The Parable of the
Shrewd Manager
1 Jesus
told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting
his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is
this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot
be manager any longer.’
3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My
master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to
beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here,
people will welcome me into their houses.’
5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked
the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.
“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill,
sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he
replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make
it eight hundred.’
8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had
acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with
their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you,
use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you
will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little 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?
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one
and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and money.”
14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were
sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who
justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What
people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
Questions to Consider
In this story, the rich man has a
manager who has been wasteful. Now let go of his responsibilities, the manager
acts in way to secure favor for himself which also makes his former owner look
generous (by reducing the amount owed).
What motivates the shrewd manager to
bargain and thus make friends? Does it strike you as odd for Jesus to use a shrewd manager in a
positive light? Why or why not?
How is this parable of the shrewd
manager an illustration for those who serve God as their master (16:9)?
How is this message of Jesus similar to
other stories and passages from Jesus?
Pastor Joe
"I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3
