Expert: Dr Don Howe - 12/22/2011

Question
Dr Howe,

In Luke 16:8, Jesus "commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." I just wonder why an unjust steward's way of the world should be exemplified?

Thanks.

Eddie

Answer
Eddie, thank you for your question. To understatnd Luke 16:8 in full context one needs to look at all the verses. Luke 16:1 states "Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions." In the NASB a manager is another name of steward. The rich man had reported to him that his steward was squandering his money and possessions.

Luke 16:2 states "And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager." When the steward knows that he will be called into account, he knows that he can never pass the scrutiny of his master.

Luke 16:3 states "The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg." He also knows that other options are unattractive to him "I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg."

Luke 16:4 states "'I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.'" The steward gets to thinking about his situation if he removed from the rich man's house, but he thinks he has found away to get people look favorable on him.

Luke 16:5-6 states "And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' And 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?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He [!] said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty." So, the steward makes friends with his master’s debtors by settling their accounts for less than they actually owe. The steward, knowing he will be called to account, used his present position to prepare him for the next stage of his life.

Luke 16:8 states "'And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light." Eddie, while not approving his conduct, the master did in fact approve the steward’s shrewdness.
 But the question comes up How could Jesus use such an obviously dishonest man as an example for His disciples?  God uses evil things that we are familiar with to illustrate a particular point, without praising the thing itself. Other examples of this principle are when Paul used things like war and slavery as illustrations of the Christian life.

 Jesus assessment is correct when he states "for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light."

 Jesus point of 16:8 is: if we pursued the Kingdom of God with the same vigor and zeal that the children of this world pursue profits and pleasure, we would live in an entirely different world.

I hope this helps.

Dr Don Howe, RN, PhD, ThD