Luke 16:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

NIV: So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

NASB: And he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

CSB: 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.’

NLT: So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’

KJV: 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.

NKJV: So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’

This often-controversial parable is meant to teach Jesus' disciples to be clever in worldly ways while building treasure for the kingdom of God. The specific focus is on how to use money for spiritual benefit. In the parable of the dishonest manager, a rich man discovers his hired supervisor has been wasting his possessions and calls him to account.

Only the manager, not the owner, has records of the property being overseen. This adds to the mystery. The manager is not being charged with theft. It's uncertain what part of his job he failed at; he at least was able to keep detailed records. Still, the manager has a problem. It seems he has been in an administrative role for some time. He is used to a lifestyle that makes begging seem impossible, and he feels that manual labor would be too hard. His only option is to find another, similar job (Luke 16:3–4).

Quickly, the man calls his master's debtors and together they change the records of their debts (Luke 16:5–7). His plan is meant to make new friends who might hire him. Either by changing fees or adjusting interest, he devises a clever way to improve his situation.

Luke 16:1–8 is the parable of the dishonest manager. A wealthy man learns his money is being wasted by a hired supervisor. With no time to escape being fired, the manager calls on the owner's debtors. He tells them to decrease the amount they are expected to pay back. This favor earns the manager their approval and hopefully their help later. The owner notes that this was a clever ploy to make allies. Jesus uses this negative example to teach His followers a good lesson: to be equally sharp when interacting with the world.

Teaching His disciples and confronting the Pharisees, Jesus offers several lessons about wealth and devotion to God. The first is a parable about a dishonest manager. This illustrates the value of being careful and clever with earthly resources. Jesus then uses remarks about the Law and marriage to introduce the story of the rich man and Lazarus. This not only highlights the dangers of greed, but it also debunks the common claim that a non-believer would submit to God if only they saw "a little more evidence" or a miracle.

The prior chapter included Jesus' teachings centered on lost things: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. Luke 16 includes several of Jesus' lessons about living in the kingdom of God compared to the world system, beginning and ending with parables (Luke 16:1—17:10). Chapter 16 includes the parable of the dishonest manager, Jesus' teaching on how money reveals faith, and the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Luke 17:1–10 teaches about whether Christ-followers bear responsibility for others' sin, lessons about faith, and the parable of the unworthy servants.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.