The Unjust Steward

Having written of all the other parables in this cluster of fruit, it seemed best to leave this one unto the last, in that it may be a little more difficult to rightly discern without an understanding of the consistency of itself with the others. I hope that the analysis of it will prove worthwhile to the reader.

The teacher. The Lord Jesus. The audience. “And he said also to his disciples . . .And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things” Luke 16:1,14.

“There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted [squandered] his goods. 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” Luke 16:1-2.

Opportunity for repentance. He’s not fired: actually it appears that he leaves on his own; it is his decision. Rather than opening the books, giving an account; confessing his wrong-doing, repenting in sorrowfulness of heart that he has wronged his lord -- he will leave his presence without response. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. . .He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him” Psa. 103:8,10,11. “Merciful. . .plentious in mercy.” Has this steward lived so long in the household of his lord and not known of his rightness; his kindness, his compassion, his generosity; that he is a man of honor? This man has exercised every fiber of his being to deal fairly -- yet to have his steward deal so wickedly. . .

As we are contemplating the situation concerning the unjust steward let us include two other fellows who seemed to be in similar circumstances.

Space for repentance. In Genesis chapter 4, Cain had “brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. . . But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, [charah, to glow, to blaze up, be angry, burn] and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?” Forgiveness, yea, even reconciliation was offered Cain if only repentance and obedience were to be rendered. But red-faced, angry, and jealous of his younger brother, he left the presence of God, not responding to His inquiries.

“For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous” I John 3:11-12.

“. . . one of the disciples, Judas Iscariot. . .which should betray him . . .he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein” John 12:4b,6. How could Judas walk along side the Lord of Righteousness for three years, watching His every move, listening to His teaching, beholding the miracles -- and yet steal from Him?

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” Luke 16:13. “Woe unto them! for they have gone the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward” Jude 11.

Space for repentance? Although the Pharisees also. . .heard all these things, the parable was directed at the disciples; and we must believe especially to one. Judas, you cannot serve two masters: for either you will hate the one, and love the other; or you will hold to the one, and despise the other. You, Judas Iscariot, cannot serve God and mammon. Must he not have known that this parable was given for him? Yet he will heed neither message nor Messenger. Judas must have been attempting to do both. His plea before the high priests: “I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood,” hints that there was some part of him that had desired to serve the Master. No Judas, it doesn’t work that way.

I have a plan. “Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do . . .I am resolved what to do,”Well, in my estimation he’s done quite enough already.

Compounding the offense. What to do? Return to the master; tell him you’re sorry. Throw yourself on his mercy. . . It’s not enough to have wronged the master. He now chooses to multiply his debauchery.

“I am resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.” Honor among thieves? Sir, you are a known thief. What makes you think that anyone will welcome you with open arms into the confines of their house? Why, you’re not to be trusted!

Initiating the plan. “So he called every one of his lord’s debtors”: “How much owest thou my lord? And he said, an hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.” Another owed 100 measures of wheat: “Take thy bill and write fourscore.” Were there any that refused his offer to juggle the books? They are not acknowledged. It would appear from their actions that the unjust steward, along with all of his lord’s debtors embraced mammon as master. If this be the case, then are they to be found “hating, despising” the lord. The steward conspired with the others; he led them to betray the master. And likewise did Judas.

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant!” “And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely.” What do you do when you come to a passage that seems to make absolutely no sense at all! Here’s the formula. When we do not see an apparent answer to our questions, we begin to rationalize: we look at the circumstances; from the circumstances we reach a conclusion, based upon an assumption! A certain radio preacher has decided that the only explanation for the master’s commendation is that he himself was a worse crook and thief than his steward! “Well done thou good and faithful servant! You’ve managed to cheat, swindle and defraud me out of a small fortune! How absolutely wonderful is that! You’ve done wisely! You’re to be commended!”

His lord’s (also our Lord’s) conclusion of the matter. “for the children of this world are in their generationwiser than the children of light.”

The recommendation of Christ Himself. “And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.”

But what saith the scriptures concerning this matter?

“Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be ye not therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.” “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” Eph. 5:6-8,11.

If you have read the articles on the other parables in this cluster [the Lost Sheep, the Lost Son, the Lost Silver, the Rich Man and Lazarus], you may already know where we’re going. But here’s a refresher in a nutshell.

