THE UNJUST STEWARD.
LUKE
16:1-13.-NOV. 4.
“Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.”
WHILE THE previous
parables of this dinner-table talk were addressed specially to the Pharisees,
this parable, and the one following it, concerning a rich man and a poor man
(Dives and Lazarus), were addressed not so exclusively to the Pharisees, but,
as the first verse of our lesson declares, to the disciples also, as
well as to the Pharisees at the same table. The reason why the first three
parables were addressed to the Pharisees only, and not to the disciples, is
evident-the disciples needed no such instruction, having no prejudice against
the poorer classes, recognizing themselves as amongst the “lost” who were glad
to be found by the Good Shepherd.
The steward of this parable corresponds to the elder son of the preceding
parable, and to the rich man of the succeeding parable; it applies specially to
the scribes and Pharisees, who, as our Lord declared, on another occasion, “sat
in Moses’ seat”-represented Moses, and the Law Covenant of which Moses was the
Mediator, and the blessing obtained through that covenant, of which Moses was
the original steward, and they now the steward, as his representatives. In
what did this stewardship consist? The Apostle Paul asks this question, and
answers it, saying, “What advantage then hath a Jew? Much every way; chiefly
because to them were committed the oracles of God,” the knowledge of God, with
typical justification and at-one-ment with him, and an interest in the promises
made to the fathers.
The Jews, as represented in Moses and his successors, failed of their
stewardship-failed to use in a manner satisfactory to God the favors committed
to their care. Nor, indeed, were they wholly to blame for this, as the Apostle
Paul points out; they were weak through the fall, incompetent to be
administrators of so great a trust; and God knew this when he gave them the
stewardship-he knew that they would fail to keep the Law perfectly. He had fully
intended that in due time he would depose them from the stewardship and give it
to the one whom he had foreknown-to Messiah.
Now the time had come when this change of administration was about to be
effected, and God was calling upon the representatives of Israel to give an
account of their stewardship, and informing them that a new dispensation was
about to be ushered in. Our Lord Jesus in this parable wished to point out to
them what would be the wisest course for them to pursue under the circumstances.
He shows them what an earthly steward would do under such circumstances, and
tells them there is wisdom in such a course, saying, “The children of this
world are wiser in their generation than the children of light:” you, as God’s
people, more favored than any others with light on the divine character and
plan, are not acting as wisely as you would do if you were earthly stewards.
Here we are met with the difficulty that the majority of people do not
clearly comprehend-the scope of a steward’s privileges in olden times. We have
no such office to-day amongst civilized people. A steward’s office was a
confidential one; he had the liberty and full authority to do anything and
everything that the owner himself could do with his goods. He could make presents
or cancel debts, or use in any manner he chose the goods under his care, and
could not be held responsible as a culprit before the Law, because the nature
of his office as a steward was such that he fully represented and acted for his
employer. The latter could discharge him from the stewardship as a penalty for
unfaithfulness, but this would be his only punishment, because in making him
steward he fully authorized him to use his judgment.
In the parable the unjust steward-unjust in his previous use of his
master’s affairs, that is, unrighteous, unsatisfactory, imperfect-as soon as he
realized the situation, made no attempt to defend himself, nor to claim that he
had done perfectly; but before rendering up his accounts he dealt leniently
with some of his lord’s creditors, remitting parts of their indebtedness. (This
may have been a wise course, as, for instance, to-day bankruptcy laws similarly
release debtors from obligations which they could not pay; and similarly
creditors frequently, in their own interest, agree to accept sixty per cent.,
fifty per cent., forty per cent., or some other proportion of the original sum
as for the whole of a debt, seeing that the debtor is unable to pay the account
in full, and with a view to his encouragement to do the best he can. The
Jewish Jubilee year of full release from all debts was along the same line of
leniency and wise business policy represented in the “Bankruptcy Law” of
today.) It is not because of this last conduct of the steward that he is
called unjust (unrighteous) in the parable, but because of his previous
stewardship, not having come up to the full, perfect demands of his master.
