Christian Art | Parables Of Jesus | Parable Of The Unjust Steward | King James Audio Bible KJV
Luke 16: 1-8 | King James Audio Bible KJV | Parables Of Jesus | Week 31 Friday
1 AND he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
5 So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
Today’s parable may seem to us to be very strange. Fired for corruption, for being wasteful with the rich man’s property, the dishonest steward goes on to compound the error with outright criminality, marking down the debts of the rich man’s debtors in order to secure future favours. And Jesus praises him!
The picture Jesus presents us with is of a very shrewd, very worldly person. Caught out in his dodgy dealing, the steward finds himself in a desperate situation, an emergency. The future has suddenly become completely uncertain, a complete unknown, to him. He races in his mind to discover a solution to his problem, and he is shrewd and a solution presents itself. Having decided what to do, he acts with great energy.
The parable now speaks of the ‘lord’, or ‘master’, praising the dishonest steward. The rich man has receded and we understand now that it is Jesus offering praise. If only, he seems to say, people put as much energy and ingenuity as this thief has shown into their spiritual lives. The children of this world know how to work it to their material advantage. The children of light should similarly make every effort in terms of our faith, our salvation, our witnessing Jesus and growing the Kingdom of God. Perhaps we might think here of the great sense of urgency experienced by Saint Paul, and the phenomenal energy and drive with which he spread God’s word. Such wonderful missionary activities inspire us.
‘What zeal people put into their earthly affairs: dreaming of honours, striving for riches, bent on sensuality! Men and women, rich and poor, old and middle-aged and young and even children: all of them alike. When you and I put the same zeal into the affairs of our souls, we will have a living and working faith. And there will be no obstacle that we cannot overcome in our apostolic works.’ St Josemaria Escriva.
Concluding Prayer | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ
Almighty Father,
let your light so penetrate our minds,
that walking by your commandments
we may always follow you, our leader and guide.
We make our prayer through our Lord.
King James Audio Bible | Endnotes
The Parable of the Unjust Steward challenges conventional wisdom and provides insight into the nature of God’s kingdom.
In the parable, Jesus tells the story of a wealthy man who had a steward who was mismanaging his affairs. The wealthy man calls the steward to account, but instead of waiting to be fired, the steward uses his position to secure his future by reducing the debts owed to his master by the master’s creditors. The master commends the unjust steward for his cunning.
The parable has for many defied interpretation.
Can it be that Jesus teaches that those who are wise in this world, even if they are unjust, will be more successful than those who are righteous but lack wisdom?
In terms of its place in the larger narrative of Jesus’ ministry, the Parable of the Unjust Steward should be considered alongside other teachings of the Gospels, such as the Sermon on the Mount, the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Crucifixion of Jesus, and the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
It is true of course that we are called to deeper understanding of the nature of God, the role of Jesus as the Christ, and the importance of forgiveness and redemption.
One interpretation that might be considered more daring and challenging is the idea that the parable is a critique of the economic system of Jesus’ day. In this interpretation, the steward’s actions are seen not as wise, but as a subversion of the unjust economic system in which he operated.
The wealthy man in the story is seen as representing the oppressive system of wealth and power that dominated the society of Jesus’ time, while the steward is seen as a subversive figure who seeks to subvert the system by reducing the debts owed to his master. In this interpretation, Jesus is not praising the steward for his wisdom, but rather is using the steward as a symbol of resistance against the unjust economic system.
This interpretation of the Parable of the Unjust Steward can be seen as a call to action for Christians to challenge and subvert unjust economic systems, using their resources and gifts to bring about justice and fairness in the world. It is also a reminder of the importance of Christian prayer and the power of the Christian Cross, as tools for seeking justice and resistance against oppression.
In the larger context of Jesus’ ministry, this interpretation of the Parable of the Unjust Steward can be seen as a radical and challenging message for Christians to stand up against unjust systems and to use their resources to bring about change. It is a reminder that Christianity is not just about personal salvation, but also about working to bring about justice and fairness in the world.
In today’s Bible reading, we see clearly that many of those to whom Mark addresses his Gospel would not be familiar with Jewish customs. Mark, therefore, explains that the Jews wash as a ritual of purification prior to eating. This was initially a prescription for how priests should wash before offering sacrifice – see Exodus 30: 17ff – and was extended by tradition to all Jews before every meal. It may be helpful for us to remember that this was not a matter of hygiene; rather ritual purification was a symbol of the moral purity a person should have when approaching God. We may also consider our own practice of washing our hands and saying grace before meals, such that our participating in a meal becomes an act of thanksgiving to God, the meal a sacred space [ … ]
We are called as Christians not only to love God and to offer our days to Him, but also to shine as a living example to the people we meet each day. We are called to that apostolate which is a part of being a Christian, to proclaim the truth of Christ to the world. There are all sorts of ways in which we can approach this mission. There are those who feel called to preach the Gospel aloud in busy streets, asking passers by to pause for a moment and listen to the word of God. For others, it might seem a brave act to say to a person who might not know us very well, in the course of conversation: I am a Christian [ … ]
Saint Columban (c. 543–615) was an Irish monk and missionary whose work helped to shape early medieval monasticism in continental Europe. His writings, including sermons and monastic rules, reveal a spirituality that is both ascetic and deeply scriptural. The passage we have today develops a theme central to his teaching: the inexhaustible desire for Christ as the fountain of life and bread of life [ … ]
