Parable: The Unjust Steward - Bible Study Workshopbiblestudyworkshop.com/download/new/luke/Lesson165.pdf · Parable: The Unjust Steward ... Christians must use everything entrusted

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Parable: The Unjust Steward

Luke 16:1-13

Luke 16:14-18

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Parable: The Unjust Steward Text: Luke 16:1-13, 1. And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. 3. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? For my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5. So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6. And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. 8. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 9. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. 10. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.




11. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12. And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own? 13. No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Commentary: Luke 16:1, And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. I. Jesus related this parable to his disciples about the Pharisees. II. A certain rich man had a steward who was accused to the rich man of wasting his goods. III. Representations:

A. Unjust steward – religious leaders of Israel.

1. Romans 3:2, Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

2. Matthew 23:2, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:

B. Rich man – God.




Luke 16:2, And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. I. The rich man summoned the dishonest steward.

C. A. What is this that I hear of you? . . . hear from the prophets.

1. Malachi 2:8, But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.

2. Matthew 23:1-5, Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

D. B. Render the account of your stewardship … as will be our situation at the final judgment, as was the situation of the religious Jewish leaders as Christianity swept the world.

A. The unjust steward was fired!

Luke 16:3, Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? For my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.




I. Evidently while the unjust steward was still on the job and before his termination became effective, he devised a plan for his continued financial welfare after he was out of work.

A. The unjust steward had no scruples and planned to take further dishonest advantage of his employer.

B. He realized,

1. I don’t have strength to dig.

2. I am ashamed to beg. (Ashamed to beg but not ashamed to steal.)

3. The unjust steward was at least honest with himself.

4. He did not blame the rich man for his troubles.

5. He was not in a state of denial. He knew he would soon be out of work.

6. Many cannot face the truth about themselves!

Luke 16:4, I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. I. The unjust steward hit upon an idea to meet his financial need following his termination.

A. He devised a fraudulent way to put the rich man’s debtors under obligation to himself.




B. If this happened today the unjust steward would face a major collection problem! Human gratitude is short lived.

C. The parable does not specifically state whether or not the unjust steward was successful in executing his plan when he had been terminated. Did the debtors pay up?

D. Hobbs paraphrased this verse as follows: “I’ve got it; I know what I will do.”

Luke 16:5-7, So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. I. The scheming unjust steward called each of his employer’s debtors in for a conference.

A. When the amount each owed was determined, the unjust steward gave each a substantial discount ranging from 20% (wheat) to 50% (oil).

B. Sizable amounts were owed. “Bath” equaled a gallon. “Cor” equaled 11 bushels.

1. One debtor owed 100 gallons of oil while another owed 1,100 bushels of wheat.

2. The rich man appears to have been very big in the business world although exactly how many debtors he had is not specifically stated.




3. Everyone is in debt to God, the ultimate rich man.

C. Did the debtors know they were participating in a fraudulent scheme to defraud the businessman with whom they had traded?

1. If they did have this information, did it make any difference with them?

2. Did they bother to ask, determine why they were getting these big discounts?

D. The scribes and Pharisees had lowered God’s standards of righteousness as a means of keeping their control of the Jewish people.

1. Luke 16:18, Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

2. Matthew 23:16, Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

Note: Do religious leaders today mark down, discount the cost of discipleship? II. The unjust steward was not commended by his employer for his dishonesty, but for:

A. telling himself the truth about his condition.




B. taking into account his need for future income.

C. making provision for meeting these needs.

D. formulating a plan.

E. moving to execute the plan with speed and diligence.

Luke 16:8, And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. I. The rich man commended the unjust steward for devising a wise plan and executing it speedily in order to “save his own skin.”

A. The sons of this world (sinners) are wiser than the children of light, righteousness.

B. This should certainly not be the case.

C. Disciples, the lesson is, should be most diligent in spiritual matters.

Luke 16:9, And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. I. Jesus told his disciples,

A. Make for yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness, worldly wealth. Why?




B. Because when the mammon of unrighteousness (money) fails (is all spent) they will receive you into the eternal tabernacles.

II. Earthly wealth will fail! Our emphasis must be placed on eternal tabernacles which will never fail. III. Parabolic Analogies.

A. Rich man – God.

B. Unjust steward – scribes and Pharisees.

C. Accusations against unjust steward – protestations of prophets and Jesus himself. D. Day of accounting – first advent of Christ.

E. Lowering of debts – corruption of God’s law by religious leaders.

F. Removal of steward from office – removal of Israel from God’s chosen people position.

G. Corruption of the debtors – spiritual ruin of many in Israel by their religious leaders.

H. The Lord’s commendation – tribute to the persistence and shrewdness of the religious leaders.

Note 1: The same persistent, shrewd, relentless and skillful cunning, planning by the unjust steward must be characteristic of those who set their mind on heaven!




Note 2: Christians must use everything entrusted to them in this life in order to achieve blessings in the world to come. Note 3: For this purpose and in this way we are to make friends of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and the angels of God. Luke 16:10, He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. I. Principles:

A. He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.

B. He that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much.

II. Jesus insists that his followers must be faithful in dealing with earthly possessions.

A. People are to be faithful in whatever is entrusted to them, whether little or much.

B. It is a fallacy to think, “I cheat on my expense account, but if a person entrusted to me a million dollars, I would be honest as the day is long with every cent entrusted me.”

C. Don’t believe it!

Luke 16:11, If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? I. If we have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, no one will entrust to us true riches.




