3.19 The Unjust Steward
XIX. THE UNJUST STEWARD.
Luke 16:1 - Luke 16:9. The words with which this parable is introduced, “ and He also said to His disciples,” imply that it was not spoken on the same occasion as the parables in the preceding chapter. By the term “ disciples “ here we cannot understand the narrower circle of the followers of Jesus who had renounced all things for His sake, since the injunction, “ make to yourselves friends with the mammon of iniquity,” would be out of place if addressed to men who had nothing with which they might give alms. The lesson of the parable is that riches are rightly and profitably used when they are devoted to succouring the needs of the poor. To illustrate this truth, Jesus took an incident from ordinary life; and as this incident does not admit of being treated as an allegory beyond what is indicated in verse 9, He regarded the moral aspect of the course adopted by the chief actor in it as a matter of indifference for the purpose He had in view. THE PARABLES OF JESUS 193 A certain man had a steward, and this man was accused to him that he was wasting his goods. The context shows that the steward was not a slave, but a freeman charged with the supervision and administration of his master’s estate. His lord called him, and said to him: “What is this that I hear of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be steward no longer.” We are not told whether the master examined the charge and satisfied himself as to its truth; the introduction of such particulars would have been irrelevant. He has, however, made up his mind, and the reckoning which the steward is called on to give is the final one that he must render before quitting his office.
He is thunderstruck at the accusation, and makes no attempt to defend himself. When alone again, like the experienced and practical man that he* is, his first thought is to cast about for some means of subsistence in the altered position in which he will soon find himself. He was not one of those men who are careful to enrich themselves at the expense of their employers; his administration at the worst was only wasteful and extravagant, not
13 194 THE PARABLES OF JESUS systematically corrupt. Seeing himself now destitute of resources with which to face the future, and every way to an honest living barred against him, he communes with himself, “ What shall I do, since my lord taketh away from me the stewardship? I am unable to dig, to beg I am ashamed.” His strength is unequal to the strain which hard manual labour would involve, and he shrinks from becoming a common mendicant. He doubt less feels with Ben Sira (xl. 28 1) that it would be better to be dead than a beggar. A thought now strikes him: “I know what I will do, that when I am put out of the steward ship they may receive me into their houses.”
What follows will show whom he has in mind.
He is not yet actually removed from his office, though the step has been definitely resolved on; and he will now employ to the best advantage the short time that remains to him before he is turned adrift. He thereupon called each one of his lord’s debtors apart, it must be understood and he said to the first: “ How much owest thou my lord?” He answered, “ A hundred barrels of oil.” The steward said: “ Take thy bond, and sit down quickly I LXX. THE PARABLES OF JESUS 195 and write fifty.” He hands back the bond or acknowledgment of the debt which he had received from the debtor, and he bids him alter it, either by changing on the old bond the amount of the value received, or, lest any alterations or erasures might look suspicious, by writing out a new one. As a rule, the debtor himself wrote out the acknowledgment of the debt. To another he said: “ How much dost thou owe?” He replied: “A hundred quarters of wheat.” “ Take thy bond,” said the steward, “ and write eighty.” The Hebrew liquid measure the bath, which we have rendered by “ barrel,” contained about six and a half gallons, and the dry measure cor, translated “ quarter,” about eight bushels. The steward, though he has the bonds in his hand, is represented as inquiring the amount of each one’s indebtedness, simply for the purpose of informing the reader, so that he may understand what follows. There were, of course, more than two debtors: the two who are introduced serve as specimens. The steward had formed a very poor opinion of their honesty, and so he had no misgiving about their willingness to fall in with his plans.
196 THE PARABLES OF JESUS
These, indeed, came eventually to the know ledge of his master, and this served the purpose of the parable by eliciting from the latter a commendation of his servant’s prudence; but we are not told that the information came from the debtors. Anyhow, his master praised him, for which the reason is assigned that the sons of this world are wiser among themselves, in their mutual relations, than the sons of the light. Jesus recommends, not the action of the steward for our imitation, but the wisdom which inspired it: that the action deserved censure appears from His praise of the sons of the light. By “ this world “ or “ this age “the pre-Messianic age is to be understood, a period of sin, and moral and spiritual darkness, and misery. With the men of this age “ the sons of the light,” those who have received the spiritual illumination of the Gospel (John 12:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:5; Ephesians 5:8), are contrasted. The former are wiser among themselves than the latter; like the unjust steward, they know the character of one another, and in consequence how far they may reckon on receiving help for their schemes and plans. The sons of the light THE PARABLES OF JESUS 197 would not have fallen in with the steward’s proposal; much less would they have been guilty of such conduct among themselves.
They have, however, a wisdom of their own, the characteristics of which are enumerated in James 3:17. Still, they can learn a lesson from the unjust steward; and it will be well with them if in the domain of their own life they show the same prudence, determination, and energy, in the pursuit of good as he did in the pursuit of evil. Jesus concludes with the exhortation: “ Make to yourselves friends with the mammon of iniquity, that when it shall fail they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles.” The friends are the poor who in their lifetime were the recipients of the alms. Just as the debtors befriended by the steward were able to show him hospitality, so the poor here are represented as already in the eternal tabernacles, where they will welcome those who have been their benefactors in a former life. Mammon is an Aramaic word, with cognate words in Hebrew and Punic, and signifies riches. Here the idea of riches is qualified by the notion of iniquity or injustice, not in the restrictive sense, as if 198 THE PARABLES OF JESUS there were other riches which did not deserve to be thus qualified, and with which we were not bound to procure ourselves friends. The notion of iniquity attaches to riches in general, inasmuch as in their acquisition or possession or employment some element of a sinful nature is usually found. Riches would fail either at the moment of the Parousia or at the hour of death; and according as we have one or the other term in mind, the eternal tabernacles are those of the Messianic Kingdom or those in heaven respectively.
TAGS: [Parables]