Surrounded by the account sheets of the household, the rich man (left) of Luke 16 confronts his steward about the mistreatment of money. With claw-like hands, he points to the coins on the table and asks, “What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer” (Luke 16:2, inscribed in Latin on the plaque at far right). The steward, unwilling to labor or beg for the missing money, devises a sneaky plan. At upper right, we see him asking each of his master’s debtors, “How much do you owe my master?” As each debtor answers, the steward instructs him to doctor his debts, showing a lower amount. In this way, he ingratiates himself with the locals, so that they might welcome him into their homes after he loses his job (Luke 16:5–7). In the end, the master commends his manager for acting shrewdly: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of mammon (dishonest wealth) so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal home” (Luke 16:9).
Although the parable describes the steward as “dishonest,” it is difficult to tell who, if anyone, is being condemned in this painting by 16th-century Flemish artist Marinus van Reymerswaele. The rich man and the steward appear to be working in collusion. Perhaps they are both under suspicion. For, as Jesus comments in the subsequent verses: “No slave can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:12–13).
The Parable of the Unfaithful Steward oil painting Marinus van Reymerswaele (c. 1490–1567)
Surrounded by the account sheets of the household, the rich man (left) of Luke 16 confronts his steward about the mistreatment of money. With claw-like hands, he points to the coins on the table and asks, “What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer” (Luke 16:2, inscribed in Latin on the plaque at far right). The steward, unwilling to labor or beg for the missing money, devises a sneaky plan. At upper right, we see him asking each of his master’s debtors, “How much […]
You have already read your free article for this month. Please join the BAS Library or become an All Access member of BAS to gain full access to this article and so much more.
