Luke 16:1-15 · The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
A Good Picture of Bad People
Luke 16:1-15
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He also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a steward, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be a steward.’ And the steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewardship.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master? He said, 'A hundred measures of oil' And he said to him, ‘Take your bill and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then 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.’ The master commended the dishonest steward for his prudence; for the sons of this world are wiser in their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations.

"He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in 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 he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

This parable is about bad people, those who are sometimes referred to as the "sons of this world." The leading characters are an unjust land owner, an unjust steward and a group of unjust debtors. The land owner was a Jew, and for that reason, he was not supposed to lend out money. Therefore, he hid behind an agent, a steward, to break the laws of his religious faith. The steward was grafting so much of the money for himself or mismanaging it so miserably that the land owner was suffering a business loss. The debtors were so anxious to get out of their debts at a reduced rate that they gladly entered into a conspiracy to pay less. All of the characters in this drama are presented as the "sons of this world."

On the other hand, the parable produces no pictures of good people, those who are often referred to as the "sons of light." There are no honorable people in this parable. This is so upsetting that some scholars have felt obligated to offer remedies or excuses. For example, some scholars suggest that all of the verses which belong in the passage are not included, while others indicate that some of the verses which are included were not a part of the original text and were added by editors. At least one scholar suggests that the whole parable may have been told as comic relief. Personally, I find no reason to apologize for this parable which features the "sons of this world."

Perhaps we have the story just the way Jesus told it. In an effort to help us see clearly the ways and workings of the "sons of this world," he painted a picture which shows the cunningness and shrewdness of evil. Such a picture can be very helpful since at times it is most difficult to be able to tell the good guys from the bad guys, good from evil, "the sons of this world" from the "sons of light." Furthermore, even if we are able to discern good from evil, it is difficult to maintain a proper respect for the power of evil.

When I was a youth, I went to the movies, and I always came away from the theater knowing who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. The good guys usually wore fine clothing, rode white horses, used better English, had wholesome faces, and were nicer to their animals. Their saddles were often studded with jeweled stones. Many signs were given to help me understand who was good and who was bad.

Now as an adult, things are not nearly as clear and simplistic. I went to see a movie recently, and it was so complicated that it was several hours before I realized who was good and who was bad. And still I have some doubts about my conclusions.

In this parable, Jesus is telling us that evil is very cunning and shrewd. It is camouflaged so perfectly that we sometimes have difficulty recognizing it. It’s not just a matter of knowing who are the good guys and the bad guys on the movie screen, but it is also difficult to differentiate between good and evil in our own lives. Good and evil live side by side and sometimes appear to be identical twins.

Shortly after a new United States President was elected, a broker called a friend of mine to suggest that he buy a certain stock. My friend questioned that broker about the stock. What made it so attractive at this time? Why the hot tip? In the conversation the broker revealed that he was recommending this stock because it was going to increase in value as a result of the president’s emphasis on military build-up. This stock was going to increase in value as we escalated our military strength.

What should my friend have done? Should he have invested to make money for himself and his family? After all, his small investment would not have encouraged the military build-up. In fact, the build-up would have happened whether or not he invested. What should he have done? What was right? The battle raged in his mind. The "players" in the "game" became blurred. Sometimes it is difficult to know what it right.

Jesus gives us this parable to help us understand our world and the attractiveness of evil. Listen to the message. At the end of the story, everyone was happy and enthusiastic although wrong had prevailed throughout. In many circles this would be seen as a success story. The end would have justified the means.

The land owner was happy because he had recouped some of his money. He was so pleased that he did an "about face" concerning his steward. He complimented him although a few days earlier he was ready to dismiss this employee and ruin the steward’s life in the business community. The steward was happy because he had saved his reputation in the business community, and he was going to have some friends and the security of a roof over his head. The debtors were happy because they got out of debt with a partial payment. It reads like a success story, and sometimes we are tempted to call these people good and their deeds noble.

It is so difficult to tell the "sons of this world" from the "sons of light" that we confuse evil and good. Evil is that cunning. Evil is that shrewd. How quickly and quietly it invades the garden of goodness. It is like a snake in the grass. Consequently, in this parable, Jesus gives us a clear picture of evil in our world so we can learn to respect its influence and power and be able to identify it and cope with it.

