Luke16
New Living Translation
1Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money.
2So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’
3“The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg.
4Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’
5“So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’
6The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’
7“‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’
8“The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.
9Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.
10“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.
11And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?
12And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?
13“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”
14The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him.
15Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.
16“Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in.
17But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God’s law to be overturned.
18“For example, a man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery. And anyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”
19Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury.
20At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores.
21As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.
22“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried,
23and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.
24“The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’
25“But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.
26And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’
27“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home.
28For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
29“But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
30“The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
31“But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Luke 16.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The parable of the unjust steward. (1–12). Christ reproves the hypocrisy of the covetous Pharisees. (13–18). The rich man and Lazarus. (19–31).
vv1-12
Whatever we have, the property of it is God's; we have only the use of it, according to the direction of our great Lord, and for his honour. This steward wasted his lord's goods. And we are all liable to the same charge; we have not made due improvement of what God has trusted us with. The steward cannot deny it; he must make up his accounts, and be gone. This may teach us that death will come, and deprive us of the opportunities we now have. The steward will make friends of his lord's debtors or tenants, by striking off a considerable part of their debt to his lord. The lord referred to in this parable commended not the fraud, but the policy of the steward. In that respect alone is it so noticed. Worldly men, in the choice of their object, are foolish; but in their activity, and perseverance, they are often wiser than believers. The unjust steward is not set before us as an example in cheating his master, or to justify any dishonesty, but to point out the careful ways of worldly men. It would be well if the children of light would learn wisdom from the men of the world, and would as earnestly pursue their better object. The true riches signify spiritual blessings; and if a man spends upon himself, or hoards up what God has trusted to him, as to outward things, what evidence can he have, that he is an heir of God through Christ? The riches of this world are deceitful and uncertain. Let us be convinced that those are truly rich, and very rich, who are rich in faith, and rich toward God, rich in Christ, in the promises; let us then lay up our treasure in heaven, and expect our portion from thence.
vv13-18
To this parable our Lord added a solemn warning. Ye cannot serve God and the world, so divided are the two interests. When our Lord spoke thus, the covetous Pharisees treated his instructions with contempt. But he warned them, that what they contended for as the law, was a wresting of its meaning: this our Lord showed in a case respecting divorce. There are many covetous sticklers for the forms of godliness, who are the bitterest enemies to its power, and try to set others against the truth.
vv19-31
Here the spiritual things are represented, in a description of the different state of good and bad, in this world and in the other. We are not told that the rich man got his estate by fraud, or oppression; but Christ shows, that a man may have a great deal of the wealth, pomp, and pleasure of this world, yet perish for ever under God's wrath and curse. The sin of this rich man was his providing for himself only. Here is a godly man, and one that will hereafter be happy for ever, in the depth of adversity and distress. It is often the lot of some of the dearest of God's saints and servants to be greatly afflicted in this world. We are not told that the rich man did him any harm, but we do not find that he had any care for him. Here is the different condition of this godly poor man, and this wicked rich man, at and after death. The rich man in hell lifted up his eyes, being in torment. It is not probable that there are discourses between glorified saints and damned sinners, but this dialogue shows the hopeless misery and fruitless desires, to which condemned spirits are brought. There is a day coming, when those who now hate and despise the people of God, would gladly receive kindness from them. But the damned in hell shall not have the least abatement of their torment. Sinners are now called upon to remember; but they do not, they will not, they find ways to avoid it. As wicked people have good things only in this life, and at death are for ever separated from all good, so godly people have evil things only in this life, and at death they are for ever put from them. In this world, blessed be God, there is no gulf between a state of nature and grace, we may pass from sin to God; but if we die in our sins, there is no coming out. The rich man had five brethren, and would have them stopped in their sinful course; their coming to that place of torment, would make his misery the worse, who had helped to show them the way thither. How many would now desire to recall or to undo what they have written or done! Those who would make the rich man's praying to Abraham justify praying to saints departed, go far to seek for proofs, when the mistake of a damned sinner is all they can find for an example. And surely there is no encouragement to follow the example, when all his prayers were made in vain. A messenger from the dead could say no more than what is said in the Scriptures. The same strength of corruption that breaks through the convictions of the written word, would triumph over a witness from the dead. Let us seek to the law and to the testimony, Isa 8:19, 20, for that is the sure word of prophecy, upon which we may rest, 2Pe 1:19. Circumstances in every age show that no terrors, or arguments, can give true repentance without the special grace of God renewing the sinner's heart.
Key Words
λέγω (légō): properly, to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas G2036 (ἔπω) and G5346 (φημί) generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while G4483 (ῥέω) is properly to break silence merely, and G2980 (λαλέω) means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean
πρός (prós): a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated)
μαθητής (mathētḗs): a learner, i.e. pupil
ἦν (ēn): I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were)
τὶς (tìs): some or any person or object
πλούσιος (ploúsios): wealthy; figuratively, abounding with
ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos): from G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι)); man-faced, i.e. a human being
ὅς (hós): the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
ἔχω (échō): to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, contiuity, relation, or condition)
οἰκονόμος (oikonómos): a house-distributor (i.e. manager), or overseer, i.e. an employee in that capacity; by extension, a fiscal agent (treasurer); figuratively, a preacher (of the Gospel)
Cross References
Luke 16Direct parallel teaching that one cannot serve both God and mammon (money/worldliness).
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel teaching on the enduring, unchanging validity of the law down to the smallest detail.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Verbatim echo of the phrase "children of light" contrasted with the children of this world.
Supported by JFB
Jesus points to Moses and the prophets as testifying of Him and providing sufficient revelation.
Supported by John Calvin
The core theological requirement that a steward must be found faithful to his master.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Parallel command to use earthly wealth to secure eternal treasures and heavenly habitations.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
God does not see as man sees; He looks at the heart, not outward appearances.
Supported by JFB
Parallel explaining how the era of the law and prophets transitioned with John the Baptist.
Supported by JFB
Exhortation to seek the written word ("to the law and the testimony") rather than mediums.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Historical proof that the Pharisees would not believe even when another Lazarus rose from the dead.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Exhorts the rich to do good works, laying up a foundation for eternal life.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Daniel advises Nebuchadnezzar to break off sins by showing mercy to the poor.
Supported by JFB
Fidelity in a few things leads to being made ruler over many things.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel instruction on divorce and adultery, reinforcing the strict holiness of the law.
Supported by JFB
Describes worldly men who have their portion in this life, mirroring the rich man.
Supported by JFB