The Parable of the Shrewd

Manager
Luke 16:1-13
 The Characters
• Master – owns the resources
• Manager – manages the resources

BOTH are wicked and dishonest

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Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man
whose manager was accused of wasting his
The steward is being possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked
released for him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an
mismanagement, not fraud account of your management, because you
cannot be manager any longer.’
 The steward realizing that
“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My
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he will soon be without a master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig,
job, makes some shrewd and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that,
deals behind his master’s when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their
back by reducing the debt houses.’
owed by several debtors in “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked
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exchange for shelter the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
“‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.
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When the master becomes

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly,
aware of what the wicked and make it four hundred and fifty.’
servant had done, he
“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
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commended him for his
“shrewdness” “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
Shrewd: having or “The master commended the dishonest manager because he
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showing sharp powers of had acted shrewdly. 

judgement
 Jesus is drawing a contrast
between the “sons of the
world” (i.e., unbelievers)
and the “sons of light” For the people of this world are more
(believers) shrewd in dealing with their own kind than
Unbelievers are wiser in are the people of the light. 
the things of this world
than believers are about the
things of the world to come

 Jesus is encouraging His
followers to be generous
with their wealth in this life
so that in the life to come
their new friends will
receive them “into eternal
dwellings.”
Worldly wealth: the
corrupting influence
wealth can have that often
leads people to commit
unrighteous acts
I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain
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friends for yourselves, so that when it is
gone, you will be welcomed into eternal
dwellings.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little
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can also be trusted with much, and whoever
is dishonest with very little will also be
dishonest with much.11 So if you have not
been trustworthy in handling worldly
wealth, who will trust you with true
riches? 12 And if you have not been
trustworthy with someone else’s property,
who will give you property of your own?
• The principle that Jesus is
trying to convey is one of a
just steward rather than an
unjust one.

The unjust steward saw his “Whoever can be trusted with very little can
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master’s resources as a
also be trusted with much, and whoever is
means for his own personal
enjoyment and advancement.
dishonest with very little will also be dishonest
with much.11 So if you have not been
trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who
Jesus wants His followers will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you
to be just, righteous have not been trustworthy with someone else’s
stewards.  property, who will give you property of your
own?
God is the owner of
everything and that we are
His stewards. As such, we
are to use the Master’s
resources to further the
Master’s goals.
• If God is our Master, then
our wealth will be at His “No one can serve two masters. Either
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disposal. In other words,
the faithful and just you will hate the one and love the other, or
steward whose Master is you will be devoted to the one and despise
God will employ that the other. You cannot serve both God and
wealth in building up the
kingdom of God. money.”
 Reflection
• God appreciates human creativity
• Not for dishonest purposes, but for Kingdom purposes
• Jesus wants us to use our resources (e.g. money, possessions,
influence) to creatively advance his cause in the world
 Reflection

• What are we doing, as individual or group to be

shrewd managers of God’s Kingdom?

Shrewd: having or showing sharp powers of judgement (creativity)