The Prodigal Son and the Shrewd Manager

In Luke 16, Jesus tells a parable about a “shrewd manager.” This is a tough parable, because at first glance it appears to be condoning dishonest behavior. Jesus tells of a manager who administered the affairs of a rich man; this manager was suspected of wasting his master’s possessions. So, the rich man called the manager to account for his use of what had been given to him. This worried the manager, because he knew he had been unfaithful in his office. So, he sought to ingratiate himself wi...