Let's Study the Parables - 9 - The Dishonest Steward

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** I’m doing a study on these forums of the parables. I’d like to study each parable individually looking at:

a) What is the Message behind the Parable?
b) What doctrines do we see being taught in each Parable?
c) Can a Parable be used to defend against Non-Catholic doctrines?
d) What is the context of the Parable?

If you like this study, you’ll find others at:
Let’s Study the Parables - 1 - The Good Samaritan
Let’s Study the Parables - 2 The Wicked Vinedressers**
**Let’s Study the Parables - 3 - Parable of the Talents
**Let’s Study the Parables - 4 - The Wheat and the Cockle
Let’s Study the Parables - 5 - The Prodigal Son
** Let’s Study the Parables - 6 - The Bride’s Girlfriends (or The Ten Virgins)**
** Let’s Study the Parables - 7 - The Sheep and the Goats**
Let’s Study the Parables - 8 - The Rich Man and Lazarus

Or you could always find the Table of Contents on the Sticky on Sacred Scriptures:

With that in mind, I’d like to do a study on

The Dishonest Steward

Scripture: Luke 16:1-12 ***

1 He also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a steward, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 And he called him and said to him, What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.' 3 And the steward said to himself, What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewardship.’ 5 So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, How much do you owe my master?' 6 He said, A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, And how much do you owe?’ He said, A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 The master commended the dishonest steward for his shrewdness; for the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations. 10 "He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?***
 
OK, first of all. How many of you have had trouble with this parable. It’s always sort of just made me think, “Huh?” :ehh:. And the priests haven’t seemed to have helped as they (tend to) stumble through this in their gospels. I can’t help but leave Mass thinking, I’m not sure if THAT’S the point Jesus is trying to make with this parable.

So, I’d love to have you guys’ (name removed by moderator)ut on this. In the meantime, I’ll see what I can find.
 
NotWorthy said:
OK, first of all. How many of you have had trouble with this parable. It’s always sort of just made me think, “Huh?” :ehh:. And the priests haven’t seemed to have helped as they (tend to) stumble through this in their gospels. I can’t help but leave Mass thinking, I’m not sure if THAT’S the point Jesus is trying to make with this parable.
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I know exactly what you mean.
I really, really, want the parable to end after verse 8 - because, then it speaks to me of praying for the souls in purgatory. Our prayers and sacrifices can ease and shorten their time there - satisfy some of their “debt”. I can even connect money with it: stipends to have Masses said for them!! There is also no problem relating myself to the dishonest steward; that is, I am a sinner - no doubt a bigger sinner than the souls I seek to help.
Unfortunately however, the parable continues with verse 9a:
9a And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, 9b so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations.
Even 9b is beautiful to think of in reference to praying for the souls in purgatory - that is, when we die and are in purgatory those souls will help us.
BUT, try as I might, I CANNOT figure out how to make “unrighteous mammon” represent (or correspond) to prayers and sacrifices. So, 9a always sends me back to square 1.

Square 1 is that the parable is teaching us to use the things of our earthly life (material wealth/position/power/talent) to do good for others. By using earthly wealth that way, we gain spiritual friends and treasure.

It’s one of those parable I continue to contemplate.

Nita
 
I was listening to Fr. Leo Cardwell (?) on EWTN yesterday and he had a 10 minute reflection on this passage. He talked, I believe, that we should follow God with the same passion that his man followed his god, Greed. I thought it made sense and then came back to the parable and re-read it. I just got more confused.

Now my head hurts!

I’m going to put a little more thought into this parable. It reminds me of the Transfiguration - there’s much more to it (in my opinion) than I’ve seen when I study it.
 
OK, evidently this parable has the “Shrek effect” for it’s got many layers.

Here’s some commentary that I’ve come across.
“About to lose his position, the steward makes use of a pressing situation to find favor with his master’s debtors and prepare for his future. Christians should take even greater care to prepare for life in the world to come.” Ignatius Catholic Study Bible - 2nd edition. I give this a “B+”.

