The Unjust Steward

Too long; please open your Bible. Luke 16: 1-13

Allegory or Analogy

Attempts to treat this parable as a symbolic allegory fail. The rich man is not God; his steward is neither Jesus nor his disciples. The reason is obvious in the text and the persons represented.

Instead, it is an analogy—a story that contrasts worldly shrewdness with kingdom stewardship.

Kingdom Stewardship

In verse 9, Jesus shares an application of the parable with His disciples—and, by extension, with us—revealing how our stewardship should align with kingdom principles.

Faithful stewardship has always been crucial to our walk with God and our pursuit of true riches (salvation).

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality. Col 3:23–25 (NASB).

Too long; please open your Bible. 1 Peter 4:7–11 (NLT)

Too long; please open your Bible. 1 Cor 4:1–13

Meaning of the Parable

Upon closer examination, the text presents an analogy illustrating how a person of this unrighteous age shrewdly secures their well-being during a crisis. In contrast, it teaches how those in God’s kingdom should use wealth wisely to safeguard their eternal future.

The key to understanding this parable lies in verse 9.

I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it’s gone, you will be welcomed into eternal homes.” Luke 16:9 (CEB)

Too long; please open your Bible. Matthew 19: 16-29

The parable ends with some sayings that are echoed in other places in Scripture, emphasizing the principle of faithfulness in stewardship.

He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.
“Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?
“And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?
“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Luke 16:10–13 (NASB)

“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ Matthew 25:21 (NLT)

‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’ Luke 19: 17 (NLT)

Too long; please open your Bible. Matthew 6: 19-24

Eschatological Overtones

Notably, the master did not commend the steward’s dishonesty—which was the reason for his dismissal—but rather his shrewdness and resourcefulness in a time of crisis.

Similarly, we face our own eschatological crisis, where there is a constant temptation to straddle the standards of this world and those of God’s kingdom.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 (CEB)

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. 1 Peter 2: 11-12 (NLT)

Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind. Isaiah 58: 7 - 8 (NLT)

Don't love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them. Everything that is in the world—the craving for whatever the body feels, the craving for whatever the eyes see and the arrogant pride in one's possessions—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world and its cravings are passing away, but the person who does the will of God remains forever. I John 2: 15-17 (CEB)

Giving alms alone falls short of capturing Jesus’s concerns. Instead, He emphasizes the astute and purposeful use of wealth and possessions in light of the kingdom and the coming judgment.

Too long; please open your Bible. Luke 12: 13-33

What then should we do?

Plan for and use possessions with a kingdom mindset—aligning our actions with kingdom values. We should treat possessions (riches) as temporary and insignificant compared to true, lasting riches. Always remember that we will give an account of how we steward our resources and lives as disciples of Jesus.

If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it. For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself Matthew 16: 24-26

Too long; please open your Bible. Act 4: 33-35, 6: 1-4

We are called to demonstrate kindness through the way we use our possessions.

Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. Luke 12:33 (NASB)

We MUST prioritize God’s Kingdom above the standards and priorities of this world. We MUST choose to serve God rather than being enslaved to Mammon.

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.“ Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it! Matthew 13: 44-46 (NLT)

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God. Luke 16: 13-15 (NLT)

Too long; please open your Bible. 1 Timothy 6: 2-19