“Make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon …” (Luke 16:9, OAV)
We find the most complete narrative concerning the concept of mammon in Luke 16. Unfortunately the stylistic nature of the parable often creates immense misunderstanding. If the parable is inaccurately interpreted, it seems as if Jesus says it is acceptable to be dishonest! Let us first read this interesting parable of the unrighteous manager in Luke 16:1-13.
“He also said to His disciples: There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 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.’ ‘Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’ So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.’”
In his article ‘The Injustice of the unjust Steward: Lk 16:1-8’, L. John Topel writes: “The literature dealing with the parable of the unjust steward is staggering, and after all the effort expended, its meaning still eludes us. Indeed, more than any other parable it can be expected to keep its mystery for future generations of exegetes, for it bristles with difficulties.” This is indeed the case: thousands of studies have been done about this parable and the seeming discrepancies found within it. Yet almost all of the studies I looked at miss core aspects of the parable.
Everything in the parable is narrated as if it is a good moral tale, yet there are various elements that seem as if Jesus is supporting unrighteous deeds in business. This has led to a variety of far-fetched hermeneutic meanderings. There are for instance theologians who try to point out that Luke (the author of the book in which the parable is found) misunderstood certain words in the original language, and could thus not accurately interpret what was being said. Other use the parable to argue that Jesus had a subversive undertone in his teachings. And others want us to read the parable as a radical allegorical message about God’s undeserving grace for us as sinners (thus a parable within a parable).
My understanding differs from all of these. There are clear narrating strategies that should guide us in interpreting the parable:
- Jesus explicitly refers to the main character as the “unjust steward” (verse 8). This is a very specific way of describing him, and links to his relationship with “the unrighteous mammon” (verses 9 and 11). This parallelism that is found three times makes it the strongest phrase linking together two elements in the parable. Although the boss of the unjust steward “praises” him (= “commend”), it does not mean that the boss can be metaphorically read as God, and again, his view on the matter is again not that of Jesus. Within the “generation” (verse 8) there is so much perversion that both master and servant, their thoughts and deeds, are influenced by it. Barnes, in Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, states it as follows: “(They are) more prudent, cunning, and anxious about their particular business. They show more skill, study more plans, contrive more ways to provide for themselves, than the children of light do to promote the interests of religion.” This manager is wheeling and dealing: “to take part in clever (but sometimes dishonest or immoral) business deals” (The Free Dictionary); “To manipulate a situation to your advantage using crafty means.” (Urban Dictionary)
- The parable ends with verse 8, and Jesus starts interpreting the parable in verse 9. This seems to be the most problematic verse: “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.” What almost all the commentators miss here is the sarcastic nature of Jesus’ words. He says, in other words – if you want to walk like the children of the world, then be prepared to meet your end on the unjust path of the thief, so that you can be welcomed into the eternal gates of doom! By now we know that this is not hell, but “that those who practice such things are deserving of death”, as Rom. 1:32 suggests in another context. This is definitely not heaven, as the NIRV mis-translates in a most frightening manner: “Then when your riches are gone, you will be welcomed into your eternal home in heaven.” No.
- Verse 9 – “make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon …” is not a command made by Jesus, but clearly a warning! IF you make friends through the unrighteous mammon, you WILL cleave to him for eternity. Noticing the ironic sarcasm here would aid many paraphrasers in not completely raping the verse and laying false words in the mouth of Jesus. Look at the ridiculousness of, for instance, the CEV-translation: “My disciples, I tell you to use wicked wealth to make friends for yourselves.” Also the Message‘s translation is completely off-key in terms of Jesus’ character: “I want you to be smart in the same way–but for what is right–using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival … so you’ll live, really live …” One can only ask how this is supposed to correspond with the translations of 2 Cor. 6:14-15: “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” Clearly: NONE!
The corrective Jesus brings in verses 10-13 is the true gospel and attitude of heart of Jesus. In the next teaching we will be looking at that.
- Selah: Explain to someone the stylistic devices employed by Jesus in this parable.
- Read: 18-27.
- Memorise: 24:23.
- For a more in-depth understanding: Read John Harris’s book Mammon; or, Covetousness the sin of the Christian Church.
