Often such cultural details are assumed in Scripture as they are today and are not stated for an audience.Ģ. Today I could tell a story of the purchase of a house without mentioning the relationships among my bank, the mortgage company and various insurance companies involved in the loan. Such a reading of cultural background is common (Keener 1993: introduction). But Derrett's work on first-century commissions shows cultural background that may be assumed without being stated explicitly. Some complain that the commission view reads a subdivision of charges into the text. I will note these objections and then reply, since I believe the commission view is slightly more likely than the other options.ġ. There are several main arguments against the commission view (Stein 1992:412 Ireland 1992:79-83). The view tends to be argued with a challenge to the third view, the commission option. This view argues that the first sentence of verse 8 is about the actions of verses 5-7, not verse 1. By exposing the master, he creates goodwill for himself. The argument is that the master later praises the steward for his shrewdness as well as recognizing his dishonesty. The first position, that the steward simply unilaterally lowers prices, is the traditional view. The commission might well have varied depending on the item sold. Differing rates are less of a problem here. (3) The steward removes his own commission, so what he sacrifices is his own money, not that of his master (Derrett 1970:48-77). The differing rates of reduction seem to be against this view, however, unless different materials carried different interest rates. (2) The steward removes the interest charge from the debt, following Mosaic law (Ex 22:25 Lev 25:35-37 Deut 15:7-8 23:20-21). This act would undercut his boss by showing what a shark he is. What exactly does the steward do? Three options are often suggested: (1) The steward wields his authority as steward and simply lowers the price. The cultural background to the 50 percent reduction in the oil bill and the 20 percent reduction in the wheat bill has been much discussed. The steward introduces a high deflationary trend in his master's bills. He decides on a course of action that will bring him into his neighbors' good graces. Facing unemployment and having no marketable skills beyond being a steward, he is in a dilemma, since he does not wish to beg or resort to demeaning physical labor. His accounting will be his last task for this master. ![]() For with the accounting comes the steward's pink slipâhe is fired. The master calls for an accounting, but it is not to see if the charges are true. In any case, the steward's reputation leads to his dismissal. Though for reasons I make clear below I prefer the latter optionâthat the steward's dishonesty led to his dismissalâit must be acknowledged that either understanding may be right. As Nolland (1993:797) suggests, "It is tempting to think of the steward as siphoning off funds for his own consumption from transactions made in the name of the master." The need to choose between these two options is what makes the parable so difficult, since either can be easily defended as fitting the story's framework. On the other hand, others argue that the "wasting" itself in verse 1 involved outright dishonesty. If such a distinction is made, then the steward's actions in verses 5-7 are seen as dishonest. The characterization of the steward's activity is crucial, because some distinguish between what is said here about the steward's ineptitude from what is said about his dishonesty in verse 8 (Stein 1992:412). ![]() He has been scattering (diaskorpizo) his master's resources. The description of the steward's activity is like that of the prodigal son in the previous parable (15:13). The parable centers on a steward who is accused of wasting the master's goods. ![]() Its point is clear enoughâbe generous and responsible with your resourcesâbut how it makes the point is much discussed. This story is probably the most difficult parable in Luke.
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