This month we’re considering one of Jesus’ most difficult parables to understand (Luke 16:1-8), mainly because it appears that Jesus approves dishonest behaviour. However, as we unpack this teaching, we’ll see that the shock of Jesus apparently sanctioning immoral conduct is the very place that holds the key to rightly interpreting this enigmatic parable.
This will also give us a chance to utilise some of the guidelines we’ve previously discussed for how to properly understand Jesus’ parables. The first guideline, as always, involves discerning the context.
The parable in context
As with any biblical passage, we cannot rip it out of context. The gospel authors in the book? For the parable of the dishonest manager, look at what’s around it. Back in chapter 14 of the book of Luke, Jesus speaks about the cost of discipleship. In chapter 15, Luke gathers three parables about lost items of value. In chapter 16 and following, Luke gathers various teachings of Jesus concerning money, ending with the story of the rich man and Lazarus.
