The Rudolf Steiner Archive

29. The Parable of the Unjust Steward — Gospel of Luke 16:11-18

[ 1 ] In the present day, the study and interpretation of the parables are all too easily drawn into the current of a materialistic worldview; for materialism—even if it is not so keenly felt or acknowledged by individuals—has taken hold of our entire age and the entire way of thinking within it. Not only the natural sciences—but also philosophy and, to a certain extent, theology have been affected. One kind of materialism can, in a sense, be easily remedied—namely, the theoretical kind—for this logically leads all too easily to the absurd. — The matter is far more difficult when it comes to the materialistic way of thinking, which, for example, sees in Jesus nothing more than a selfless, pure human being and has thus reduced this figure entirely to the material.

[ 2 ] There were times when the parables could not be interpreted in a high enough light; in the early centuries, Gospel commentators did everything in their power to identify the Christ in Jesus; today, however, we see that modern theologians have no inclination to see in Jesus anything other than an idealized figure who, while somewhat greater than Goethe or Schiller, in their view must by no means be allowed to rise so significantly above humanity. For these modern theologians, Jesus is simply the humble man from Nazareth, and such a belittling of the person of Jesus is a far worse form of materialism than the theoretical kind.

[ 3 ] Things such as parables must not be reduced to the realm of general human experience; otherwise, nothing but crude materialism will spread in the realm of religious thought. Salvation can come only from the fact that these texts [contain] not mere facts but universal truths; one must delve deeply into these truths to discern their true intentions, rather than speculating about them.

[ 4 ] Just consider, for example, how “The Lord’s Prayer” has been viewed in esoteric circles—something I’ve spoken to you about before! Only those who draw upon the occult schools can find the truth.

[ 5 ] So let us also draw from these reliable sources when considering today’s parable: It reads:

[ 6 ] But he also said to his disciples: “There was a rich man who had a steward, and the steward gained a bad reputation before him for squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be my steward.’ The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do? My master is taking this position away from me; I’m not cut out for manual labor, and I’m too ashamed to beg.’ ‘I know just what I’ll do so that, when I’m removed from this position, they’ll welcome me into their homes.’ So he summoned all his master’s debtors and asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, “A hundred metric tons of oil.” And he said to him, “Take your bill, sit down, and quickly write fifty.” Then he said to the other, “And you, how much do you owe?” He said, “A hundred bushels of wheat.” And he said to him, “Take your bill and write eighty.” - And the master commended the unjust steward, saying that he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this world are more shrewd in their own generation than the children of light. - And I say to you: Make friends for yourselves with unjust mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. Whoever is faithful in the least is also faithful in much; and whoever is unfaithful in the least is also unfaithful in much. So if you are not faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust you with what is true? And if you are not faithful in what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No servant can serve two masters; either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon. The Pharisees, who were greedy, heard all this and mocked him. And he said to them, “It is you who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts; for what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. The Law and the Prophets prophesied up to John, and from that time on, the kingdom of God is preached through the Gospel, and everyone is forcing his way into it, But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the Law to fall. Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband also commits adultery.” (Luke 16:1–18)

[ 7 ] To truly understand this parable, it is first necessary to see where it appears; it is found in the Gospel of Luke. — The apparent diversity of the four Gospels stems from the fact that their authors did not all pass through the same mystery school. For example, the Gospel of John is based on the Greek mystery schools. Luke, on the other hand, drew upon the profound mysteries of the Therapeuts and the Essenes, and therefore the Gospel of Luke has a completely different explanatory tone than, say, that of John. In this sense, one must not lump everything together.

[ 8 ] The Gospel of Luke, as mentioned, grew out of the philosophy of the Therapeuts and Essenes, which consisted in guiding people, in all their endeavors, toward the powers of their own souls. One can only truly grasp the fundamental tone of this Gospel by taking into account this statement of the Essenes: “You shall bring to maturity within yourselves thoughts that take care of the poor, the weary, and the burdened.” Luke’s Gospel is a Gospel of poverty and is thus most intimately connected with the mindset of the Therapeuts and Essenes.

[ 9 ] This noble brotherhood was the first to emphasize the equality of all people before God. Providing their bodies with only the bare necessities and living with the utmost purity of morals, they served their fellow human beings as healers of both body and soul; no one was allowed to heal for the sake of reward; their benevolent work extended to the huts of the poor as well as to the palaces of the rich. Anyone unfamiliar with the conditions of that time does not know what an eminent advance was associated with the emergence of this order, and only then do we understand why the Gospel of Luke has precisely this particular tone. The contrast between the rich man and those who owe him money comes to the fore at first; the point is not at all to accuse the rich man in any way, but rather to present the debtors—the poor—in the proper light. Thus, it would be best not to try to recognize in the rich man God, who is infinitely rich; for it is simply stated that the man is a rich man. But is his mindset such that he wants to exploit people, or is it of a different nature? And might it not be possible that his steward’s actions were based solely on the good intention of reducing the debts of the poor?

