In Luke 16:1-13, Jesus tells the parable of the dishonest steward. This is a parable that teaches a great lesson, but at the same time, there are some parts that are not easy to understand; therefore, let us examine each of the verses.
To begin with, the steward was dishonest because he was reported squandering his master’s property. Therefore, the master ordered the steward to make a complete accounting of his stewardship. The steward had a big problem: what shall he do after he has been fired? He cannot do manual labor, nor does he want to beg for a living. The steward came up with a plan; he will deduct the debts of his master’s debtors, in the hope that they will welcome him into their homes after he has been fired.
The parable itself is quite straightforward; but verse 9 is a bit confusing:
Jesus said, “Make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9)
What does verse 9 mean? There are 3 parts:
1. Make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth: The “dishonest wealth” refers to the wealth of the master of the steward, who was a rich man. In the case of the dishonest steward, he made friends for himself using the dishonest wealth of his master.
2. So that when it fails: “It” refers to the dishonest wealth. In the case of the dishonest steward, “when it fails” means when he can no longer use his master’s dishonest wealth; i.e., after he gets fired.
3. What does “eternal dwellings” mean? Obviously, it means the eternal kingdom of heaven.
Here is the big question: Was Jesus telling his disciples that it is okay to be dishonest? Surely not. The master, who commended the dishonest steward for acting prudently, does not represent God! Both the master and the dishonest steward were children of the world. Looking back, verse 18 stated: “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” (Luke 19:8)
Verse 10: “A person who is trustworthy in small things is also trustworthy in big things” did not refer to the dishonest steward, but the statement “a person who is dishonest in small things is also dishonest in big things” referred to the dishonest steward. Both statements were put together to provide contrast between an honest steward and the dishonest steward. It also presents to us a choice: We can choose to be either one or the other.
Verses 11-12: “If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?” The dishonest wealth refers to mammon, while true wealth refers to the spiritual gifts which God desires to give us: faith, peace, kindness, patience, generosity, humility, purity, etc. A person who is truly rich does not necessarily have to own a lot of possessions. On the other hand, a person who has peace and a deep closeness with God is truly rich.
Verse 13: “No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one or love the other; or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.” Therefore, no one can serve two masters, namely God and mammon. If we think that we can be attached to wealth and still be devoted to God, we are mistaken.
In Luke 19, we can find the story of Zacchaeus; he was the perfect example of someone who made friends using dishonest wealth. Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector, a rich man. But when Jesus entered the town of Jericho, Zacchaeus went through a lot of trouble just to see Christ pass by. Imagine his joy when Jesus said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” (Luke 19:5) Zacchaeus did not give money to Christ, but he gave half of his goods to the poor and repaid four times those he had defrauded. In this way, Zacchaeus made friends with the poor and with Christ. Although he was a sinner, he repented. Indeed, Zacchaeus was the dishonest steward in the parable; he made friends using dishonest wealth and he was welcomed into eternal dwellings. We know that because Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:9)