The parable of the unjust steward is said to be the most complicated parable to understand because in the parable it appears that Jesus tolerates dishonesty. This can sort of throw the reader off and even the first time I read it I had to go back and read it a couple more times because I didn’t understand it. The rich master in the parable is said to be a local Jewish aristocrat and ruler of the land and the people on it. He was somewhat understanding, the exact opposite of how most rulers were in the advanced agrarian society. When he was gone he left the steward to handle his business.1 The steward represents the master and has some responsibility over his choices. He is an estate manager. Estate managers represent their masters when they are absent and handle finances. Stewards could not be prosecuted for wrong doings, but unlike slaves they could be dismissed.2 The master then hears about how the Steward has been making poor choices and decides to fire him. The steward then realizes that in order to save himself and find support in people he goes out and decides to help everyone who owes his master a debt so that when he is fired it will seem like he was trying to help them. The steward decided to cut the debt of the people who owed money and this is the kind of behavior Jesus wanted. It may seem like Jesus was supporting the steward being dishonest but it was only the outcome that was good. Showing generosity by lowering the debt is the kind of behavior Jesus was supporting and it was the kind of behavior that kept the Steward’s job. The lessons was that if you are dishonest with something small you will be dishonest with greater responsibilities. ” In the parable money seems to be both the master and the stewards motivations and Jesus is teaching that you can’t serve God and money because you’ll show favoritism to one more than the other.”
1 Walter Herzog, Parables as Subversive Speech: The Scene Presented in the Parable (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1994) 240-242
(Louisville: Westminster Theological Journal 51 [1989]) 293-318
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