[ 10 ] The steward had mismanaged the estate; now he must give an account and fears he will be dismissed, so he is trying to secure his future. He cannot work, does not want to beg, but he wants a place to stay, and he is now seeking it from those whom he had wronged. He himself is to blame for the fact that they were charged an excessive debt; therefore, he says to the first: “You no longer owe me 100 metric tons of oil, but 50,” and to the other: “You no longer owe me 100 malter of wheat, but 80,” and thus the debtors are satisfied; he has lightened their oppressive burden to the best of his ability—that is, as much as possible. So what did he do? He used his master’s wealth to do justice to the poor, thereby doing them a good deed.

[ 11 ] That is the point. Now let us recall that the rich man says to his steward, “You have acted wisely”; he does not want to be an exploiter, but rather thinks to himself, “Now I am pleased with you.”

[ 12 ] Such an attitude was new to the scribes of that time; never before had anyone been prompted to do good in this way; thus, something had been achieved that had previously been considered impermissible, even impossible. The debtors, the poor, would have found no way out of their dire situation; here they are referred to as the children of light—that is, those who embrace the teaching of wisdom—in contrast to the children of the world. The latter, the Pharisees, are stingy and act only according to the rigid letter of the law; they do not want to come to the aid of the poor, whereas the steward was always the one who did something for the poor.

[ 13 ] And now we can apply this parable to a higher truth and do not hesitate to describe God Himself as the rich man—who, while certainly not compared by anyone to an exploiter, nevertheless, with His inexhaustible wealth, is always eager to give and praises the steward especially for having used His divine riches to do good for the poor.

[ 14 ] However, Jesus’ subsequent words also transform the parable into a universal truth. Jesus says that the Law and the Prophets prophesied up to John (Luke 16:16). Herein lies the reference to the higher spiritual truth; it refers to the great turning point brought about by Christ Jesus. Previously, there was the rigid Law, whose letter people adhered to scrupulously, yet this could not prevent the gap between the wealthy and the poor from growing ever wider, nor could it prevent the contrasts from developing to a degree of harshness and intensity that is scarcely imaginable to us today. This situation, driven to its extreme, finally found its resolution in the fact that Christ Jesus—although He rightly allowed the law to remain in full force—transferred its seat and its workings into the souls of individual human beings.

[ 15 ] As will become clear later, not only does the law lose nothing of its substance as a result, but it is actually strengthened and refined in a way that was previously unimagined and unknown. In the serious and urgent admonition that Jesus directs at the Pharisees—who justify themselves before others—the parable of the prodigal son also resonates deeply within our souls. The son who always remained at home is held in lower esteem by the father than the “lost” one, who endured the trial, returned to his father’s house, and was reborn. Here we see so clearly what grace means—grace that makes its way from a loving heart to another loving heart. The Law is the net that gathered people together; grace flows into the innermost being; it becomes the living Law within the soul. It is not for nothing that Jesus says, “I am the fulfillment of the Law.” (Mt 5:17–18) The Kingdom of Heaven cannot be forced; it does not come through outward gestures; only those who seek to attain it with the strength of their soul will find it—and they will do so because Christ comes alive within them.

[ 16 ] In successive eras, the most diverse impulses prevail in the soul. What, then, is the law in relation to grace? It is that which did not come into being only through Christianity, but which existed through the Steward. Before its advent, Christianity was not yet the appropriate religion for humankind; they still needed the law; they still needed stewards. —

[ 17 ] This is superseded by Christ’s work among humanity, and it must be held accountable. Over the course of time, the law has become unjust, just like all systems that are temporarily suitable for human beings. - The oppression of the poor is a recurring theme in the Gospel of Luke; in place of this way of thinking and acting, Christ teaches a new way. Now we understand what is meant in this Gospel when it says: “The Law and the Prophets prophesied until John; and from that time on, the Kingdom of God is preached through the Gospel, and everyone is forcing his way into it.” (Luke 16:16)

[ 18 ] When interpreting the parables, one must not leave anything out; only then can one grasp the context. Now let’s take it a step further:

