He gives what is not his to give. To be shrewd is to be mindful of your own interests over those of others, and that is precisely what he does. So, we can easily draw the conclusion that he knew something about the character of his master. He knew, perhaps, the master was a man of mercy, and he acted accordingly.

Our Lord is known for saying some rather shocking things. They are things that not only surprised the people of His day but things that continue to surprise us even now. Imagine the shocked look on the rich and powerful when He says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Or think of the first time He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Or all the times He praised forgiveness, compassion, and love over justice and revenge. Over and again, Jesus speaks about the last being the first and the first being last. He calls for His followers to bear the cross and to welcome hardship and suffering.

But even with all of this, all the shocking things our Lord says, over time, as we hear His voice, as we gather around His gifts, we become somewhat accustomed to His surprising language. We begin to expect Him to run counter to the wisdom of our day. But every now and then, there is something which still surprises us, still catches us off guard. Today’s Gospel reading is one of those moments. Now, we are used to Jesus’ parables. These strange stories take something we can understand, whether it is shepherding sheep, sowing seeds, or helping a person dying on the side of the road, and He uses them to tell us something about the Kingdom of God or the life of a disciple. They reveal something about the work of God and our lives as His people. However, this parable of the dishonest manager is quite unusual, not that it is difficult to follow, but it is difficult to see its application.

Jesus tells the story of a wealthy man who has a manager responsible for overseeing his business affairs. Charges are brought against him that he has been less than faithful in performing his duties. As a result, the master calls for him to turn in all the books, so a fair accounting can be rendered. This guy says to himself, “What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am too ashamed to beg.” And then it comes to him, a solution which will ensure that he is welcomed into the homes of others when he loses his job. Before he hands over the books, he summons all those indebted to his master. And one by one, he invites them in to sit down and lower the amount they owe. You owe a hundred measures of oil; make it fifty. You owe a hundred measures of wheat; make it eighty.

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