Lukechapter 16

A.The Shrewd Steward and Unrighteous Mammonvv. 1-13

1 Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 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.’ 3 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. 4 I know what I will do, so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’ 5 And he called in each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first. 6 ‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Take your bill,’ said the manager. ‘Sit down quickly, and write fifty.’ 7 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. 8 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. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings. 10 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. 11 So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own? 13 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.”

B.Scoffing Pharisees; the Law and the Kingdomvv. 14-18

14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

C.The Rich Man and Lazarusvv. 19-31

19 Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor. 20 And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores 21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side. 24 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.’ 25 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. 26 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.’ 27 ‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’ 30 ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 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.’”

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

Unjust steward: 'the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.' Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

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Unjust steward: 'the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.' Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Rich man and Lazarus: 'if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.' Luke pairs the two parables on wealth and eternity.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Gospel · Luke — Luke overview

A. 1–13 The Shrewd Steward and Unrighteous Mammon
B. 14–18 Scoffing Pharisees; the Law and the Kingdom
C. 19–31 The Rich Man and Lazarus

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Luke 163 verses
- Luke 16:11So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?
- Luke 16:12And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?
- Luke 16:24So 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.’
- Read Luke 16 →
Matthew 252 verses
- Matthew 25:14For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions.
- Matthew 25:21His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
- Read Matthew 25 →
1 Peter 42 verses
- 1 Peter 4:5But they will have to give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
- 1 Peter 4:10As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.
- Read 1 Peter 4 →
1 Corinthians 42 verses
- 1 Corinthians 4:1So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
- 1 Corinthians 4:5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
- Read 1 Corinthians 4 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Matthew 192 verses
- Matthew 19:9Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery.”
- Matthew 19:21Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
- Read Matthew 19 →
Luke 192 verses
- Luke 19:13Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Conduct business with this until I return,’ he said.
- Luke 19:17His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’
- Read Luke 19 →
Luke 122 verses
- Luke 12:15And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
- Luke 12:33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
- Read Luke 12 →
Acts 32 verses
- Acts 3:2And a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those entering the temple courts.
- Acts 3:24Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have proclaimed these days.
- Read Acts 3 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.