Tag: wealth

The Parable of the Shrewd Steward

Luke 16 contains, I think, the most difficult parable to understand.

Below is a brief explanation which I believe makes a lot of sense. This explanation is inspired by the book Social-Science Commentary of the Synoptic Gospels by Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh.

Click here to read the parable.

The first thing to know is that parables are simple stories told to teach a lesson. They are not allegories. The characters in the stories are not necessarily allegories representing other people. The master in this parable, for example, does not represent God — he is exactly what the story says he is: a rich man. The next thing to know is that 1st century Judea was an honor/shame culture. To be honored was more important than having money. The third thing to know is that most of Jesus’s audience were very poor and had a lot of debt. Therefore, this parable is about forgiveness of debt, restoration of honor, and mercy.

It’s interesting to note that the four explanations given by Luke (1. vs 8; 2. vs 9; 3. vss 10-12; 4. vs 13) do not seem to help understand the parable that much. Alas…

The steward publicly dishonored his master by squandering his wealth without his knowledge. The master had to be told by a third party what was happening, which was very embarrassing for the master. Everyone knew what was happening in his own business before he did. He was dishonored.

The master could have had the steward thrown into prison, but instead chose only to fire him. The master was merciful.

In like manner, the steward showed mercy to the debtors in hopes of gaining their favor to be able to call on them for help after being fired. This action caused the community to praise the master for his great generosity. The master’s honor was restored, and he commended the steward for that.

It ends up being a restorative situation for all: The master is more honored than ever before, the steward keeps his job, and the people receive much needed debt relief. Such is the kingdom of heaven.

The Pharisees (who heard Jesus tell this parable) were unmerciful, dishonorable, and lovers of money. What they highly esteemed was an abomination to God. (Luke 16.14-15)

Thomas Sowell Quotes #8

“[U]nder any movement or set of collective beliefs, a feeling of being on the side of angels can be a dangerous self-indulgence in a heedless willfulness that is sometimes called idealism. This kind of idealism can replace realities with preconceptions, and make the overriding goal the victory of some abstract vision, in defiance of reality or in disregard of the fate of fellow human beings. The symbols of the preconception can become goals in themselves.”

~from Wealth, Poverty and Politics, page 420

In a vision driven group, “buying into the vision” is seen as more virtuous than actually doing something useful. Even those in the group who aren’t doing anything, or who are doing things poorly, will be held in high regard if they “get a hold of” and celebrate the vision. Conversely, those who may be doing productive work which is good for others, but show little enthusiasm for the vision, will be seen as dangerously independent and not “team players.”

Further reading: Shop Class as Soulcraft (Brief Book Review)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3U38_5tvqQ&feature=youtu.be

Thomas Sowell Quotes #7

“Moral condemnation is not causal explanation, despite how often the two have been combined in a politically attractive package. Despite the tendency of political, and especially ideological, explanations of economic disparities to combine moral and causal factors, the reason so many mountain peoples [for example] around the world have been poor has not been that others went up into those mountains and took away their wealth, but that the mountain peoples seldom produced much wealth in the first place…

“…it is staggering that some people imagine that they can take on the [large] task of righting the wrongs of the past, committed by people long dead, without igniting dangerous new hostilities among the living.”

~from Wealth, Poverty and Politics, page 271-272

Thomas Sowell Quotes #6

Solutions

“One of the difficulties with trying to create ‘solutions’ is the uncertainty of defining what is a ‘problem.’ When A and B make a transaction between themselves that C does not like, is that a problem to be solved?

“A and B may be employer and employee, landlord and tenant or lender and borrower. No doubt each of the primary parties to any of these transactions would prefer terms more favourable to himself or herself, but the transactions would not have taken place unless at least one, and probably both, were willing to accept something less than they might hope for.

“But many among the intelligentsia press for government to ‘do something’ about transactions terms that the parties themselves have agreed to, this call for government intervention often being based on ideas similar to those expressed by John Rawls in A Theory of Justice. However, the question must be raised as to the basis for arming intellectual coteries with the massive powers of government to forcibly undo economic transactions terms made by millions of people intimately familiar with their own individual circumstances and alternatives, in a way that distant intellectuals or government functionaries cannot possibly be familiar.”

~from Wealth, Poverty and Politics, page 361