What is the meaning of Luke 16:7? Then he asked another • The steward in Jesus’ parable has already cut one debtor’s bill (Luke 16:5-6), and he now turns to the next. • His quick succession of meetings shows urgency—he knows he is about to lose his position (Luke 16:3-4). • Scripture often links urgency with wisdom in stewardship (Luke 12:42-44; Ephesians 5:15-16). “And how much do you owe?” • The question invites the debtor to state his obligation, making the coming reduction feel personal and gracious. • Asking first also highlights accountability; every person will one day give an account of stewardship before God (Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 4:2-5). • The steward’s approach resembles Proverbs 20:18—“Plans are established by counsel”—he gathers information before acting. “A hundred measures of wheat,” he replied • This is a sizable debt, underlining the steward’s authority and the weight of the concession he is about to make. • Jesus often uses large sums to stress spiritual truths (Matthew 18:24; Luke 7:41-42). • The contrast between the debtor’s heavy obligation and the steward’s swift solution foreshadows the gospel truth that our immense debt of sin can be canceled swiftly by grace (Colossians 2:13-14). “Take your bill and write eighty,” he told him • The steward reduces the debt by twenty percent—enough to win the debtor’s gratitude but not so much as to seem frivolous. • Jesus does not praise the dishonesty (Luke 16:8) but the shrewd foresight: earthly resources can be leveraged to prepare for the future. • Cross references reinforce the lesson: – Luke 16:9 “Make friends for yourselves with worldly wealth, so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.” – Matthew 10:16 “Be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves.” – Proverbs 11:30 “He who wins souls is wise.” • The steward’s action challenges believers to use temporary assets for lasting kingdom impact—generosity, evangelism, mercy ministries (1 Timothy 6:17-19; Proverbs 19:17). summary Luke 16:7 records the second debt-reduction in the parable of the dishonest steward. Each movement—asking, assessing, and adjusting—highlights shrewd initiative with temporal resources. Jesus uses the steward’s cleverness, not his corruption, to urge disciples to act wisely and generously. Earthly wealth is fleeting, but when invested in God’s purposes it lays up “treasure in heaven” and welcomes friends into eternal dwellings (Luke 12:33-34; 16:9). |
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