JESUS AND THE PARABLES! The Rich Man and The Steward.
A Parable! What is a parable?
It is a story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.
Today, we are going to take a close look at the 3 parables in Luke chapter 16. Step by step, we are going to explore and discover their many hidden lessons.
Luke 16:1-2 reads, “He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward”.
TRANSLATION.
There once was a rich man who had a steward (Manager). One day, someone came and told him that his Manager, was giving away his goods for free (stealing). So the rich man called up his Manager, saying “what is this i am hearing about you? explain yourself” or you can no longer keep your position as Manager.
Luke 16:3-4 reads, “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’
TRANSLATION.
Then the steward started thinking to himself. “What am i going to do? My boss is going to take away my position as Manager! I cannot lie and i am ashamed to beg”. “I know what to do, so that when i lose my job, “they” (the customers) might give me shelter in their homes.
Luke 16:5-7 reads, “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So 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?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty”.
TRANSLATION.
So the Manager decided to call up all the customers that couldn’t pay their bills to meet with his Boss. He then said to the first customer, “how much do you owe my Boss?” And he replied ” A hundred measures of oil”. So the Manager said to him ” Take your bill, sit down quickly and write down fifty”. Then he said to another customer, ” How much do you owe?” The customer replied “A hundred measures of wheat”. Then the Manager said to him “Take your bill and write down eighty.
Luke 16:8 reads, “So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light”.
TRANSLATION.
So the Boss (rich man), commended the unjust Manager because he had dealt shrewdly (wisely). Meaning, he dealt with the situation appropriately.
What does it mean to be shrewd?
It is the ability to appropriately or properly judge a situation.
LETS FILL IN THE GAPS…IMPORTANT QUESTIONS!
In order for us to understand the parable above, we should first try to understand the type of person Jesus was and what type of personality he had. He was loving, understanding, merciful and he loved to speak in parables!
He would say things in words that are easy to understand and in sentences that seem to mean one thing, but sometimes mean more! And on occasions, he would leave out certain details and information for his followers and disciples to fill in the gap through proper reasoning, considerations, and spiritual knowledge.
Note :- He did Not speak in parables because he wanted to look smart or because he thought he was better in any way, shape or form.
1. Why didn’t the Manager beg to keep his job and why was he full of shame?
The Manager didn’t want to beg his boss because he knew he had betrayed his trust. Although he did not lie, he also didn’t tell him about the customers who couldn’t pay their bills.
2. Why did the manager allow some customers to leave without paying their bills?
The Manager was a religious man and he acted according to the scripture. He showed compassion and mercy for others.
3. Why did the Manager call up the customers who couldn’t pay their bills to meet with his boss?
Well, he did this for several reasons!
A. He wanted those customers to plead their cases. Basically, he wanted them to explain why they couldn’t pay their bills to his boss.
B. He wanted the boss to understand his reasoning. He wanted his boss to know that he wasn’t “wasting his goods” or stealing from him.
4. Why did the Manager ask the customers to write down less than they owed?
The answer lies with the boss!
In luke 16:5, it reads “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him,”. The whole sentence points to the boss (rich man), actually being present when the Manager called up the customers. The boss did not leave after asking the Manager (steward), to explain himself. Instead, the Manager was the one who left or sent someone to call the customers to meet with his boss.
That being said, the Manager asked the customers to write down less than what they owed because his boss gave him authority to do so. That being the case, this also points to the character of the boss. He showed mercy to those who couldn’t afford to pay off their debts. He didn’t ask them to pay back everything, and he didn’t add any interest on what they owed. Instead he gave them a discount.
5. Why did the boss commend the Manager?
The boss commended the Manager for several reasons.
A. The Manager had enough insight to be leanient towards the customers who could not afford to pay for food (Wheat and oil).
B. As a result of the Manager’s actions, trust and loyalty was established between the boss, and those in debt.
Think about it! As human beings, When someone shows us leniency, there is usually a feeling of gratitude that follows. What ever negative perspective of that individual we may have had in the past usually changes to a positive one and we often feel inclined to return the act of kindness.
The customers in luke 16:1-7, were already unable to pay their bills. So when the boss reduced their debts, a feeling of gratitude and relief ensued. They may not have the money to pay off their debts But they can show their grattitude in other ways. E.g they can express their gratefulness by telling other people about his business, which will in turn bring in more customers. Word of mouth is powerful!
THE PARABLE OF THE SONS OF LIGHT!
Part of Luke 16:8 reads, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light”.
