Luke

Chapter 16

This chapter contains the most controversial of Christ’s parables beginning with the very first of the parables in the chapter.

Luke 16:1-9
1
 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

Jesus told His disciples a parable concerning a servant (business manager).

There was a certain rich man, who had a steward; and the rich man was told that his steward was being wasteful.

Notice that we are dealing with a servant, it is not until verse 8 that Jesus refers to him as an “unjust servant.” This servant was interested in only self-aggrandizement!

It is commendable for a servant to be ambitious for the cause of Christ! However, some who appear to be Christians are just ambitious for personal gain!

The master called for the servant, and told him, What is this I am hearing about your conduct of my affairs? Give me an audit of the accounts you oversee, or I may need to fire you!

Then the steward thought, What shall I do? My employer may fire me. I cannot do manual labor, and I am ashamed to beg!

So, the unjust servant contacted all of his employer’s debtors. He asked the first, How much do you owe my employer?

The debtor replied, One hundred barrels of [olive] oil. So, the unjust servant told him to change the bill (the servant told the first debtor, in the vernacular, to cook the books). He told the debtor to change the amount owed to just fifty.

Then, he asked another debtor how much he owed the unjust servant’s employer, and the debtor told him one hundred bushels of wheat, so the unjust servant told the debtor to change the amount owed to eighty.

The servant altered the books in hopes of gaining employment from one of the debtors if his employer fired him. It was done for the sake of personal survival.

At this point in the parable, Jesus said, “The lord commended (Gr. epaineō-ἐπαινέω) the unjust steward, because he acted wisely in the face of conflict! The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

Yes, you did read that correctly! First notice that the “lord” (in this case that word speaks of the employer) praised the servant! He said that the unjust servant acted “wisely!” Those who live and work within the world’s business system have a better understanding of that system then those who are citizens of heaven (Phil 3:20), and who should be proficient at working within God’s system!

This parable seems to contradict Jesus’ normal teachings…until we examine it.

The main character in this parable is a “servant” (Gr. oikonomos-οἰκονόμος) and not a slave! At the end of the parable Christ refers to the servant as “unjust,” but he is not stupid! The unjust servant understood what would happen if his employer found out about his “under the table” dealings.

The servant or business manager goes to his employer’s debtors and tells them to change the amount owed, which in turn would mean that they would pay less for what they had received. The employer would also receive less, but he would be paid for part of what he was owed, perhaps rather than nothing. In modern finances we call it debt adjustment.

In verse 8 we find that the wealthy employer commended the business manager.

But, why?

As I said, the servant understood how the world’s financial system worked and he used that knowledge.

Quite often, the children of God waste the authority they have been given. We may use it unwisely, for unspiritual gain! We may be ignorant of the spiritual system that we live in when we are accepted into the body of Christ since after coming to Christ. Christians operate within a different system!

This first parable leads into the second.

Being successful in this life does not lead to success in Christ! I fear that many Christians are unjust/unfaithful servants in this life while expecting great rewards in the next!

At this point Christ Jesus makes an odd statement, “And I say unto you, make friends with the mammon of unrighteousness, so that when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

That statement seems odd at best. Some teach that “when you fail” refers to the failure of world’s financial system.

What did Jesus mean?

To answer that we must understand that Jesus lived and was crucified under the old Covenant, Old Testament Law!

Under the Old Covenant success determined whether or not God loved you. Under that teaching God loved the successful and rejected the unsuccessful!

The New Testament does not work that way, and to be truthful, I doubt that the Old worked that way, but Judaism taught it!

The New Testament works on the teaching of salvation by grace through faith plus nothing else!

Under the teaching of the Old Covenant, those who were successful in physical life were also successful in their spiritual life! Under the teaching of the New, the spiritual life and the physical operate on separate plains!

In the above verse, Jesus was addressing an Old Covenant teaching because He was living under the Old!

Luke 16:10-13
10
 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall 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 the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

As we begin this section, we address faith!

Jesus proclaimed that “He that is faithful in the least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

If you have not been faithful in dealing with money who will trust you with true riches?

Here, we contrast money with true riches!  Obviously they are not identical!

Putting this in modern terms, do you trust Christ Jesus, or do you trust paper (money)?

Paper is a wood product! Those who trust money are worshipping trees!

That comparison may seem silly, but truthfully more people trust paper (whether it is the dollar, the yen, the euro, or the peso) more than they trust Christ Jesus!

Far too many worship paper money rather than worshipping the source of life!

The fallacy of Judaism is alive and well within human society!

Christ Jesus tells us that if we have not been faithful in what the world gives us, we will not be faithful with any of our personal dealings!

No servant can serve two masters! He will hate one, and respect the other! He will cling to one, and despise the other! You cannot serve God and money!

Notice that I took out the conditional words in the above verses, because they are statements of truth!

Luke 16:14-18
14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts:
for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

 

The Pharisees understood what Christ Jesus was telling the crowd! The verse tells us that they were “covetous” (Gr. philarguros-φιλάργυρος), fond of silver! Let me assure you that using money to pay the church power bill is not equivalent to being fond of money!

