What a strange thing for which to praise someone! How is it possible to build any kind of positive spiritual principle on the unethical actions of a dishonest manager?
The main character in this parable is a man whom Jesus refers to as a “dishonest manager”. (Luke 16:8). His downfall began because he handled his master’s assets in a wasteful way. A credible accusation against him reached the ears of his wealthy boss, who subsequently gave him his termination notice and ordered a full audit.
By his own admission, he was not cut out for a ditch-digging job, and he was too proud to beg. So he opted instead to cheat the rich man even more. He forgave large debts—in effect, stealing from the master in order to win friends and purchase favours, thereby insuring that when the rich man finally threw him out, he would be received by people who would now be in his debt.
Jesus refers to the man as a “dishonest manager.” There are no hidden details that would put this man’s immoral and unethical actions in a better light. If we are shocked at the surprise ending, that’s what He intended. The main audience here was the disciples. This is a discipleship message. This is for believers.
We might expect this parable to end like the story of the other wicked steward in Matthew 24:50-51: “The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” But no. “The master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly” (Luke 16:8). Until that point in the story, it was pretty easy to sympathize with the rich man. He seemed merely a victim.
It is important to understand that unlike the master in Matthew 25:24-51 or the lord in Matthew 25: 14-30, the rich man in this story is not a figure of Christ. The rich man in this parable meant to punish the steward for being wasteful. He certainly did not approve of the man’s disloyalty. He doesn’t applaud the dishonest manager’s lack of honor. What he commended was the man’s forward-looking ingenuity. The steward’s plan, though underhanded, was ingenious. The cleverness of the scheme was what elicited the master’s admiration. The steward took careful advantage of a brief and fleeting opportunity. He manipulated what resources were temporarily in his power to achieve ends that were to his long-term advantage.
The dishonest manager showed amazing foresight. He tried to secure his future. Then Jesus plainly states His whole point. “The sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8). “Sons of this world” are those who have no part and no interest in the kingdom of God. They have nothing to look forward to except the remaining years of their earthly lives. But they are more concerned and more clever when it comes to securing an advantageous future for their retirement years than the “sons of light,” who have an eternal future to prepare for.
The expression “sons of light,” is a common New Testament phrase that designates true disciples of Christ. Surely “sons of light,” bound for eternity, ought to be more active, more zealous, more mindful, more wise about redeeming the time, preparing for the future, and laying up treasure in heaven.
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