Luke 16:1-13
- Reading the Text:
- NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
- Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
- The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
- The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
- The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary & sermons.
- Historical References, Commentary and
Comparative Texts:
- The Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto.
- II.XXXIV.3, IV.XXX.3, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
- III.4, VII.12, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
- "Who is the Rich Man that Shall Be Saved?" (sermon on Mark 10:17-31), Clement of Alexandria (c. 200)
- Chapter VII, On Patience, Tertullian (c. 202)
- II.3, To His Wife, Tertullian (c. 206)
- IV.33, Against Marcion, Tertullian (c. 210)
- Chapter XII, On Idolatry, Tertullian (c. 211)
- Concerning Flight in Persecution (paragraph 13) Tertullian (c. 212)
- Concerning Works and Almsgiving -- Cyprian of Carthage (c. 252)
- Epistle LXXII -- Cyprian of Carthage (c. 256)
- Ninth Sunday after Trinity, Luke 16:1-10, Martin Luther, c. 1525.
- From the
Geneva Notes
(1599).
- Seeing that men often purchase friendship for themselves at the expense of others, we are to be ashamed if we do not please the Lord or procure the good will of our neighbours with the goods which the Lord has bestowed on us freely and liberally, making sure that by this means riches, which are often occasions of sin, are used for another end and purpose."
- From
Matthew
Henry's Commentary (c. 1700).
- Whatever we have, the property of it is God's; we have only the use of it, according to the direction of our great Lord, and for his honour."
- From
Wesley's
Notes. John Wesley
(1703-1791).
- How should God intrust you with spiritual and eternal, which alone are true riches?"
- The Use of Money (Luke 16:9). Sermon by John Wesley (1703-1791).
- From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
- From
The
People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
- The three parables of the last chapter, the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son, are a rebuke to the self-righteousness of the Pharisees: the two of this chapter are directed against their covetousness."
- Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
- Radical Gratitude, lectionary-based stewardship, Northwest United Methodist Foundation. (.pdf)
-
Commentary,
Luke 16:1-13, Greg Carey, Preaching This Week,
WorkingPreacher.org, 2010.
- Commentators routinely remark that the parable of the Dishonest (Corrupt) Manager stands among the most challenging texts in the New Testament, often regarding it as the most perplexing of Jesus' parables."
- Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
-
"The Return of Eschatological Economics," exegetical essay, Rev.
Clint Schnekloth, Journal of Lutheran Ethics, 2010.
- Is the parable about the use of money, or is it to be allegorized to address quick action in light of the coming eschatological crisis?"
-
"First
Thoughts on Year C Gospel Passages in the Lectionary," Pentecost 17,
William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
- While it is naïve to read into Jesus? teaching our perceptions of the complexities of economic exploitation - we can let Jesus stay in the first century uncolonised by our insights - nevertheless the proclamation of the kingdom was meant to be good news for these poor and bring them blessing. How can you assert these things as God?s priorities and not address what is going on?"
- Exegetical Notes
by Brian Stoffregen at CrossMarks Christian Resources.
- Could it be that the steward was such a people-pleasure that he didn't collect what was due the owner?"
- Luke 16:1-13, Kenneth E. Kovacs, Lectionary Homiletics
sample, 2010.
- Meeks? helpful distinction between gift and commodity provides a helpful and accessible corrective to our understanding of gift?particularly the giving of gift as an act of freedom, the freedom that comes with living in the kingdom of God."
- Dylan's Lectionary Blog,
Proper 20C, 2007. Biblical Scholar
Sarah Dylan Breuer looks at readings for the coming Sunday in the lectionary
of the Episcopal Church.
- What's in my heart and yours matters, to be sure. It matters to God."
- The Parable of the Dishonest Manager, audio telling, story in episodes, graphic, audio and written commentaries. Go Tell Communications, Biblical Storytelling for the Global Village, 2010.
- "Watermelon Rugby with the Shrewd Manager," Alyce McKenzie,
Patheos, 2010.
- This parable depicts the kingdom of God as a reality into which we enter by shrewd calculation of what is ultimately best for us and by decisive action to secure that outcome. The parable disrupts the conventional definition of what is in our best interest, as well as the patterns of actions toward that goal."
- "God & Money," David Lose, Dear Working Preacher, 2010.
- Time to come clean. How many of you have preached a sermon about money without asking for any?"
- Holy Textures, Understanding the Bible in its own time and in ours,
Luke 16:1-13, David Ewart, 2010.
- These wisdom sayings are ... advising us to deal astutely with this world fully as it is, on its own terms, but also knowing full well that it is temporary and failing. We are to reach through this passing world to embrace the coming world of God's kingdom."
- The Money Manager, First Impressions, Andrew Prior, 2010.