Now, applying the parable to all of the Jewish nation, especially to those
who sat in Moses’ seat and had the control of matters, and who decided what was
and what was not the proper interpretation of the Law, our Lord intimated that
if they were as wise as earthly stewards they would make use of their
opportunities in a somewhat similar manner. Now how could they have done
this-supposing that they recognized the fact that they had not fulfilled the
requirements of God under the Law, and supposing also that they realized that
the time had come for a change of dispensation, and that God was demanding an
account of them and informing them that a new steward would take possession of
matters-under such circumstances how should these in Moses’ seat have acted?
We answer, that in harmony with the lesson of the parable, they should have
said to themselves: We realize that we ourselves have not kept the Law of God
perfectly; indeed, that it is not within our power to do so. We realize that a
change of dispensation is impending, and that we are called upon to make an
accounting, and that we can only admit before God that we have made a failure
as respects the carrying out of the demands of his Law and the gaining of
eternal life under it,-and as respects the use of the many advantages every way
which God has given us. We have used our advantages in some respects well, but
we failed on the whole to accomplish anything in the world, or to gain eternal
life, either for ourselves or for any,-and we cannot dispute, therefore, that
“By the deeds of the Law no flesh should be justified in God’s sight.”
Since, therefore, it must soon be evidenced to all that our stewardship
has resulted in failure and that we are dispossessed, the wise thing for us to
do is to turn about at once, and deal kindly and generously with these sinners
(the prodigal son class) and, instead of denouncing them as sinners more than
ourselves, we should say to them frankly, We cannot keep this perfect Law of
God, and we know also that you cannot do so; but now, instead of being
hopelessly discouraged and cast down, do the best you can; we will remit part
of the exaction of the Law, admitting that you are unable to keep it perfectly,
and will merely require of you that you keep it to the best of your
ability-fifty per cent., or eighty per cent., according to your circumstances
and conditions-according as you are able, keep the Law.
Had the scribes and Pharisees taken this position they would have healed
the breach as between themselves and the people, and their honesty in admitting
that they themselves could not keep the Law would have been a distinct
advantage to them, subsequently, in connection with the new dispensation. And
this very conduct of candid admission and of sympathy for others, and
assistance in lifting their burdens would have brought them into such a
condition of heart that they would have been ready for the Gospel; and
the lower classes, from which they had hitherto held aloof as sinners, would
have had a kindly feeling toward them, and as a result they would have retained
a measure of their sympathy, at least, in the time of trouble which came upon them
when their polity was overthrown.
But did the scribes and Pharisees follow any such course? By no means.
On the other hand they put on a brassy front, made broad their phylacteries,
made still louder claims respecting their own perfection of heart and life,
deceiving their own selves probably as much as or more than they deceived
others. They boasted that they should ever continue to be stewards of the
manifold grace of God; and, as our Lord declares, so far from lifting the
burdens and condemnations of the Law from the shoulders of the people, who were
honest enough to confess inability to keep the perfect law, these scribes and
Pharisees, on the contrary, bound upon the people heavy burdens which they
would not assist to lift with their little finger.-Matt. 23:1-4.
Thus doing they became more and more hypocritical and case-hardened,
until, in his later descriptions of them, our Lord declared them to be whited
sepulchres, outwardly fair and beautiful, inwardly full of corruption,
dishonesty, hypocrisy; knowing themselves to be infractors of the Law they were
outwardly claiming and boasting perfection. This not being said to the
Pharisees alone, but to the disciples “also,” implies that they were to notice
how the parable fitted and how unwisely this steward class was acting. Even at
the table the Pharisees, perceiving to some extent at least the trend of the
parable, “derided”-being covetous. But our Lord pressed the lesson home to them
saying, “Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your
hearts.” You are the unjust steward and soon all will witness your rejection.
