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.
Jesus tells His disciples a parable about a dishonest steward who faces the loss of his position. A steward was a servant entrusted with managing his master's property and business affairs. He could conduct transactions, collect payments, and maintain financial records on his master's behalf. His responsibility was to manage faithfully what belonged to another.
The steward has been reported for squandering his master's property. When the master demands a full account and announces his dismissal, the steward realizes that his livelihood is threatened. He considers his limited options: he does not believe he can perform hard physical labor, and he is ashamed to beg. Recognizing that his circumstances are about to change, he decides to act while he still possesses authority over his master's business.
The steward summons the master's debtors and instructs them to reduce the amounts recorded in their promissory notes, the written agreements acknowledging what they owe. One debt is reduced from one hundred measures of olive oil to fifty, and another from one hundred measures of wheat to eighty. These were substantial quantities of agricultural produce. By reducing the debts, the steward hopes to gain the debtors’ gratitude. He expects that, after losing his position, they will repay his generosity by welcoming him into their households and providing the shelter and support he will need (vv. 5–7).
The precise nature of these reductions has been interpreted in different ways. Some biblical commentators suggest that the steward surrendered commissions or excessive interest included in the original debts. Others understand his actions as another dishonest use of his master's property. The Gospel does not explain how the original amounts were calculated. What is clear is that the steward deliberately uses his remaining authority to secure his future through the goodwill of others.
The surprising conclusion comes when the master commends the dishonest steward for acting prudently (v. 8). The master praises the steward's foresight, not his dishonesty. The steward recognized an approaching crisis, understood its consequences, and acted decisively to prepare for what would follow. His conduct was morally flawed, but his determination to provide for his future demonstrated cleverness.
Jesus then explains the lesson through a comparison between the children of this world and the children of light. The children of this world are people whose attention is directed primarily toward the concerns and opportunities of earthly life. The children of light are those who belong to God and are called to live according to His truth (Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).
Jesus observes that people frequently exercise considerable foresight and determination in securing their earthly interests. His disciples, who know that their ultimate destiny lies in eternal life with God, have an even greater reason to exercise prudence in directing their lives toward that destiny.
Earlier, Jesus described the faithful and prudent steward who responsibly manages what his master has entrusted to him (Luke 12:42–48). That teaching helps clarify the present parable. True Christian prudence includes both foresight and faithfulness. It means recognizing the lasting importance of God's Kingdom and making wise use of the responsibilities, opportunities, and material possessions entrusted to us.
The dishonest steward prepared for the loss of his earthly position by seeking a welcome into other people's homes. Jesus uses that limited example to direct His disciples toward a greater future: eternal communion with God. In the teaching that follows this parable, He will explain how the faithful use of material possessions serves that eternal purpose (Luke 16:9–13).
The parable thus reveals the importance of recognizing what lies ahead and preparing accordingly. The foresight that Jesus commends finds its proper expression when it is joined to faithfulness and directed toward the Kingdom of God.
Lord Jesus, grant us the wisdom to recognize what truly matters and the prudence to use faithfully all that You have entrusted to our care. Guide our decisions toward Your Kingdom and prepare our hearts for eternal life with You. Amen.
________________________
Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Luke 16:1–8 and notes on Luke 16:1–8a and 16:8b–13.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. 137.
- Casciaro, Jose Maria, general editor. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. 317–318.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, editors. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. 707–708, §148.
- Aguilar Chiu, Jose Enrique, et al., editors. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. 1077–1078.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, OP, and Donald Senior, CP, editors. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. London: T&T Clark, 2022. 1336–1337.
- Gadenz, Pablo T. The Gospel of Luke. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018. 281–282.
Comments