When the Parisees heard what Jesus taught concerning money, they “derided,” (Gr ekmuktērizō-ἐκμυκτηρίζω), and sneered at Him.

So Christ responded to their derision with, “You all seek to justify yourselves before men! But, God knows what is in your hearts!

God the Son, Christ Jesus knew exactly what they thought!

Then Christ continued, Because, those things that are highly esteemed among men are abominations in the sight of God!

In case you are wondering, Christ Jesus disagreed more than a little with their thoughts, teachings, and ways of life!

Christ told them, “The law and the prophets lasted until John! Since then the kingdom of God has been preached, and all crowd into it.

Verse 16 is seldom understood! The concept here is one of violently trying to gain entrance to the Kingdom of God!

Why would Christ tell us that people “press” (Gr. biazō-βιάζω) into the Kingdom violently?

Many try to join churches (lower case c) without being call into The Church! While all men are given grace, only those called by the Holy Spirit are given The Faith! Salvation is by grace THROUGH faith and that faith is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8-9)!

Matt 7:13-14
3 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Those who seek to enter without the faith Of Christ are trying to “violently” enter into everlasting life! The few that enter, enter by grace though faith, and not by grace alone!

Those who seek to press into The Church without faith are blemishes on the body of Christ!

2 Peter 2:12-13
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

 

Do you understand that the Law is good and spiritual, but it has become a rule of thumb rather than a requirement?

Jesus told those the Jews, It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

The Law of God is still valid, BUT it is now superseded by grace plus faith!

Romans 2:11-15
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

 

Gentiles respect The Law, but that respect does not determine our salvation! We validate The Law vicariously through the baptism into Christ Jesus!  He fulfilled The law in every respect, and by our baptism into Him, we gain His fulfillment!

But, why isn’t the Law still incumbent upon all believers?

The Law is just a shadow!

Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

The real substance is faith of and in Christ Jesus!

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Jews who now are coming to Him are also baptized into Him because they have no power to completely validate The Law without His baptism (mikvah)! And so, they too, in Christ Jesus, validate (fulfill) The Law!

That is why the writer of Hebrews could proclaim that the Old Covenant is vanishing!

Heb 8:6-13
6
 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Notice that Hebrews 8:13 says that The Law “is ready” (Gr. eggus-ἐγγύς) to vanish! It does not tell us that The law has been invalidated! In the new heaven and earth The Law will unnecessary! Until then it is a guidepost for mankind!

Now, Christ Jesus turns to law that is not Law!

He teaches that “Whoever divorces his wife, and marries another woman commits adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman also commits adultery!

In today’s society that seems to be harsh! God is not politically correct!

While it is true that such action is adultery, we must understand that sins may be forgiven!

James 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

 

Read the first section of that verse from James, and then read the second section! The last section supersedes the opening section just as mercy in Christ Jesus supersedes judgment!

As with the Apostle Paul, all sins may be forgiven In Christ Jesus!

Heb 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

 

Now, we come to the teaching about Lazarus and the rich man.

Luke 16:19-31
19
 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And 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 tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

There is long-standing controversy as to whether this is a parable or an actual happening! Regardless of your opinion in that matter, the truth is the truth!

Jesus told those who were with Him about a wealthy man, “who wore the best clothes, and ate the finest food!

Under the social rules of Old Testament Judaism, the rich man was blessed by God…or was he?

Jesus continued to speak to His disciples, “And, there was a beggar named Lazarus, who was taken to the rich man’s door to beg. Lazarus’ body was covered with sores!

Lazarus wanted to eat “the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table!

Dogs would come and lick his sores!

Eventually the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom!

Abraham’s bosom is, theologically, the good part of the Old Testament paradise.  

And, in due time the rich man also died, and was buried!

In hell (Gr. hades-ᾅδης) the rich man looked on, in torment, and saw Abraham with Lazarus in his bosom!

The rich man cried out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, because I am tormented in this flame.

However, Abraham told him, Son, remember that during your lifetime you had your good things, and Lazarus had evil things! But now, he is comforted, and you are tormented. In addition, between us and you there is a great gulf that is unsurpassable so that those who would pass from here to you cannot! And, those who would come to this side also cannot!

At that the rich man prayed, Please, father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father's house. I have five brothers, and he can warn them, so they will not come to this place of torment.

But, Abraham responded, They have Moses and the prophets! Let them hear them.

The rich man cried out, No, father Abraham! But, if someone went to them from the dead, they will repent!

At that Abraham said, If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.’”

As you read this, please understand that it was spoken by Christ Jesus prior to His resurrection and the beginning of the New Covenant! Christ rose from the dead and sent those of us who were dead in trespasses and sins to warn those headed for the Lake of Fire to repent and believe the gospel! However, all who physically listen to our voices will not hear the message of God’s merciful offer of life!

Many today read the Bible and even commit parts of it to memory, but unless it is taken into the heart all that is useless! Memorizing without believing is an act of futility! Not being able to rightly divide the Scripture will lead to false doctrine!

 

Luke 17
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