- Will we manage our money, or be managed by it?"
- Lectionary Blogging, John Petty, Progressive Involvement,
2010.
- In the first century world, a person's wealth was connected to 'honor.' In fact, wealth was not necessarily an end in itself, but rather a means to get honor. Money could buy respect, or so it was thought. A person could be 'dishonored' for any number of things, but two of them included having an unscrupulous servant, and taking back a gift."
- "Where
Is the Good Guy?" Russell Rathbun, The Hardest Question,
2010.
- Is this about the unjust economy of the world, about idolatry, or the ability to put myself above them?"
- "Squandering and Scattering,"
Blogging toward Sunday,
Jo Bailey Wells,
Theolog:
The Blog of The Christian Century, 2007.
- The dishonest manager realizes that generosity is the best investment. He gets himself out of a hole by building social capital."
- "God's Business Sense," Mary Hinkle,
Pilgrim Preaching, 2004.
- The prodigal and the manager are both squandering their resources. Jesus is doing the opposite. He is gathering up lost human resources. That gathering is his reason for coming, his reason for being."
- "Praising the Fraudulent Agent," Tim Bulkeley, 5 Minute Bible (podcast).
- "Wealth: Hazmat or Good Gift?" study guide, Robert B. Kruschwitz, (other resources at) "Parables," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2006.
- Laterally Luke, by Brian McGowan, Anglican priest in Western Australia.
- "A Different
Kind of Friendship," Expository Essay, Dr. William R. Long.
- When we learn that we can also "calculate" as we live our lives, that we can "leverage" our "contacts" and financial shrewdness, and that this is commended by Jesus, we have a great way of complementing the earlier lessons we learned from the Gospel of Luke."
- "Shrewd Investment," Jennifer E. Copeland,
The Christian Century,
2004.
- The manager in Jesus? story used all his resources to secure his future. We must be no less resourceful."
- "Profit and Loss," Christine Pohl,
The Christian Century,
2001.
- Jesus does not commend the manager?s practices, but rather his insight into the connection between resources and relationships."
- Wellspring of the Gospel, Ordinary 25, Catherine McElhinney and Kathryn Turner, Weekly Wellsprings.
- "Squandered Moments,"
Jerry Goebel, One
Family Outreach. "Focus on scripture from a justice perspective." Exegesis, study, and teen study
and activities.
- The more you forgive; the wiser you are."
- "God and Mammon," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources.
- "Does Christ Commend a Crook --or-- 'The Sting'," a study from the Biblical Studies Foundation.
- Articles & Background:
- "Materialism," wikipedia.
-
"Hazmats or Good Gifts?" Dorothy Jean Weaver, (other resources at)
"Parables,"
Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian
Ethics at Baylor University, 2006.
- "Jesus' striking parables on wealth in the Gospel of Luke paint a vivid portrait of the two-sided impact of money and possessions on our lives."
- "Honor Restored: New Light on the Parable of the Prudent Steward (Luke 16:1-8a)," David Landry, University of St Thomas and Ben May, University of Minnesota-Duluth Medical School.
- "Of What Charges?" John G. Lygre,
Biblical Theology Bulletin,
2002.
- The probability that the steward is irresponsible or derelict in his duties rather than guilty of immoral or criminal actions significantly affects how other elements of this parable are understood."
- "The Radical Jesus: You Cannot Serve God and Mammon," Douglas E. Oakman,
Biblical Theology Bulletin, 2004.
- Based on philological considerations and contextualization of the very earliest Jesus traditions, especially Luke 16:13, this article argues that at the core of the concern of Jesus of Nazareth was a critique of Mammon, carried on under the proclamation of God's ruling power, that may still today leave Christians in an Age of Mammon with an uneasy conscience."
-
"The
Tension between Poverty and Possessions in the Gospel of Luke,"
John Sheila Galligan, Spirituality Today, Spring 1985.
- "No fanatic about renunciation of possessions, Jesus nevertheless warned us that they could hinder our being open to the Kingdom and that we have to use them for others welfare."
- Recommended articles
from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are
linked below.
ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of
selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices.
