Luke Chapter 16
From The Open Bible Project
16:1 He also said to his disciples, "There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made to him that this man was wasting his possessions.
- (1) Seeing that men often purchase friendship for themselves at the expense of others, we are to be ashamed if we do not please the Lord or procure the good will of our neighbours with the goods which the Lord has bestowed on us freely and liberally, making sure that by this means riches, which are often occasions of sin, are used for another end and purpose.
16:2 He called him, and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.'
16:3 "The manager said within himself, 'What will I do, seeing that my lord is taking away the management position from me? I don't have strength to dig. I am ashamed to beg.
16:4 I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.'
16:5 Calling each one of his lord's debtors to him, he said to the first, 'How much do you owe to my lord?'
16:6 He said, 'A [38] hundred batos [See Luke Footnotes 38] of oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'
16:7 Then said he to another, 'How much do you owe?' He said, 'A [39] hundred cors [See Luke Footnotes 39] of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'
16:8 "His lord commended the dishonest manager because he had done wisely, for the children of this world are, in their own generation, wiser than the children of the light.
- (a) This parable does not approve the steward’s evil dealing, for it was definitely theft: but parables are set forth to show a thing in a secret way, and as it were, to present the truth by means of an allegory, even though it may not be exact: so that by this parable Christ means to teach us that worldly men are more clever in the affairs of this world than the children of God are diligent for everlasting life.
- (b) Men that are given to this present life, contrary to whom are the children of light: Paul calls the former carnal and the latter spiritual.
16:9 I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents.
- (c) This is not spoken of goods that are gotten wrongly, for God will have our bountifulness to the poor proceed and come from a good fountain: but he calls those things riches of iniquity which men use wickedly.
- (d) That is, the poor Christians: for they are the inheritors of these habitations; Theophylact.
16:10 He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much. He who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
- (2) We ought to take heed that we do not abuse our earthly work and duty and so be deprived of heavenly gifts: for how can they properly use spiritual gifts who abuse worldly things?
16:11 If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
- (c) That is, heavenly and true riches, which are contrary to material wealth which is worldly and quickly departing.
16:12 If you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?
- (f) In worldly goods, which are called other men’s because they are not ours, but rather entrusted to our care.
16:13 No 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. You aren't able to serve God and [40] mammon [See Luke Footnotes 40]."
- (3) No man can love God and riches simultaneously.
16:14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him.
16:15 He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
- (4) Our sins are not hidden to God, although they may be hidden to men, yea although they may be hidden to those who committed them.
16:16 The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
- (5) The Pharisees despised the excellency of the new covenant with respect to the old, being ignorant of the perfect righteousness of the law; and Christ declares by the seventh commandment how they were false expounders of the law.
16:17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the law to fall.
16:18 Everyone who divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.
- (g) They that gather by this passage that a man cannot be married again after he has divorced his wife for adultery, while she lives, reason incorrectly: for Christ speaks of those divorces which the Jews had which were not because of adultery, for adulterers were put to death by the law.
16:19 "Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.
- (6) The end of the poverty and misery of the godly will be everlasting joy, as the end of riotous living and the cruel pride of the rich will be everlasting misery, without any hope of mercy.
- (h) Very gorgeously and sumptuously, for purple garments were costly, and this fine linen, which was a kind of linen that came out of Achaia, was as precious as gold.
16:20 A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores,
16:21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
16:22 It happened that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.
16:23 In [41] Hades [See Luke Footnotes 41], he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.
- (i) Heavenly and spiritual things are expressed and set forth using language fit for our senses.
16:24 He cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.'
16:25 "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in like manner, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish.
16:26 Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'
16:27 "He said, 'I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house;
- (7) Seeing that we have a most sure rule to live by, laid forth for us in the word of God, men seek rashly and vainly for other revelations.
16:28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won't also come into this place of torment.'
16:29 "But Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.'
16:30 "He said, 'No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
16:31 "He said to him, 'If they don't listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.'"
