The Parable Of The Shrewd Servant though directed at the church due to the former three parables about following the backslidden or the lost sheep; because of the setting (:where Christ stand before the pharisees) it is implicitly directed deliberately to the key crop of the masses; being church leadership. It of necessity do implicitly show a hindering of the general masses by a purposed fallacy of the leaders. Thus making people their followers rather than followers of God. He did cast it in the teeth of the pharisees who were deliberately making many follow them though leading them astray by the power of association. It is not a new argument, but one tag of war he did tussle with them the much to His end. He does not just do it in our parable of study being the parable of the shrewd servant, but it was a raging hearth untoward them persistently; for they had set a system that did not lead any to God but to their inner circle. Matthew 23:15 KJV Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Matthew 23:1-4 KJV Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. It does hint an err in the system of the set things by the leaders of the moment. For when it was said though to the church present, it was intentionally said to the pharisees; being the leaders of God's then congregation being Israel. For it was this sect of church leaders who did deride the Lord. And He yet the more did always rebuke them.