The parable of the shrewd manager, and the license to forgive

Jesus spoke many parables which people praise, from the prodigal son and the lost sheep to baking bread and planting fields. And then there is the parable of the shrewd manager (Luke 16:1-9). Godly commentators may hesitate over the parable of the shrewd manager because the hero is something of a crook. When the manager in the parable finds out he is about to be fired, he calls in his master's debtors and forgives parts of their debts at the master's expense, making friends for himself along the way to secure his own future. 

What makes the man's actions dishonest? He's not authorized to forgive those debts. The master was counting on collecting those debts. 

I suspect that part of Jesus' point for us is that we are authorized to forgive those debts. The master is hoping to forgive the debts rather than collect on them. So why is it we're not out forgiving them? Why is it we're so determined to collect, rather than forgive? 

I expect there is more to be learned from the parable, and that commentators have covered those things. But it's not a bad thing to remember when we read that parable: the master wants those debts forgiven, and we're authorized to forgive them. We might gain friends for God, and secure their futures. 

Update 30 Aug 2026: 

In the parable, the manager is supposed to be collecting debts for his master but forgives them -- taking them off the books, against his master's wishes. In real life, we're supposed to be forgiving debts for our master but insist on keeping those debts on the books, against our master's wishes. So if we are worried that we'll fall out of God's favor and get fired (like the manager in the parable), this could be an encouragement to go on a forgiveness spree. And that would also be in keeping with the rest of Jesus' teachings.