What does Luke 16:3 mean?

The parable of the dishonest manager continues. A rich man uses a manager to steward some of his assets. The manager may be a high-level slave or a freeman trained for administrative work. The rich man discovers the manager has been losing money in some way (Luke 16:1) although specifics are not given. The owner demands the manager turn in his records and prepare to be fired (Luke 16:2). The manager panics. He cannot stand thoughts of labor or poverty. He has little time before he will be fired. He plans to use that time to endear himself to other potential employers (Luke 16:4).

The Greek phrase ouk ischyō literally means "I lack the power" or "I am unable." This is much like the modern English phrase "I can't," which is often used to mean "I don't want to." The man is probably able to do something physical but hates the idea. And, either because of his lifestyle or ridicule over losing his job, he's embarrassed to ask others for charity.

Whatever else the manager does wrong, he makes the right choice here: to think. He stops, assesses his situation, considers the state of the world, and decides to act. Jesus will summarize, "For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light" (Luke 16:8). Too often, when faced with imminent hardship, Christians assume their fate is fixed unless God supernaturally acts—that they can and should do nothing. Jesus exhorts us to be wise about how the world works and then use that insight for the benefit of the kingdom. He doesn't want us to blindly accept whatever circumstances the world gives us.