There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and this steward was reported to him as squandering his possessions. And he called to him and said to him, "What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward." And the steward said to himself, "What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship from me? I am not strong enough to dig; and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the stewardship, they will receive me into their homes." And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, "How much do you owe my master?" And he said, "A hundred measures of oil," and he said to him, "Take your bill, and sit down quickly and right fifty." Then he said to another, "And how much do you owe?" And he said, "A hundred measures of wheat." He said to him, "Take your bill and write eighty." And his master praised the unrighteous steward because he had acted shrewdly, for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
Luke 16:1-9

Perhaps few scriptures are more misunderstood than this cryptic parable. I can't unravel the entirety of its mysteries, but one aspect can be cleared up. Many western scholars have been puzzled that our righteous Lord seems here to be praising a thief who has just stolen his master's goods. Not so. This man was not a thief. He was a sheliach. In the biblical country a sheliach was one appointed to represent his master. He was given full authority. He could buy, sell and give away his master's goods without having to ask or even notify him. His authority and position were to be so respected that he was to be received as though he were the master himself. He had to do exactly his master's spoken will, but within that will his authority was unquestionable.

Our Lord Jesus was His Father's sheliach - and He has made us His sheliachs. "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me" (Matthew 10:40). The sheliach must do nothing outside the parameters set by his master; but his power (exousia) is his master's; it is full and equal to his master's since it represents him. "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner" (John 5:19). "I can do nothing on my own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (vs 30). Jesus' hearers would have been astounded that Jesus used their familiar language about sheliachs, to put Himself in that position with God! To them that was blasphemous. They understood what sheliachs were, and could not miss what He was saying. The disciples also would have been thunderstruck when He gave them the same sheliach position. "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). He gave that same authority to the disciples, and thus to us! Still today, it's almost impossible for us, without copious revelations, to assimilate what this says we are in God's sight! We have full authority! - so long as we act in Jesus' name. But tacking those words onto the end of our prayers does not make it so. We act as His sheliach and demonstrate His full authority only as long as what we pray or do is within His will, His nature and His purposes. A man's name stands for who he is, and a sheliach stands for his master's name.

Just so, the unjust steward had full authority to give away his master's goods. He was only unjust in that he gave for wrong and selfish motives. He gave not out of concern and love for others but for his own self, so that recipients would give him hospitality when his job would come to an end. Nevertheless, his master praised him. One powerful point (among others) Jesus was making in this parable is that, while it's true that "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7), nevertheless, if your motives are not right and you can't give cheerfully, give anyway! God is pleased, and honors when we give, whether from right or wrong motives. If this were not so, the master (and thus our Master) would not have praised this man who gave from false motives.

But why would the master praise the steward for diminishing his own store of wealth for selfish reasons. Perhaps here is where we least understand this parable. In that country wealth was to be used to benefit others. Not to use it for benevolent purposes was to squander it! His master's praise confirms his pleasure that his wealth was being used to bless others. 

How far we are from this today! God gives us stewardship of wealth with which to bless others. This parable calls us to steward God's blessings by giving to others through sheer obedience, whether our hearts really want to be that generous or not. God will be pleased and heap His praises when we use His gifts for His purposes. After all a sheliach is one who does his master's will whether his heart is happy doing it or not. God gives. His representatives must do the same.

A final note: I've found that there are times when my grumpy self doesn't want to keep on giving and serving, I'm tired and I want to quit for awhile. But when I make myself keep at it out of sheer obedience, it isn't long before He makes my heart happy again. That's our life. Losing it, we find it (Luke 9:24). The reaping is "joy unspeakable and full of glory." (1 Peter 1:8) Friends, keep on whether you want to or not. Better to do it with a heart of love, but if not, you'll still reap wondrous blessings. Give and serve - anyway.