II. If we do not serve as good stewards of all God has entrusted to us in this world, God will certainly not entrust to us eternal life in the world to come. Luke 16:12, And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own? I. If we are not faithful regarding things that belong to another, as was the case with the unjust steward, no one will give us things of our own.

E. The correct use of one’s possessions in this world is a condition of eternal life.

Luke 16:13, No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. I. No servant can serve two competing masters. II. If a person attempts to do this he will either:

A. hate the one and love the other.

B. hold to the one and despise the other. III. We cannot serve God and mammon.

A. Each must choose which diety he will serve, Jehovah or the god of this world. B. What do you worship?




Note: Barclay lists four lessons Jesus taught by this parable: (1) children of this world are wiser than children of light, (2) material possessions should be used to cement eternal friendships, (3) a man’s way of fulfilling a small task is proof of his fitness for a larger one, (4) no slave can serve two masters. Each demands the utmost from slaves.

Connective Teaching Text: Luke 16:14-18, 14. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 16. The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 17. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one tittle of the law to fail. 18. Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. Commentary: Luke 16:14, And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. I. The Pharisees who were lovers of money, when they heard Jesus say these things, scoffed (turned up their noses) at him.




A. Scriptures:

1. Matthew 23:14, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widow’s houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 2. Matthew 23:26, Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be clean also.

B. We can accept what Jesus says and prosper or

C. We can scoff at what he says and reap the eternal consequences.

Luke 16:15, And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. I. Jesus replied:

A. You justify yourself in the sight of men.

1. Earthly prosperity is not proof of goodness.

2. Public acclaim is not proof of goodness.

B. God knows your hearts.

C. That which is exalted in the sight of men is an abomination in the sight of God.




D. Point: You Pharisees are an abomination in the sight of God.

Luke 16:16, The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. I. The law and the prophets were until John (the Baptist). II. From that time the kingdom of God is preached. III. Every man entereth violently into it.

A. Some Ante-Nicene writers viewed the “violence” mentioned here as the zeal required to enter the kingdom.

B. J. W. McGarvey, “The gates of Christ’s kingdom were not opened until Pentecost (Acts 2); but men, hearing it was about to be opened, sought to enter it prematurely, not by the gates which God would open, but by such breeches as they themselves sought to make in its walls.

C. Some tried to make Jesus king by force.

D. Many sought to make the kingdom a revival of the glory days of David and Solomon.

IV. Matthew 11:12, 13, And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

A. This similar statement was spoken by Jesus on another occasion.




Luke 16:17, And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one tittle of the law to fail. I. It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle (little horn, a small projection or hook that distinguished one Hebrew letter from another similar letter. In English this could be equivalent to that which contrasts O from Q) of the law to fail. II. The Pharisees had attempted to change the law in many ways; viz.,

A. changing the moral requirements of the law.

B. changing the nature of the kingdom from spiritual to physical, earthly.

C. et. al.

Luke 16:18, Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. I. Every one that putteth away his wife and marrieth another commits adultery. II. He that marrieth one that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. III. The purpose of Jesus’ making this statement here was to condemn the Pharisees for their perversion of God’s law concerning marriage.




A. Jesus was saying, “You Pharisees profess a great reverence for the law and then flagrantly violate its teachings as in the matter of marriage.

B. Barclay gave chastity as an example of the law that would never pass away.




Unjust Steward

Questions 1. The _____________________ of a certain _____________________ _______________ was accused of _______________ his employer’s _______________. 2. The ____________________ ___________________ represented the _______________ _______________ of _______________. The _______________ _______________ represents _______________. 3. The _______________ _______________ was _________________! 4. Evidently while the _______________ _______________ was still on the ________________ and before his ____________________ became _______________, he devised a plan for his continued _______________ _______________ after he was out of work. 5. Whose fault was this steward’s predicament? 6. Is it right to make arrangements for our financial future? ... For retirement? ... For accidents and casualty losses? Is it wrong for us to fail to make these arrangements?




7. What was wrong with steward’s plan? 8. Did his plan work? 9. If a plan works, is it necessarily right? 10. Why did the rich employee commend the unjust steward? ... For his dishonesty?




11. Earthly _______________ will fail! Our emphasis must be placed on ____________________ _____________________ which will never _______________! 12. Parabolic representations: Rich man: Unjust steward: Accusations against unjust steward: Day of accounting: Lowering of debts: Removal of steward from office: Corruption of the debtors: His Lord’s commendation: 13. In view of verse 10, what do think of the statement, “If I were rich I’d give more?” 14. No can serve : for either he will the one, and the other; or else he will to the one, and the other. You cannot serve and .




15. According to Barclay, list four lessons taught by Jesus in this parable of the unjust steward. 16. The _______________ _______________ _______________ Jesus when they heard their sayings of Jesus. 17. God knows your _____________________________. That which is _______________ _______________ among men is _______________ in the _______________ of _______________. 18. “The _______________ of _______________ _______________ were not opened until ______________________ (Acts 2); but men, _______________ it was about to be _______________, sought to enter it _______________, not by the _______________ which God would open, but by such _______________ as they themselves sought to make in its _______________,” J. W. McGarvey said. 19. “It is _______________ for _______________ and to pass, than one _______________ of the _______________ to _______________.” What is a “tittle?”




20. How does Jesus’ statement in verse 18 relate to the other things Jesus had just said?


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Parable: The Unjust Steward - Bible Study Workshopbiblestudyworkshop.com/download/new/luke/Lesson165.pdf · Parable: The Unjust Steward ... Christians must use everything entrusted