6/01/25 - The Dishonest Manager - Luke 16:1–13 - Pastor David Hogg

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager is a perplexing one. Why is a clever defrauder commended for his shrewdness? How is this dishonest manager’s swift economic redistribution used to teach Jesus’ audience about kinship, faithfulness, and honesty? By using a real-world example, Jesus teaches his listeners about the right use of wealth and business forethought. This parable has more to do with preparing for the future than it does deception. In this passage, Jesus uses a dishonest manager who was likely a slave or freedman, desperate to keep his job, to display the commemorability of acting boldly to secure his financial future. Jesus often draws lessons from sinful or lowly men to create contrast with the prideful elite, and in Luke 16:1–13, we learn from a dishonest manager about the glory of foresight and diligence. This Sunday, we will learn from Phoenix Seminary President, Dr. David Hogg, about how we as Christians can model such an attitude in our own faith journey. The dishonest manager’s decisive action in this parable is praiseworthy and points to how Christians ought to be regarding eternal matters.