In the parable of the lost sheep we have “publicans and sinners” who drew near to hear Him; also Pharisees and scribes. The occasion for the parable: the Pharisees murmured, “This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them.” Notice carefully our Lord’s words. “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness. . .” It is what “they” would do; leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness. Thankfully, it is not what the Great Shepherd of the sheep would do. “for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” Heb. 13:5. The lost sheep being found “he layeth it on his shoulders.” “And when he cometh home. . .(not back to the wilderness where the ninety and nine are.) “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over onesinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance.” And who might that be, a just person who needs no repentance? Do not the scriptures say, “For all have sinned. . .there is none righteous, no, not one. . .there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. . .there is none that doeth good, no, not one -- that is, except for the Pharisees:they are exempt; they are “just persons which need no repentance!”

In the parable of the lost son; he left with the “portion of goods that falleth to me,” he wasted it with riotous living. Upon his homecoming, the father joyfully received him: “welcome home, son!” The elder son, however, was anything but pleased. When addressing the father he argued, “this thy son. . .which hath devoured thy living with harlots.” “And he was angry and would not go in [to the celebration of the homecoming of his brother.] He was in direct conflict and disobedient to his father’s wishes. Yet he had the audacity to confront his father with this declaration: “Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment.” Well, he just now broke the first one then, by coming against his father! And of course, this is another picture of the Pharisees; for they have never at any time transgressed any of God’s commandments; they keep the Law!

Then there’s the rich man. He is very religious: Abraham is his Father; and he is the “Son” of Abraham. Again, our Lord’s use of satire. The rich man cries out, “Father Abraham” and Abraham addresses him as “Son.” The irony of it all: Abraham in heaven and the rich man in hell. What’s he doing there? Couldn’t Abraham save him? “Father Abraham, have mercy on me!” He’s a bit late. Actually he might have considered calling on the God of Abraham for mercy. (In that they know not God, they seemingly deified Abraham, enthroning him as god.) Jesus had said unto them, “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. . .Ye are of your father the devil.” Speaking of works: Lazarus, a beggar lay outside the rich man’s gate. Lazarus might have laid this charge to him: “For I was hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked and ye clothed me not: sick. . . Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not unto me. And these shall go into everlasting punishment. . .” This entire episode is laced with satire.

Again; “Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” Mr. Rich Man! Lazarus, the beggar, with all his sores? Aren't you afraid of being defiled?

“Father Abraham. . .send him [Lazarus] to my father’s house. . .” Well, it seems that the rich man (Pharisee) still holds to a bodily Resurrection! “If one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.”“If they hear not Moses and the prophets neither will [not would] they be persuaded though One rose from the dead.” Ironically, another “Lazarus” the brother of Mary and Martha was raised from the dead. The rich man’s brothers [Pharisees] did not believe, rather sought to kill him that Jesus had raised!

“though One rose from the dead?” “The God of Abraham and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus . . .But ye denied the Holy One and the Just . . .and killed the Prince of Life, whom the Father hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses” Acts 3:13-15. “Neither will they be persuaded though One [Christ] rose from the dead.”

As our Lord freely employed the use of satire in the other parables, it would seem strange if he did not do so in the parable of the unjust steward.

Returning to that scripture: “the lord commended the unjust steward. . .he had done wisely. . .the children of this world . . . are wiser than the children of light.” “And I [Christ] say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness” [totally against the teaching of Jesus, and they knew it!] “that when ye fail [and you will] they may receive you into everlasting habitation. If you will not serve the Living God, then go ahead, serve the god of mammon. After all, he possesses infinite power! He will provide for you an everlasting habitation! The “everlasting habitation” can be no less than Hell itself. Examine it closely. This scripture is heavy laden with satire. What is satire? “The exposing of vice or folly - especially by wit, mockery, ridicule, derision.”

From verse ten and on the satire is over. Jesus addresses the Pharisees in no uncertain terms: “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?” Mr. Pharisee, [likewise Judas Iscariot] you are the unjust steward. Yet you think yourself to receive an inheritance, that God will entrust you with things eternal; that He will commit to your trust the true riches: it’s not going to happen!

“No servant can serve two masters. . .Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

And the Pharisees also, which were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.” That is, they attempted to do unto Him as He had just done unto them; by the use of satire. The “Stone” fell upon them: “Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name have done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” Matt. 7:22-23. These, like Judas, and like the unjust steward, will not heed the instruction of Christ: “No servant can serve two masters. . .Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”