St. Gaudentius, in Sermo 18, writes “Mystically, the unrighteous steward signifies the devil, whose dominion over this world is nearing its end. Having wasted the Lord’s good by stripping us of divine grace and friendship, he now works anxiously to make friends by deception and empty promises of forgiveness. While his ardor and foresight are worthy of imitation, his wicked and dishonest tactics are not”. Now, maybe this isn’t the primary intention of the parable, but I gotta admit, I do like this analysis!!! I have to give it an “A”
 
When in doubt, go to the Navarre Bible Study:
“*Of course, our Lord presumes that we realize the immorality of the man’s behavior. What he emphasizes and praises, however, is his shrewdness and effort: he tries to derive maximum material advantage from his former position as steward. *

In saving our soul and spreading the Kingdom of God, our Lord wants us to apply at least the same ingenuity and effort as people put into their worldly affairs or their attempts to attain some human ideal. The fact that we can count on God’s grace does not in any way exempt us from the need to employ all available legitimate human resources even if that means strenuous effort and heroic sacrifice.” (Navarre)
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“What zeal people put into their earthly affairs… When you and I put the same zeal into the affairs of our souls, we will have a living and working faith. And there will be no obstacle that we cannot overcome in our apostolic works.” (St. J. Escriva`, The Way).
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Nita said:
There is also no problem relating myself to the dishonest steward; that is, I am a sinner - no doubt a bigger sinner than the souls I seek to help.
Unfortunately however, the parable continues with verse 9a:
9a And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, 9b so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations.
Even 9b is beautiful to think of in reference to praying for the souls in purgatory - that is, when we die and are in purgatory those souls will help us.
BUT, try as I might, I CANNOT figure out how to make “unrighteous mammon” represent (or correspond) to prayers and sacrifices. So, 9a always sends me back to square 1.
Nita
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Hello!
The “unrighteous mammon” was a big stumbling point for me too. Here is a quote I found helpful, thanks to the Faith Database software.
Aquinas, St. Thomas [1225-1274 AD] Summa Theologica OF ALMSDEEDS (TEN ARTICLES)
Reply to Objection 1: As Augustine says (De Verb. Dom. 2), "Some have misunderstood this saying of Our Lord, so as to take another’s property and give thereof to the poor, thinking that they are fulfilling the commandment by so doing. This interpretation must be amended. Yet all riches are called riches of iniquity, as stated in De Quaest. Ev. ii, 34, because "riches are not unjust save for those who are themselves unjust, and put all their trust in them. Or, according to Ambrose in his commentary on Lk. 16:9, “Make unto yourselves friends,” etc., “He calls mammon unjust, because it draws our affections by the various allurements of wealth.” Or, because “among the many ancestors whose property you inherit, there is one who took the property of others unjustly, although you know nothing about it,” as Basil says in a homily (Hom. super Luc. A, 5). Or, all riches are styled riches “of iniquity,” i.e., of “inequality,” because they are not distributed equally among all, one being in need, and another in affluence.
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So I see unrighteous mammon as referring to earthly wealth, meaning it is merely not righteous. If that doesn’t tie things together into a neat bundle for you, wait about two weeks. I expect to post a detailed narrative on this parable around then, after I’m finished a different one for next week.

God bless
 
NotWorthy said:
What is the Message behind the Parable?
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There are so many lessons one can draw from parables. Here’s another thought regarding the Unjust Steward.

In an effort to save his own tail, the steward “forgave” debtors some of the burden owed. (Some have suggested the percentage forgiven was the stewards own commission.)

Two things I have reflected on here, 1) The steward had some faith the master may be merciful. 2) Forgiving others can lessen what is owed. Not only for others…but for yourself.
 
This is what I was once told.

*To understand Jesus parable, we must understand the Palestine Economic situation.

The manager, usually a slave born in a household, possessed great liberty. He must show a profit for his master but he also secured benefits for himself. He was dishonest only to the extent of endangering his masters security or wealth. He probably cancelled the excessive interest he required for his own personal profit – he had acted shrewdly. He took decisive steps in times of crisis, knowing what to do ahead of time.

He shrewdly uses his wealth to ensure his status in the final age, wealth tends to lead people to dishonesty. When earthly goods fail you will be welcomed into everlasting life.

Jesus is looking to the end of times & asking how people are preparing for this, are they shrewd or are they not preparing at all.*
 
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