[ 19 ] The law had led to the oppression of the poor; these people, the children of light, heard that something new was to come, that they would have to give an account. They can now offer nothing else but the innermost feelings of their hearts when they wish to present a defense. The oppressors have not yet heard the voice of charity, but now they are trying to return the unjust mammon; the vague call for a new era has reached them as well—an era in which injustice must not continue as before. The children of the world cannot give in to hypocrisy; the new external and internal conditions of the world compel them to behave differently than before. All of this justifies Christ Jesus’ claiming this turning point in the spirit of the times as his own. And I say to you as well: “Make friends for yourselves with unrighteous wealth, so that when you fail, they may welcome you into the eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9) He can say: You see from this steward how one should behave toward poverty, and you can truly take this as an example; however, you must be driven to do so by the innermost impulses of your soul; then, in your own time of need, you will again find contentment in what you have. —

[ 20 ] In the ancient lineage, the children of the world were wiser than the children of light; later, this will be reversed. You must not believe that it can only be beneficial to adhere strictly to the rigid letter of the law; the children of the world have generally always spoken of justice, but have not in the least abided by it in reality. From the way the steward acted, we can see how the law should have been applied in its deepest, innermost sense.

[ 21 ] “If you are not faithful in handling this unrighteous mammon, who will entrust you with what is truly valuable? And if you are not faithful in handling what belongs to others, who will give you what is yours?” (Luke 16:11–12) These words point to the replacement of the old era with a new one; a new social order is being ushered in, in which each person is to receive what is rightfully theirs. And now the essential point is summarized once more: “Take this seriously.” On the one hand, the old mindset with its strict adherence to the letter of the law; on the other, the new mindset, which knows nothing other than responding to the needs of others by recognizing them as beings of equal worth, while at the same time being guided by the awareness that this is how one serves God.

[ 22 ] “You cannot serve both God and Mammon” (Luke 16:13); Mammon is the name for the gods of obstacles, whereas Christ and Wisdom lead us forward. Mammon is the term for everything that a person seeks to grasp for the narrow circle of his “self”; yet this has only secondary significance. The Gospel shows us this embodied selfishness in Judas Iscariot, who contributes to Christ’s being led to his death.

[ 23 ] “Old Times—New Times.” It is now understandable that the Pharisees mocked—of whom it is said, “They were greedy.” (Luke 16:14) The translation is not entirely accurate; it would be better to say: “They had a mammon-centered mindset.” That is why Christ Jesus says: “But God knows the hearts,” and that is what will matter, for what is exalted among men is an abomination before God; only true spiritual power determines the real hierarchy. — Charity is not contrary to the law, but rather an impulse toward the fullest fulfillment of the law, arising from the free impulse of one’s own soul. In Christ’s time, the moment had come when charity had to appear, before people’s hearts became completely hardened. — But Christ Jesus goes on to say: “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail” (Luke 16:17); “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband also commits adultery.” (Luke 16:18)—If we now look at Chapter 5 of Matthew, we find that Jesus says there that true marriage must neither be broken nor dissolved (Matthew 5:30–31). We who are present here know marriage only according to the law; naturally, Jesus’ entirely new conception—which shifts the focus of married life so completely inward, to the soul—forms the greatest possible contrast to this. Such words must surely have seemed incomprehensible to most, because their hearts were hardened, as Jesus often emphasized in his discourses. Instead of being bound by the form of the law, relationships here are shaped by the power of the innermost impulses. Therefore, by putting Jesus’ teachings into practice, the most wonderful relationships must spring from the heart. The analogous passage in Mark (Mark 10:2–10) also speaks of marriage, the possibility of divorce, and its consequences, but the entire marital relationship is in reality so delicate that it cannot be transferred to another. The teachings expressed in the parable point to the transformation brought about by Jesus Christ. — Having considered the Gospel in this way, we may also compare the rich man to the Ruler of the World, who, from his inexhaustible abundance, always gives gladly and praises those who use this wealth to do good for others. You see, the parable is written entirely in the spirit of the Gospel of Luke, and it must be understood in that light; otherwise, it would not be comprehended. - When studying individual passages of the Gospel, it is—as mentioned at the beginning—always necessary to consider which evangelist wrote them, for each came from a different school.

[ 24 ] There is now hardly anything left to explain about this parable. Theosophy is always a clear guide for such reflections. We should not brood or speculate, but rather draw wisdom from these words themselves; then we will find what remains hidden from the acumen of liberal theologians, while at the same time avoiding the danger of being drawn into the teachings of materialistic fantasists, who, despite their new doctrine about the vortices of atoms, cannot in their own way come any closer to the essence of phenomena.

[ 25 ] At present, however, it certainly seems as though humanity is led by purely materialistic, worldly people who accept nothing other than what can be perceived by the physical senses. Clinging to platitudes about harmony and universal brotherhood does nothing to advance humanity. - If I tell a stove to be warm, it does not automatically give off heat; one must first stoke it, and only then will it become warm and warm others. Likewise, exhortations to brotherhood are of no use; one must give people wisdom, and then brotherhood will develop on its own.