Verse by verse, what does this parable explain about the Kingdom of God?
As previously explained in other parables, this one also conveys a message to the children of God, those who are part of the Kingdom and are therefore also called the children of the Light.
1And he said also unto the disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he was wasting his goods.
The analogy here, as in the other parables, presents God as the master and a human being as the manager. All the wealth of the Earth belongs to the Kingdom, and it is managed by a steward who is theoretically doing so for their Lord, the God who created everything.
2And he called him, and said unto him, What is this that I hear of thee? render the account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward.
In this second verse, the Lord found out that the steward was squandering the wealth, and besides not managing it properly, and thus decided to dismiss him.
3And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to dig; to beg I am ashamed.
Certainly, this is not a child of God who is looking for the Kingdom, as he is lazy, unwilling to work the land, filled with shame, and does not trust their Lord.
4I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
Being lazy, yet shrewd and intelligent, he comes up with an idea to solve the accounts that have been placed under his responsibility.
5And calling to him each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
The steward was so disorganized and irresponsible that he didn't even have control over the debts and assets under his management. He had to ask how much the debt was.
6And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bond, and sit down quickly and write fifty.
To secure payment from the first debtor and solve the initial problem right away, he provides a receipt with a 50% discount, effectively forgiving half of the debt.
7Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. He saith unto him, Take thy bond, and write fourscore.
For the second one, he offers a 20% discount for immediate settlement, also pardoning a portion of the debt. And in this way, he received back money from all those who owed his Master, albeit a discounted sum.
8And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light.
The Lord praised the manager of dishonesty because he resolved the situation, collecting money from all the debtors, and with kindness, forgiving a portion of the debt. Thus, he positioned himself favorably towards these people due to the significant discount. And Jesus draws a comparison with the children of light, who despite understanding the word, having access to the Holy Spirit, and direct communication with the Father, do not do what needs to be done to spread the Kingdom.
9And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles.
Here, Jesus confirms the purpose for which earthly riches should be used: to help others, forgive, and build relationships so that we are received by them (these friends) in the eternal dwellings when the Kingdom is established.
10He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much. 11If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Remember that the righteousness of the kingdom is forgiveness, and that's why this steward was praised. Therefore, those who are honest in doing what the Father asks, using His wealth (which is in this wicked world), will surely access true wealth: spiritual, eternal, and of the Kingdom.
12And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Here again, confirming that those who are children and part of the Kingdom of God have access to this wealth. The wealth of the Kingdom belongs to them as an inheritance, but to be a child, one must be worthy and do what is asked by God. And in the end, Jesus confirms the first commandment of the law: to love God above all things! We should not put our hearts in anything else, but rather 100% in God.