6. What did Jesus mean by the sentence above?
Well… first of all, when he says ” For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation”, he is talking about the Boss and the Manager because they were both able to make good and appropriate decisions. The Manager treated the poor and needy with love and kindness, even at the risk of losing his job. The boss in turn, followed suit by reducing their debts. Both Men learned something about each other aswell. The boss learned that his Manager was a good man, he was righteous, and had humility. He realized that although the manager didn’t inform him about the customers who couldnt pay, his intentions were not bad and that he was coming from a good place. The Manager learned that his Boss had a good heart because he reduced the customers debts, didnt charge them interest, and allowed him (the Manager) to keep his Job. The Boss also gave the Manager a chance to explain himself regardless of the allegations brought against him. Hence both men were able to come to an understanding. God is good!
Secondly, who are “The Sons of Light”?
The Sons of Light, (also known as The Essenes), were a sect (group) of Jews that established a community in a city called Qumrān, in the Judaean desert during the first half of the 2nd century BC. They thought of themselves as the holy elect of Israel, and believed that they were soldiers of God, who would eventually engage in a catastrophic war against “The sons of darkness” (the enemies of Isreal), at the end of time. Although Jesus, was alive during their time period and generation, they did not recognize or realize that he was the long awaited “Messiah”.
If we consider the information above, it is evident that Jesus and “The Sons of Light” did not agree when it came to some of their judgements and decision making.
Note:- Jesus is NOT condoning lies because technically, the Manager did not lie to his boss. Instead, he neglected to appropriately relay the information regarding the customers who couldn’t pay their bills. Remember, a manager is responsible for making many decisions.
When you are put in a position of stewardship or management, you are given the authority to make wise and appropriate decisions on behalf of the business/company. Granted, the manager should have consulted with his boss before making “this” particular decision because it directly impacted the profits of the business. If the manager had properly informed the Boss of the situation, he wouldn’t have gotten the wrong impression when he was told that the manager was wasting (stealing) his Goods. Also, who ever told the boss that the manager was “wasting his goods”, could have done it out of spite or he/she did not have the correct information and simply thought that they were actually helping the boss by bringing the information to him.
THE PARABLE OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS MAMMON!
Luke 16:9 reads, “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail they may receive you into an everlasting home”.
7. What is the meaning of “unrighteous mammon”? It means to acquire wealth unlawfully or unrighteously.
8. What did Jesus, mean by the parable of “The unrighteous mammon”?
When Jesus, says “untighteous Mammon”, he is actually telling us that “The rich man” acquired his wealth through unrighteous or unlawful means. Even so, he still had goodness in his heart. When Jesus says “make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon”, he is being sarcastic. Yes, Jesus lived as a human beign and he had a personality! Jesus wasn’t actually telling his disciples to go and make friends with people that came about their wealth unrighteously or unlawfully. He was actually telling them not to judge a book by its covers. Just because someone did something wrong or bad, doesn’t mean that they are completely full of wickedness or that they can’t atone or make amends . As we clearly see, in Luke 16:1-7, the rich man ended up being kind to his steward and his customers. He may have acquired his wealth unrighteously or unlawfully, but he had enough goodness in his heart to show kindness to those who needed it.
As human beigns, we sometimes make false judgements and assumptions. We can look at a person or their condition and immediately pass judgement without proper consideration. We forget that nobody is perfect and that we all make mistakes. We stumble everyday without meaning to and yet, when we ask for forgiveness yarweh forgives us. He embraces us with love and kindness! Regardless of what we know or think we know about someone, we should do our best not to pass judgement. I know it may seem impossible! But what seems impossible is indeed possible! Afterall, Yarweh is the God of all possibilities and impossibilities.
9. Why did Jesus, tell this parable to his disciples in public?
He did this because he wanted his disciples and those present (pharisees), to truly understand what he was saying from a spiritual stand point. He was basically trying to send a message to the pharisees. He wanted them to look in the mirror before judging others.
Luke 15:1-2 reads, “Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them”.
Note :- In order to fully understand what took place, please read through Luke Chapter 15.
Note:- Many of the pharisees held positions as religious leaders. but unfortunately they used their power to belittle others and exalt themselves. Many of them believed that they knew who God was and that they could predict his decitions. This can also be thought of as self-deception. Outwardly, they looked good and seemed to do all the right things but inside, they were full of pride, arrogance and wickedness. Which eventually led to spiritual blindness.
In conclusion, i think it is safe to say that God is the only one that truly knows what’s in a person’s heart. He alone passes judgement on the living and the dead, for he is Alpha and Omega. The one and only true God, Jehovah!
Romans 14:10-13 reads, “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way”.
Father God, we come to you today not as adults, but as children seeking your guidance in our lives. We pray that you help us not to judge a person by the looks. We glorify and exalt your name. Blessed is the day you came to be. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
You are all Blessed.
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