- Anderson, Garwood P., "Seeking and Saving What Might
Have Been Lost: Luke's Restoration of an Enigmatic Parable Tradition,"
The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2008.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Beavis, Mary Ann, "Ancient Slavery as
an Interpretive Context for the New Testament Servant Parables with
Special Reference to the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-8)," Journal of
Biblical Literature, 1992.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Christensen, Michael J., "The
Shrewdness in Stewardship," The Living Pulpit, 2006.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Copeland, Jennifer E., "Shrewd Investment,"
The
Christian Century, 2004.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Curkpatrick, Stephen,
"Parable Metonymy and Luke's Kerygmatic Framing," Journal for the
Study of the New Testament, 2003.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - deSilva, David A., "The Parable of the Prudent
Steward and Its Lucan Context," Criswell Theological Review,
1993.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Fitzmyer, Joseph A., S.J., "The Story of the
Dishonest Manager," Theological Studies, 1964.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Fletcher, Donald R., "the Riddle of the Unjust
Steward: Is Irony the Key?" Journal of Biblical Literature, 1963.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Gächter, Paul, "The Parable of the Dishonest Steward
after Oriental Conceptions," Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1950.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Hauerwas, Stanley M., "Living on Dishonest Wealth,"
Journal for Preachers, 1996.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Hiers, Richard H., "Friends by Unrighteous Mammon:
The Eschatological Proletariat (Luke 16:9)," Journal of the American
Academy of Religion, 1970.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Lamborn, Amy Bentley, "Stewarding Unrighteousness,"
The Living Pulpit, 2006.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Landry, David,
and Ben May, "Honor Restored: New Light on the Parable of the Prudent Steward (Luke
16:1-8a)," Journal of Biblical Literature, 2000.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Long, Thomas G., "Making Friends,"
Journal for Preachers, 2007. Sermon.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Mathewson, Dave L., "The Parable of the Unjust
Steward (Luke 16:1-13): A Reexamination of the Traditional View in Light
of Recent Challenges," Journal of the Evangelical Theology Society,
1995.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Newman, Elizabeth, "Flannery O'Connor
and the Practice of Hospitality," Perspectives in Religious Studies,
2005.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Pohl, Christine, "Profit and Loss," The Christian
Century, 2001.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Schellenberg, Ryan S., "Which Master? Whose Steward?
Metalepsis and Lordship in the Parable of the Prudent Steward (Luke
16:1-13)," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 2008.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Schertz, Mary H., "Shrewd Steward," The Christian
Century, 2007.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Sellew, Philip,
"Interior Monologue as a Narrative Device in the Parables of Luke,"
Journal of Biblical Literature, 1992.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Streets, Frederick J., "Accountability," The
Christian Century, 1993.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Topel, L. John, S.J., "The Injustice of the Unjust
Steward," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1975.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Ukpong, Justin S., "The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
(Luke 16:1-13): An Essay in Inculturation Biblical Hermeneutic," Semeia, 1996.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Wells, Samuel, "It's the Economy,
Stupid," Journal for Preachers, 2007. Sermon.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Williams, Francis E., "Is Almsgiving the Point of the
'Unjust Steward'?" Journal of Biblical Literature, 1964.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Anderson, Garwood P., "Seeking and Saving What Might
Have Been Lost: Luke's Restoration of an Enigmatic Parable Tradition,"
The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2008.
- Reviews:
- Review: C-S Abraham Cheong, A Diologic Reading of The Steward Parable (Luke 16:1-9). Lang, 2001. Review by Sean P Kealy in SBL's Review of Biblical Literature.
- Metzger, James A., Consumption and Wealth in Luke's Travel Narrative. Brill, 2007. Review by Kenneth Litwak, Review of Biblical Literature, 2008.
- Sermons:
- "Jesus the Rogue Rabbi," the Rev. Thomas Brackett, Day 1, 2010.
- "The Dishonest, Yet Shrewd Manager," Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson, Dim Lamp, 2010.
- "Closing the Great Chasm: Faith & Global Hunger, Pt 2," the Rev. Dr. Barbara K. Lundblad, Day1, 2010.
- "Money and Wise Investments for the Future," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington.
- "Oikonomiks," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington.
- "Caught on Tape," John Jewell, 1998.
- ather Andrew M. Greeley, "Priest, Author,
Sociologist," Commentary and Homily.
- Ordinary 25, 2010
- Ordinary 25, 2007
- Ordinary 25, 2001 (Dr Mary Durkin)
- With Children:
- "Children's Literature: A Resource for Ministry," Connections: Luke 16:1-13 and The Market Lady and the Mango Tree by Pete and Mary Watson, Union Presbyterian Seminary, 2010.
- Drama:
- "The Smooth Operator," Peter Minson, dramatix.
- "The Shrewd Manager," Trevor Fletcher, dramatix.
- Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
- Clip Art, Luke 16:6, Luke 16:13, Fr. Richard Lonsdale, Resources for Catholic Educators.
- Clip Art Images: Luke 16:1-13, Luke 16:1-13 #2, Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú.
- Luke 16:1-13 at Cerezo Barredo's weekly gospel illustration. Liberation emphasis.
- Hymns and Music:
- Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
- Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate, David MacGregor.
- HymnSite.com Hymn Selections.
- Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
- Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
- Find Worship Resources & Suggested Other Readings for use with this text:
- Study Links and Resources for the Book of Luke
