1 Now he said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who received an accusation that his manager was squandering his possessions. 2 So he called the manager in and asked, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you can no longer be my manager.’
3 “Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do since my master is taking the management away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig; I’m ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I’ll do so that when I’m removed from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’
5 “So he summoned each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first one.
6 “‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he said.
“‘Take your invoice,’ he told him, ‘sit down quickly, and write fifty.’
7 “Next he asked another, ‘How much do you owe?’
“‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he said.
“‘Take your invoice,’ he told him, ‘and write eighty.’
8 “The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the children of this age are more shrewd than the children of light in dealing with their own people.[Lit own generation]
Luke 16:1-8 CSB
Comments by Ken Boa in Daily Growth, August 13, 2020:
The parable of the unrighteous steward is a surprising illustration of the fact that the children of this world are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the children of light. This story teaches us to leverage the temporal assets of time, talent, and treasure to build into people, since relationships centered on others are the currency of heaven. Jesus calls us to treat things according to their true value by pursuing the things He declares to be important. The story of the rich man and Lazarus also illustrates the need to live our lives in light of eternity instead of giving ourselves in exchange for that which is passing away.
The Asbury Bible Commentary
Q. The Use and Danger of Riches (16:1-31)
The parable of the shrewd manager (vv.1-15) commends shrewdness of action in times of crisis. It is uncertain whether the master who commended the manager (v.8) is the character in the parable or Jesus himself. In either case the parable commends, not the dishonesty, but the shrewdness of the manager. The people of the light (v.8), says Jesus, should heed his example and should use their wealth, not as he did, to cheat, but in such a way that God will receive them into the eternal kingdom. Those who abuse their riches are not fit managers of spiritual things. People cannot be servants of both God and Money (v.13). In a sermon on 16:9 entitled “The Use of Money” (Works, 2:266-80), John Wesley says that faithful stewardship of money involves adherence to the precepts “Gain all you can,” “Save all you can,” and “Give all you can.”
The Asbury Bible Commentary