“The Law and the prophets [of which you are the representatives] was
[recognized of God] until John [the Baptist]; since that time the Kingdom of
God is preached [the new, the Gospel dispensation], and every one [should]
press toward it.” (Verses 14-16.) You, leaders of the people, however, not
only will not enter yourselves, but those desiring to enter you hinder. (Matt.
23:13.) You should see that your institution is bound to Moses and the Law as
a wife to her husband-so long as it liveth. It is needful, therefore, that the
Law which you represent should die, that Israel may be liberated and thus be
prepared to be united (married) to Messiah by a new covenant.-Verses 17,18;
Rom. 7:1-4.
We are not informed that this parable had special application in the end
of this Gospel age, but since we know from other Scriptures that natural Israel
and its harvest time were a pattern or illustration of spiritual Israel and
this age and the present harvest time, therefore we are justified in looking
for some parallel as between the condition of the unjust steward in our Lord’s
day and a similar class in this present time. And looking about us to-day for a
class corresponding to those who sat in Moses’ seat, we find a class to-day
sitting in Christ’s seat, as respects the Gospel Church. This class is composed
of elders, Sunday School teachers and superintendents, ministers, bishops,
archbishops, etc. These as a whole are representing a great stewardship of
divine favor as respects the Lord’s people today. They perceive that a change
of dispensation is upon us, that their creeds and traditions from the past are
being called in question, and that they are being required to render up an
account. They perceive that the account will not be a very flattering one, and
that if the whole truth were known to the people as it is known to God, they
would be found derelict, unfaithful to their stewardship in many respects.
They fear the crisis; they put off the day of reckoning as far as possible;
they hush the murmurs of the people and the questions respecting creeds, and as
the Lord said of the steward of his day, so it will be true of these: “That
which is highly esteemed amongst men is an abomination in the sight of
God.”-Verse 15.
These representatives of the nominal church, who hold a position of
stewardship as respects the masses of the Lord’s people, are disposed, as were
the Pharisees, their prototypes, to put a bold face upon matters, to brave it
out rather than to confess the truth. As for instance, in the matter of creeds
that are being called in question: Many, even of those who were at first
disposed to demand the revision of the Westminster Confession of Faith, have concluded
that this would be showing the white feather, and admitting that they had been
in error in the past, and imperfect in their interpretation of the divine Word,
and hence calculated to discredit them with the people; and now the tide is
rapidly turning and the same ones who were demanding a revision are now voting
to the contrary, that the creed is good, thoroughly satisfactory to them, that
they would not change it for anything. They are so anxious to be highly
esteemed of men that they seem to forget altogether the one from whom they
received their stewardship, and who is about to take it from them.
What would be the proper course for this steward class of the Gospel age?
We answer, that the proper course would be to do what our Lord recommended to
the Jewish stewards; viz., they should candidly confess to the people
the errors of the creeds and their own imperfection in attempted exposition of
the divine Word, and their own failures in the past in respect to a proper use
of the oracles of God and a proper application of the exceeding great and
precious promises. And while acknowledging their own errors and shortcomings,
they should modify the demands made of the people and bring them into
conformity with their ability. For instance, they should say to the people,
How much did we say that you owed to God, and what penalty did we say would be
imposed upon you? If we said you were to receive a penalty of eternal torment,
count that now as being an error, and write down instead, “A just recompense of
reward.” If we taught you that your obligations to God are according to the
Jewish law, and as represented in the Ten Commandments, and that unless these
were kept perfectly in letter and in spirit you would have no hope of
eternal life, alter and amend that feature of your faith, and write instead
that, under the New Covenant, God will accept the most imperfect works of those
who have consecrated themselves to him, providing those imperfect works are the
best that they are able to offer; and providing they are offered in the name
and merit of him who loved us and who bought us with his own precious blood.
If the present stewards would follow such a course they would undoubtedly
be respected through the future, but following their present course, the time
is surely coming when they will be despised as hypocrites and blind guides, who
mislead their confiding flocks into the ditch of skepticism and the great time
of trouble.
This parable may be considered as ending with the eighth verse, the
instructions which follow being separate and distinct, and along a somewhat
different line, and addressed specially to those who accepted the Lord’s
teaching, his disciples.