If we are unaware of what we confront, we will not be able to survive. If Jesus were here today, he would still be issuing these kinds of warnings although the words he used and the pictures he drew would be different. He might very well choose the words and imagery of Kurt Vonnegut.

In his make-believe style this contemporary author writes about Tralfamadore where the creatures of that land were not nearly as dependable as the machines. They were not as efficient, predictable or as durable. The creatures had the idea that every creature had to have a purpose, and that some purposes were greater than others.

This was such a pressing issue that the creatures spent more and more time trying to figure out their purpose. Whenever they solved the riddle, however, and came up with a purpose, it seemed to be so low that the creatures were embarrassed and ashamed. Faced with this dilemma, they decided to make machines to serve their purpose. This benefit gave the creatures even more time to seek and serve higher purposes.

They discovered higher purposes but were always frustrated because even the higher purposes were not high enough to satisfy them. So they kept making machines to serve a higher purpose and continued to seek still higher purposes for themselves.

The machines were so efficient and accurate that they were finally given the job of figuring out what the highest purpose of the creatures might be. The machines reported that the creatures did not have any purpose at all. This report increased the frustrations of the creatures to the point where they began killing one another. They could not live with their purposelessness. The creatures hated that above all else.

And they discovered that they weren’t even very good at slaying. So they turned that job over to the machines, too. And the machines finished up the job in less time than it takes to say, "Tralfamadore."

Evil comes in many sizes, shapes and colors and blends so perfectly into life that we sometimes call it good. Jesus wants us to see that and to be forewarned about this power set loose in our world. In this sense, the parable is beautiful. It is a warning from one who loves us and does not want to see us confused or hurt.

Another thought needs to be shared. The story is being told by the Son of Light. The characters in the story are the sons of this world, but the story is being told by the Son of Light. Herein lies our hope. We are not alone as we struggle against the powerful forces of evil in our world. The Son of Light is with us not just to help identify evil but to help us overcome this power in our lives. This is good news. Jesus is not merely the one who says, "Don’t fall;" he is the one who says, "I’ll help you to stand." The Son of Light is a source of strength. How clearly and powerfully this imagery must have spoken to those who heard the parable.

Our nation’s governors had gathered in Los Angeles, California, in 1966 for their third annual conference when President Lyndon Johnson, eager to gather support for his Vietnam War policy, sent a "truth squad" to enlist the governors’ support. This was needed to show our nation and the world that we were totally and completely committed to the Vietnam effort. This same support was sought from the governors in their 1965 meeting, but two governors (Hatfield from Oregon and Romney from Michigan) had refused to vote with the majority who supported the war. This year the White House wanted NO dissenters.

Momentum gathered, and it became obvious that the governors were going to overwhelmingly support the president’s request. Governor Mark Hatfield shared with some of his colleagues that he could not vote for the statement, and most of these friends pleaded with him to change his mind or at least not be present while the vote was being taken. They advised that it would be for his own political good. But Governor Hatfield stayed to cast his vote, and this is how he describes the scene and some of his feelings.

One after the other the "aye" votes sounded in the hushed room. As the roll call came nearer ... the room began to seem to me like one vast sound chamber with the "ayes" pounding monotonously against the wall ...

My wife Antoinette was in the room, sharing the moment of trial. As in a dream I could see the photographers methodically manipulating their cameras, making ready to close in on me. The room was enormously quiet when Oregon was called. I did not know how I would sound when the moment came to answer. I found my voice and said "No." My "No" was neither mean nor bitter nor antagonistic. It was simply "No."

It was all over then ... when the vote was tallied, as the whole room well knew, the result was 49-1 in favor ...2

Where does a man find the courage to take this kind of stand? Where did this man find the strength to stand alone for what he thought was right, knowing that it could have meant political disaster and demise? The source of this man’s strength and courage is the Son of Light, Jesus Christ.

A former Senator from Iowa, Harold Hughes, summed it up like this: "Christ is so much in the center of Hatfield’s life that he couldn’t make a decision without it having an effect. I don’t think you can separate the man from his Christ."3

The parable is about the sons of this world, but it is told by the Son of Light, who is our greatest hope as we attempt to withstand the shrewd and cunning invitations of evil.

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