. A “measure” of oil was a large jar used for bulk commerce; a “kor” of wheat was an even larger grain measure. The details underline the scale of the debts and the decisiveness of the steward’s decisive response (vv. 5-7). Jesus then contrasts “the children of this world” and “the children of light” (v. 8). People often work very hard and very cleverly for short-term gains. Disciples should be at least as thoughtful and determined, but for eternal life.
When Jesus says, “Make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth” (v. 9), He is not urging us to gain money dishonestly. “Dishonest wealth” (often translated “unrighteous mammon”) means worldly wealth as we actually find it: limited, mixed up with injustice in the world, and unable to last. Wealth is “dishonest” in this sense because it cannot tell the truth about our final worth or future; it fails at death. Jesus’ command is to use such passing goods in a way that aligns with God’s justice and mercy—especially generosity to the poor—so that when wealth fails, we will be received into “eternal dwellings.” In other words, use temporal goods to serve eternal ends (cf. Lk. 12:33; 14:13-14).
Jesus then states a principle of growth in holiness: “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones” (v. 10). Faithfulness is learned in small, concrete choices. If we are careless with little things—truth in speech, fairness in small transactions, attention to those near us—we are unlikely to be faithful with greater responsibilities. God forms our hearts through daily acts of honesty, mercy, and self-control. These are the “small matters” by which we become ready for “true wealth” (v. 11), which is fellowship with God Himself and the life of grace that only He can give.
Jesus continues: “If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?” (v. 12). In the parable, the goods belong to the master. In our lives, the goods belong to God. What we call “ours” is entrusted to us for a time. The line hints at the judgment to come: God desires to give us “what is yours”—the lasting inheritance prepared for His children (cf. Lk. 12:32)—but we must be formed as stewards who can receive it. Faithfulness with entrusted goods now prepares us for the joy of belonging to God forever.
Finally, Jesus gives the decisive choice: “No servant can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and mammon” (v. 13; cf. Mt. 6:24). “Mammon” is an Aramaic word for wealth or riches that easily becomes an idol. Money is a tool; it is not a lord. To “serve” mammon is to let the pursuit, security, or pleasure that wealth promises rule the heart. Jesus calls us to a clear allegiance. We must love God first and use wealth as His servants, not love wealth and try to fit God around it. Divided loyalty will not stand. A single heart, set on God, brings freedom.
How do we live this teaching? First, remember that all we have is entrusted to us for love of God and neighbor. Second, make deliberate choices that align spending, saving, and giving with God’s purposes. Third, practice small daily acts of truth and mercy: fair dealing, prompt repayment, generosity to those in need, and gratitude. Fourth, evaluate opportunities by their eternal yield: will this choice deepen love of God and service of others? The parable’s shock is meant to wake us up. The steward saw that a day of reckoning had come and acted decisively. Jesus invites us to act now with prudence for eternity.
Jesus does not excuse the steward’s wrongdoing; He highlights his foresight. And Jesus does not teach that we can “buy” heaven with money. He teaches that when love directs our use of earthly goods—especially toward the poor and the work of the Gospel—our choices become acts of friendship with God. Such love, formed in small faithful acts, fits us for “eternal dwellings” with Him (v. 9).
Lord Jesus, You are our true wealth and lasting joy. Teach us to be faithful in small things, honest in our dealings, and generous in love. Free our hearts from the power of riches, and make us wise for eternity, so that when earthly goods fail, we may be welcomed into Your presence forever. Amen.
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- Faculty of the University of Navarre, The Navarre Bible: Luke. Dublin: Four Courts; Princeton: Scepter, 2008.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al., eds., The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018 (Luke).
- Brown, Raymond E., et al., eds., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990 (Luke).
- Orchard, Bernard, et al., eds., A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. London: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1953 (Luke).
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