Luke 16:6

Luke 16:6 is a vivid snapshot from Jesus's compelling Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-13). In this specific verse, the steward, recently accused of mismanagement and facing imminent dismissal, takes a drastic step to secure his future. He calls in one of his master's debtors, who owes "an hundred measures of oil," and shrewdly instructs him: "Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty." This action demonstrates the steward's decisive, albeit dishonest, strategy to gain favor from others before he loses his position and livelihood.

Context

This verse is central to understanding the steward's desperate yet ingenious plan. The parable opens with a wealthy master confronting his steward for wasting his assets. Realizing his time is short, the steward devises a scheme to ensure he will have a place to go after being fired. His method involves calling in his master's debtors and significantly reducing their outstanding debts. The instance with the oil debt highlights the considerable financial impact of his actions. In the context of first-century Jewish society, a steward held significant authority over a large estate, and losing such a position could lead to utter destitution. The steward's immediate and radical action to alter the debt illustrates his profound awareness of his predicament and his determined effort to prepare for his impending unemployment, a characteristic Jesus later uses to teach His disciples.

Key Themes and Messages

• Shrewdness and Prudence: The steward's actions in this verse exemplify remarkable foresight and quick, strategic thinking. He uses his remaining authority to create goodwill and obligation from others. Jesus later explicitly commends this "shrewdness" (Luke 16:8), not his dishonesty, as a trait believers should emulate in their spiritual lives.
• Urgency in Action: The command to "sit down quickly" emphasizes the steward's immediate and decisive response to his crisis. He does not hesitate but acts swiftly to leverage his fleeting opportunity, demonstrating a sense of urgency that Jesus encourages His followers to adopt in matters of eternal significance.
• Preparation for the Future: The steward's entire scheme, initiated by acts like this, is a calculated effort to prepare for his life after losing his job. This serves as a powerful, albeit inverted, challenge for believers to be equally diligent and proactive in preparing for their eternal future.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "an hundred measures of oil" translates the Greek word batous (βάτους). A batus was a substantial liquid measure, roughly equivalent to 8-9 gallons (about 36-40 liters). Therefore, 100 measures of oil represented a very large quantity, approximately 800-900 gallons. Reducing this debt to 50 measures effectively cut the debt in half, a significant concession that would undoubtedly earn the steward considerable gratitude and future favor from the debtor. The "bill" mentioned (Greek: grammata) refers to the written bond or promissory note that documented the debt, which the steward instructed to be fraudulently altered.

Practical Application

While the steward's actions were morally corrupt, Jesus uses his strategic thinking and urgency as a powerful object lesson for His disciples. For believers today, Luke 16:6, within its broader parable, prompts crucial self-reflection:

• Are we as diligent, strategic, and urgent in using our temporal resources (time, talents, and money) for eternal purposes as worldly individuals often are for their temporary gains?
• Do we act with the same decisive urgency in spiritual matters, recognizing the limited time we have to impact God's kingdom and prepare for eternity?
• How can we wisely use our "worldly wealth" to secure true, lasting riches in heaven, as Jesus suggests in Luke 16:9? This parable encourages us to be proactive and faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted to us, with our ultimate eternal dwelling in mind.