Example: CHARA in Action

HOW TO STUDY LUKE 16:1-13

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

Luke bible — Luke 16:1-13

*The Parable of the Shrewd Manager*

THE PARABLE OF THE SHREWD MANAGER

Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 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.’

“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.

“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16:1-13, NIV)

RESEARCH

OBSERVATIONS & QUESTIONS: What questions do you have after reading the passage?

Was the manager that squandered his master's possessions now being praised for being dishonest? And what is our takeaway supposed to be - how are we supposed to apply this?

AUTHOR

STYLE: Parables - is there an unexpected ending that highlights its purpose?

The master that fired his manager for squandering his possessions, then shockingly praised the manager for shrewdly reducing the debt his debtors owed him. The praise received by the master was unexpected. It seems the manager was being dishonest in his dealings with the debtors, but the text doesn’t say. In fact, after looking at multiple commentaries, it appears that biblical scholars disagree as to whether the manager dealt legitimately or dishonestly with his masters debtors. There are multiple scenarios as to how he could’ve reduced the debt. The text doesn’t clarify, which is a clue that this is not the point of the parable. The text does tell us, however, why the manager was praised - for acting shrewdly (vs 8).

RESEARCH

ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: What does a word mean in the original language?

Shrewdly - the Greek word means “wisely, sensibly, prudently” (biblehub.com)

CONTEXT

IMMEDIATE: What is the theme or main idea found in the surrounding paragraph(s)?

It’s interesting that this parable was told right after the parable of the prodigal son. Both the prodigal and the manager “squandered” (CSB) someone else’s money. The main idea Jesus communicated just after the parable, in verses 9-13, was about being faithful with your money. This tells us the takeaway couldn’t possibly be encouraging dishonesty for financial gain, as it may first appear.

AUTHOR

What is revealed in related text by the use of comparison and contrast?

In the second half of verse 8, Jesus compared the “sons of this world” (unbelievers) with the “sons of light” (believers). According to Jesus, the manager was an example of the first one - a person of this world who is more financially shrewd in dealing with his “own generation” (ESV), gaining friends to help secure future well-being. In this regard, Jesus told His disciples to do likewise, “And I tell you make friends for yourself by means of worldly wealth” (vs 9a).

But that’s where the comparison stops, or at least, the part the disciples were supposed to emulate. Jesus continued, “so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings” (vs 9b). Jesus now contrasts the managers end objective - to gain friends that would welcome him in their homes after he was fired and his money ran out (vs 4) - with gaining friends that would welcome you into eternal dwellings.

Thus, Jesus told His disciples to wisely invest wealth in relationships, not merely to build earthly security that fails, but to share the kingdom with others who then can share an eternal heavenly home with you.

RESEARCH

TRANSLATION: Does another Bible translation add perspective or clarity on what the original language was trying to communicate?

"And I tell you [learn from this], make friends for yourselves [for eternity] by means of the wealth of unrighteousness [that is, use material resources as a way to further the work of God], so that when it runs out, they will welcome you into the eternal dwellings." Luke 16:9 (Amplified Bible)

"Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home. ' Luke 16:9 (NLT)

RESOURCES: What insights do you learn from Biblical scholars?

“The dishonest manager had not done a good thing. But he had been careful to plan ahead, using material things to insure a secure future. Jesus was not teaching that his disciples should be dishonest. He was teaching that they should use material things for future spiritual benefit. This was a good lesson from a bad example.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary“Because the Greek word translated master is kurios (“lord”), some have thought that it was God who praised the unrighteous manager. However, it is much more likely that the story ends in the middle of v.8. Thus it was the landowner rather than God who offered praise, and he did so only because the manager acted shrewdly in response to his errors.” CSB Study Bible notes

APPLY

ASK: What do you learn about God?

God desires that we use the wealth and resources that He gives us to go and make disciples for His Kingdom