Luke 16:4-9 4I know what I will do so that when I am removed from management, they may welcome me into their houses.’ 5And summoning each one of his master’s debtors, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sitting down quickly write fifty.’ 7Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and write eighty.’ 8The master praised the unrighteous manager because he acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
The manager had to come up with a plan because he knew he was in trouble. He would soon be out on the streets with no job and no means of getting a job. The outlook was very bleak for him. Behind the phrase in verse 4 stands the significant social force of shame. He would be shamed before others because of his poor financial management of the master’s property. He figured he would need to rely on the generosity of others if he was going to survive.
Another social feature behind this verse is patron and client. The manager needed to get on the good side of people and do something for them so that they would do something for him. He could be their patron by “fixing” the books about their debts to the master. If he could somehow lower their debt, they would like him. He was the patron and they were the clients. The roles would soon be reversed as he would be a very needy client and they would be the patrons who could provide him food and shelter.
All these thoughts were going on in his mind as he worked out his plan beginning in verse 5. As manager, he may have had the responsibility of keeping track of what people owed his master, but he had not taken kept records. He needed to ask the debtors how much they owed. At least the debtors were honest enough to state what they owed. These outsiders were more honest and responsible than the manager. So the manage had an idea about cutting what the people owed. His motive was so that the debtors would welcome him to their homes and provide for him after he got fired by the master. The manager was very crafty in all this, showing his dishonesty once again. The debtors must have been quite happy to have a lower bill.
Verse 8 could be could be translated in several ways. The word praised (epēnesen) could be interpreted as “admired” or “impressed.” Another word to note is shrewdly (phronimōs), which only occurs here as an adverb but is related to wisdom, prudent, and thoughtful (12:42; 1 Corinthians 4:10; 10:15). Shrewdness does not need to be interpreted here as a positive attribute but a negative one because of sly scheming of the manager. The manager had finally impressed the master with doing something smart, but it did not help the outcome. The master saw that the manager finally acted when the pressure was on him. Jesus describes the manager as unrighteous (adikaias) because of all he had done or not done in his position of caring for the master’s property. His unrighteousness was on full display by how he continued to cheat on the master by cutting the debt of people. At least the master would get some of his property back.
Jesus then applies the parable and hints at the intended application. The people of this age act thoughtfully and carefully with one another in order to get ahead and serve themselves. People of God’s kingdom (sons of light) need to have the same type of motivation when sharing the gospel. If we have money, use it to make friends and build relationships so that they can hear the gospel. When our money runs out, at least we will plant the seed of the gospel in their hearts. This story has a lesson about having positive influence on people. Use the opportunities we have while we have them.
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