You will be welcomed into Eternal dwellings 

 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

(Luke 16:9)

Perhaps the most puzzling and controversial teaching of Jesus is the Parable of the Dishonest Steward in the Gospel of Luke 16:1 -13. This parable leads us to wonder whether Jesus, through the master ’s commendation of the dishonest steward, endorses or accepts dishonesty.   

We further wonder why Jesus uses a negative example to teach a positive lesson. What does Jesus really mean by saying, “make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth”?    

After reading commentaries on this gospel passage, we get the feeling that even expert bible exegetes seem to embarrassingly struggle explaining or justifying the master’s commendation of the action taken by the dishonest steward.  

Different stories of stewardship 

One such explanation is that during that time, stewards are known to inflate the debts by adding an additional amount for themselves. The steward’s action is thus justified by assuming that perhaps the discount being given constitutes the steward’s share of the inflated debt. Thus, the master still recovers the full amount due to him.   

We can better understand the Parable of the Dishonest Steward by carefully reading and profoundly reflecting on the immediately preceding Parable of the Lost Son (Lk 15: 11 -32) and the following Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19 -31). Luke, who stated at the very beginning of his gospel that he had decided “to write it down (the events that have been fulfilled) in an orderly sequence,” has very orderly arranged the sequence of the three parables.  

Indeed, the Parable of the Dishonest Steward serves as a bridge between the two other parables. These parables share a common theme. They all describe the wise and decisive use of material possessions to prepare for one’s eternal destiny, but each parable emphasizes a different facet of this theme.   

It may be useful to point out that, in the parable, there are three kinds of people listening to Jesus’ teaching. At the beginning of chapter 15, it is mentioned that the “tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him” (Lk 15:1) and that the “Pharisees and scribes” were also present (Lk 15:2). Then at the beginning of chapter 16, it is stated “then he also said to his disciples” (Lk 16:1).  

We can therefore assume that while Jesus was narrating these parables, there were three distinct groups in the crowd: the group publicly considered sinners (tax collectors and sinners), the group who consider themselves righteous (Pharisees and scribes), and the group comprising the disciples and followers of Jesus.   

Let us examine the nexus between the first two parables. In the Parable of the Lost Son, the younger son “squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation” (Lk 15:13). In the Parable of the Dishonest Steward, the steward was reported “for squandering his (the master’s) property” (Lk 16:1).  

Both the son and the steward are said to have “squandered” financial resources entrusted to them. When the younger son remorsefully returned to his father, he was welcomed with merciful and loving forgiveness. In a somewhat similar manner, when the steward cleverly made himself welcome into the homes of his master’s debtor’s, his master commended him for acting prudently.  

The message of this teaching is probably addressed to the tax collectors and sinners in the crowd of listeners – that no matter how much we have “squandered” the blessings and opportunities that God has given us, his love, mercy and compassion are boundless and are never diminished.   

Prudence in worldly resources 

Let us now look at the older son. In the Parable of the Lost Son, the older son is depicted as one who has followed all the rules; but he was unwilling to celebrate the return of his prodigal brother. The older son represents the self-righteous Pharisees who “heard all these things” (Lk 16:14) while Jesus was narrating to his disciples the Parable of the Dishonest Steward. Just as the older son was unwilling to celebrate the return of his lost brother, the Pharisees were unwilling to accept Jesus’ teaching to be compassionate and merciful and they “sneered at him” (Lk 16:14).   

On the second and third parable, we immediately suspect that there must be a link between them because Luke begins both parables with the words “there was a rich man” (Lk 16:1,19). The two parables present the dire consequences of ignoring the lessons on stewardship.   

The steward presents an example of worldly resourcefulness. He uses his momentary opportunity to secure his future. He manipulates wealth to benefit the debtors and makes friends with them so that “they may welcome me (him) into their homes” (Lk 14:4).  

In contrast, the rich man in the third parable, uses his wealth only for his own comfort and enjoyment. While he does not drive away Lazarus, the poor man lying at his door, he remains complacent at the plight of Lazarus. As a result of his indifference and inaction, the rich man is not welcome into the heavenly home to where Lazarus “was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham” (Lk 16:22).   

The Parable of the Dishonest Steward praises shrewd action, even if flawed, to prepare for a desirable future while in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus condemns complacency and in action, which leads to an undesirable future. Thus, both parables convey the great importance and utmost urgency of using worldly resources prudently and wisely for the purpose of attaining a secure future (the “welcoming home” of the dishonest steward and not the “tormenting place” of the unnamed rich man). 

But why does Jesus use a negative example to teach a positive lesson? And what does Jesus mean by “make friends with dishonest wealth”?  

Securing a heavenly future 

Let us remember that Jesus addressed the Parable of the Dishonest Steward to his disciples (Lk 16:1). Jesus chose a flawed example of stewardship to challenge his disciples on how they manage resources in contrast to the world’s less-than-ideal but often more effective strategies.  

Jesus urges his disciples to use their current worldly resources (“dishonest wealth”) to “make friends” – meaning to use their resources by being generous and building relationships that will help ensure their heavenly future. The Parable of the Dishonest Steward is Jesus’ way of teaching his disciples a forward -thinking approach to using wealth for eternal benefit.   

Jesus praises a kind of worldly shrewdness not for its dishonesty, but as a model for how timid and diffident disciples should prepare tenaciously and act with great urgency to be welcomed into eternal dwellings.