“YE CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MAMMON.”
This after-lesson is on the subject of the impossibility of having two
masters, God and Mammon. Mammon represents earthly riches, not only financial
wealth, but honor amongst men, etc.-the thing which was particularly hindering
the Pharisees from taking the proper course and acknowledging their error and seeking
for and obtaining mercy. Mammon still is a great hindrance to all who desire
to be the Lord’s disciples. Whoever worships Mammon-and it may be self or
wealth or fame or position and honor amongst men, one or all of these-whoever
worships Mammon cannot at the same time be a true worshiper of God, a true
follower of Christ; because God and Mammon are rivals before our hearts. If we
attempt to divide our love and attention, and to give part of it to God and to
his service, and part of it to Mammon, the results will be unsatisfactory to
God, unsatisfactory to Mammon and unsatisfactory to ourselves.
We must, therefore, decide either to live for self and earthly things or
to renounce and sacrifice these in the interest of God and of heavenly things.
The worshipers of Mammon may have certain advantages as respects the present
life, in the way of earthly prosperity, but Mammon cannot give eternal life.
It is the gift of God, and those who would have God’s gift must be God’s
friends, God’s children; and he demands of such that they shall manifest their
love and devotion to him by renouncing Mammon, by joyfully sacrificing earthly
name and fame and favor and interest, thus showing their higher appreciation of
his love and favor, the riches of his grace, and the exceeding great and
precious things which he has promised to give them in the life to come.
These are to “make to themselves friends;” in other words, to lay up
treasures in heaven, by the sacrifice of the Mammon of unrighteousness;-that is
to say, the sacrifice of the various interests of this present time of
unrighteousness, “this present evil world.”
Some may have very little of Mammon at their disposal to sacrifice; but
the Lord encourages us all by saying that he that is faithful in that which is least,
thereby gives evidence of how faithful he would be if he had much; and
the Lord accepts the little sacrifices which we are able to make as tho they
were greater ones. “She hath done what she could” is the best of testimony as
respects the use of present opportunities in the Lord’s service, whether it
refer to a mite or a million, a little influence or a great one. It is not the
amount that God is seeking, but the character, the disposition of heart;
and whoever has the right disposition of heart and is careful in the small
affairs of life, to serve the Lord with all that he possesses and to the extent
of his ability, such an one will have committed to him the true riches-the
heavenly riches. Not merely may he expect to enter into the glories of the
heavenly Kingdom, but even in the present life he will begin to get a
first-fruits of those riches in his own heart, in his own experiences; for it
is unquestionably a fact that the heirs of glory, those who are in the right
relationship with God and running faithfully in the race, not only will get the
prize at the end of the race, but already get blessing which the world can
neither give nor take away;-the joys of the Lord, the peace of God which
passeth all understanding ruling in their hearts; so that they can sing for
joy, even in the house of their pilgrimage-even in the present unsatisfactory
tabernacle condition, in which we groan also, being burdened with its
weaknesses.
But if we are not faithful in the little things which confessedly are not
our own, and merely given to us as a stewardship-the things, the opportunities,
the talents, which are merely put within our grasp as stewards of the Lord,-if
we are not faithful in using these with an eye single to the Lord’s glory, how
can we expect that he will ever give us true riches of grace, to be our own
forever, either in the future or in the present life.
The sum of this lesson to the disciples, then, is that as no man is able to serve two masters and satisfy both, and
do justice to both, their interests conflicting, no more can we serve God and
righteousness, and at the same time be pleasing and acceptable to the Adversary
and those who are in harmony with him who now rules in this present
dispensation, the “prince of this world.” All of the Lord’s consecrated people,
those who would lay up treasures in heaven and be rich toward God, must be
willing to become of no reputation amongst those who are not consecrated, and
who, whatever their professions, are really serving Mammon, selfishness, the
present life, and not sacrificing these interests to the attainment of the
heavenly Kingdom.