Luke16

Jesus teaches his disciples through two parables and several direct instructions. The parable of the unjust steward illustrates the shrewdness of worldly individuals in securing their future, prompting Jesus to advise using "mammon of unrighteousness" for eternal gain. He emphasizes that one cannot serve both God and mammon, and that faithfulness in small matters reflects faithfulness in greater ones. The chapter concludes with the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, starkly contrasting their fates in the afterlife and affirming the sufficiency of Moses and the prophets for spiritual guidance.

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The Parable of the Unjust Steward

Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.

So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’

The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.

I know what I will do, so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’

And he called in each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first.

‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Take your bill,’ said the manager. ‘Sit down quickly, and write fifty.’

Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he replied. ‘Take your bill and write eighty,’ he told him.

Wisdom in the Use of Wealth

The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.

I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.

Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?

And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?

No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Jesus Rebukes the Pharisees

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.

So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.

The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.

And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores

and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.

In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.

So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’

But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.

And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’

‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house,

for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.’

But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’

‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.’

Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Study Notes for Luke 16

Verse 1

The steward (oikonomos) was a manager of his master’s estate. The parable is addressed to the disciples, contrasting the shrewdness of worldly people with the lack of foresight among the 'children of light.'

Verse 2

Give an account: The steward is required to settle the books before his dismissal, providing the narrow window of opportunity for his manipulative actions.

Verse 4

The steward seeks future security by creating an obligation among his master’s debtors. He uses his temporary power to ensure that others will provide for him when he is unemployed.

Verse 6

The steward reduces the debt by 50%. This reduction likely represents the elimination of interest or the steward’s own commission, making him appear generous while using his master’s assets.

Verse 8

The lord commended the steward's shrewdness (prudence), not his dishonesty. The point of the parable is that worldly people apply more energy and foresight to securing their temporal future than believers often do for their eternal future.

Verse 9

Mammon of unrighteousness: 'Mammon' is Aramaic for wealth, here described as 'unrighteous' because it is inherently earthly and prone to corruption. Jesus urges disciples to use worldly wealth wisely (e.g., through generosity) to secure lasting spiritual relationships and rewards.

Verse 10

This maxim shifts the focus from shrewdness to integrity. Faithfulness in small, temporal matters (like money) is the necessary preparation for handling great, eternal responsibilities.

Verse 11

True riches: Refers to spiritual blessings, ministry responsibilities, and eternal life entrusted by God, which stand in contrast to temporary earthly possessions.

Verse 13

This concludes the teaching on stewardship, emphasizing the absolute incompatibility of divided allegiance. Wealth (Mammon, personified) demands the same total devotion that God requires.

Verse 14

The Pharisees, known for their covetousness (love of money), derided Jesus because his teaching directly challenged their belief that wealth was a sign of divine favor and righteousness.

Verse 15

They justify themselves before men by outward displays of piety and prosperity. Jesus warns that human esteem is irrelevant; God alone judges the heart and often condemns what the world values highly.

Verse 16

John the Baptist marks the pivotal turning point (kairos) between the Old Covenant era and the forceful arrival of the Kingdom of God, which demands an energetic response and new emphasis.

Verse 17

One tittle of the law: A 'tittle' (keraia) is the smallest stroke in Hebrew writing. Jesus affirms the absolute, enduring authority of the moral Law, even as the method of salvation shifts with the Kingdom’s arrival.

Verse 18

Jesus uses the example of divorce to demonstrate that the moral standards of the Law remain binding, contrasting sharply with the lax interpretations common among certain Pharisaic schools.

Verse 19

This is a narrative, not a typical parable, describing the contrasting fates of two men. The rich man's clothing (purple and fine linen) signifies extreme, costly luxury.

Verse 22

Abraham's bosom: A Jewish idiom for paradise or the place of comfort for the righteous dead, signifying a place of honor and rest.

Verse 23

Hell (Hades): Refers to the intermediate state of the unrighteous dead. This passage implies conscious suffering and recognition immediately following death.

Verse 25

The rich man is not condemned simply because he was wealthy, but because he lived opulently without compassion, failing to use his 'good things' to alleviate the suffering at his gate (cf. vv. 19-21).

Verse 26

Great gulf fixed: Illustrates the permanence of the separation between the righteous and the unrighteous dead in the intermediate state, ruling out any possibility of movement or reversal.

Verse 29

Moses and the prophets: Refers to the Old Testament scriptures. Abraham insists that the existing written revelation is sufficient for repentance and salvation; no further supernatural sign is necessary.

Verse 31

This climactic statement foreshadows the unbelief surrounding Jesus' eventual resurrection. If people refuse the clear teaching of Scripture, they will not be persuaded even by the most dramatic supernatural event.

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Luke16

The Parable of the Unjust Steward

Wisdom in the Use of Wealth

Jesus Rebukes the Pharisees

The Rich Man and Lazarus

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