Sunday, September 19, 2010: Luke 16:1-13; 1 Timothy 2:1-7
Why does the master commend the steward in the Lukan parable? Perhaps he's being shrewd, using the waning moments in his forfeited position to make people obligated to him so he can ask for favors later. But since we assume that "master" in these parables means God, it's puzzling that the master commends deceit.
Perhaps the master is a rich man. He doesn't dismiss the steward because of his dubious character but in order to hire someone less wasteful who will make the master richer. In that case, the steward is a victim of shrewd business practices. His waste of goods can be blamed on bad luck or lax management instead of dishonesty. His only failing may be that he's replaceable, and the lesson he learns is that money talks.
In that case the master's commendation is in character—he is rich enough to overlook the losses and glad to affirm the principles by which he's lived. The steward begins to appreciate the power of position and money, and if he hasn't exploited it as successfully as he might for the master, at least now he can exploit it for himself.
