The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
Luke 16: Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 “‘Nine hundred gallons[a] of olive oil,’ he replied.
“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“‘A thousand bushels[b] of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
The Clintons are well known for this after they left the White House. Now it's the Obamas.
I suppose the Bushes already had money and rich friends and didn't need to.
I liked the take on that parable by Kenneth Bailey: The steward is apparently acting on behalf of his master, who has generously decided to reduce everybody's debt. The master gains great honor, and people now owe him favors, and he can't repudiate his steward without losing face. The recipients believe that the steward must be highly trusted by his master, if he was allowed to stand in for his master in making such generous gifts (who would otherwise do it in person). Everybody wins, right?
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