Gospel in Art: The Parable of the Unjust Steward

Parable of the Unjust Steward, print from a series by Crispijn van de Passe, Cologne, 1604 © Alamy

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 6 November 2026
Luke 16:1-8

At that time: Jesus said to the disciples, 'There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, "What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager." And the manager said to himself, "What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses."

So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, "How much do you owe my master?" He said, "A hundred measures of oil." He said to him, "Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty." Then he said to another, "And how much do you owe?"

He said, "A hundred measures of wheat." He said to him, "Take your bill and write eighty." The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.'

Reflection on the engraving

Sometimes the most surprising people have something to teach us. In today's Gospel, Jesus introduces us to a steward who is about to lose his job for wasting his master's property. Faced with the prospect of unemployment, he quickly works out a plan. He takes initiative. His back is against the wall and he gets creative. He reduces the debts of his master's debtors, making sure that finally they will pay. His motives are perhaps selfish, but his resourcefulness is impressive. Even his master recognises it! Jesus is not praising dishonesty. He is asking why his followers cannot bring that same energy, imagination, initiative and determination to proclaiming the word of God.

It is a question worth taking seriously. We can be remarkably inventive when trying to save a business, secure a promotion or arrange a holiday on a tight budget. Do we bring the same creativity to serving God? When a parish struggles, someone drifts away from faith, or a neighbour becomes isolated, how quickly do we move from noticing the problem to doing something creatively about it? The steward understood that he could not simply carry on as before. Something had to change, and he had to act.

We too live at a time when sharing our faith calls for imagination and courage. It is easy to become discouraged by empty pews or to keep talking about how things used to be. Today's Gospel urges us to put our gifts to work: invite someone, start a conversation, offer a skill, find a fresh way to make Christ's love visible. Art, music, hospitality, friendship: there are so many doors through which people can encounter God.

In our small engraving, made in Cologne in 1604, Crispijn van de Passe the Elder brings us into the business dealings of the unjust steward. The figures gather around a book, towards which the steward points: the accounts have become the focus of his urgent efforts to secure his future. Here, the Gospel story unfolds through the familiar business of debts, records and negotiations. The steward bends over the accounts before his master, hurriedly recording reductions in the debts of those gathered behind him, with whom he has been negotiating. There is a palpable sense of urgency: time is running out, and he knows he must act quickly to secure his future.

LINKS

Christian Art: www.christian.art
Today's reading: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-16-1-8-2026/