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.

The Parable of the Unjust Steward

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. ​
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.’ ​
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.
4
I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.’ ​
5
Calling each one of his lord’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my lord?’
6
He said, ‘A hundred batos of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ ​
7
Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred cors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

Wisdom in the Use of Wealth

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. ​
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. ​
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. ​
11
If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? ​
12
If you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?
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 Mammon.” ​

Jesus Rebukes the Pharisees

14
The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him. ​
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. ​
16
The Torah and the Prophets were until Yochanan. From that time the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. ​
17
But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the Torah to become void. ​
18
Everyone who divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery. ​

The Rich Man and Lazarus

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“Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. ​
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A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores,
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.
22
The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. ​
23
In Sheol, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. ​
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.’
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“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish. ​
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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 no one may cross over from there to us.’ ​
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“He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house;
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for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’
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“But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.’ ​
30
“He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
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.’” ​

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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