Luke 16:8

the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely The lord is of course only the landlord of the parable. The word phronimosdoes not mean -wisely" (a word which is used in a higher sense), but prudently.The tricky cleverness, by which the steward had endeavoured at once to escape detection, and to secure friends who would help him in his need, was exactly what an Oriental landlord would admire as clever, even though he saw through it. And the last act of the steward had been so far honest that for the first time he charged to the debtors the correct amount, while he doubtless represented the diminution as due to his kindly influence with his lord. The lesson to us is analogousskill and prudence, but spiritually employed. This is the sole point which the parable is meant to illustrate. The childish criticism of the Emperor Julian that it taught cheating (!) is refuted by the intention of parables to teach lessons of heavenly wisdom by even the -imperfections" of earth. There is then no greater difficulty in the Parable of the Unjust Steward than in that of the Unjust Judge, or the Importunate Friend. The fraud of this "steward of injustice" is neither excused nor palliated; the lesson is drawn from his worldly prudence in supplying himself with friends for the day of need, which weare to do by wise and holy use of earthly gifts.

in their generation wiser than the children of light Rather, the sons of this age are more prudent than the sons of the light towards or as regards their own generation; i.e. they make better use of their earthly opportunities for their own lifetime than the sons of the light (John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5) do for theirlifetime; or even than the sons of light do of their heavenly opportunities for eternity. The zeal and alacrity of the "devil's martyrs" may be imitated even by God's servants.