Luke 16:15

Be slow to wrath; for such a one is very prudent, since "he that is hasty of spirit is a very fool." Be merciful; for "blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Be sincere, quiet, good, "trembling at the word of God." Thou shalt not exalt thyself, as did the Pharisee; for "every one that exalteth himself shall be abased," and "that which is of high esteem with man is abomination with God." Thou shalt not entertain confidence in thy soul; for "a confident man shall fall into mischief." Thou shalt not go along with the foolish, but with the wise and righteous; for "he that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but he that walketh with the foolish shall be known."

May I enjoy you in all respects, if indeed I be worthy! For though I am bound, I am not worthy to be compared to one of you that are at liberty. I know that ye are not puffed up, for ye have Jesus in yourselves. And all the more when I commend you, I know that ye cherish modesty of spirit; as it is written, "The righteous man is his own accuser; " and again, "Declare thou first thine iniquities, that thou mayest be justified; " and again, "When ye shall have done all things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; " "for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." For says [the Scripture], "God be merciful to me a sinner." Therefore those great ones, Abraham and Job, styled themselves "dust and ashes before God. And David says, "Who am I before Thee, O Lord, that Thou hast glorified me hitherto? " And Moses, who was "the meekest of all men," saith to God, "I am of a feeble voice, and of a slow tongue." Be ye therefore also of a humble spirit, that ye may be exalted; for "he that abaseth himself shall be exalted, and he that exalteth himself shall be abased."

For what is a greater or a more worthy care of overseers, than to provide by diligent solicitude and wholesome medicine for cherishing and preserving the sheep? since the Lord speaks, and says, "The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost. And my sheep were scattered because there is no shepherd; and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, and none did search or seek after them. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my flock at their hands, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall they feed them any more: for I will deliver them from their mouth, and I will feed them with judgment." Since therefore the Lord thus threatens such shepherds by whom the Lord's sheep are neglected and perish, what else ought we to do, dearest brother, than to exhibit full diligence in gathering together and restoring the sheep of Christ, and to apply the medicine of paternal affection to cure the wounds of the lapsed, since the Lord also in the Gospel warns, and says, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick? […]

The Lord, exposing the hidden wickedness of the Pharisees and showing that, although they assume an appearance of righteousness, they are nevertheless abominable before God because of their self-conceit, says: you present yourselves as righteous before men and think that you alone have been given …

But what can be more worthless, what more contemptible before God, than to preserve honor among men and not to fear the eyes of the inner witness? Hence also in the holy Gospel the Lord says to the Pharisees: "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts, because what is lofty among men is abominable before God." Note, brothers, note what is said. For if what is lofty among men is abominable before God, the thought of our heart is as low before God as it is high among men, and the humility of our heart is as high before God as it is low among men.

But the Lord detecting in them a hidden malice, proves that they make a pretence of righteousness. Therefore it is added, And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men. And therefore ye are an abomination to Him because of your arrogance, and love of seeking after the praise of men; as He adds, For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

And he said to them: You are those who justify yourselves before men. But God knows your hearts, for what is exalted among men is an abomination before God. They justify themselves before men, who indeed despise sinners as if they were infirm and hopeless, …

They justify themselves before men who despise sinners as in a weak and hopeless condition, but fancy themselves to be perfect and not to need the remedy of almsgiving; but how justly the depth of deadly pride is to be condemned, He sees who will enlighten the hidden places of darkness. Hence it follows, But God knoweth your hearts.

Second, regarding the rebuke of the rebellious, by which Christ was pressing down their arrogance, there is added: And he said to them: You are they who justify yourselves before men, through the display of your righteousness, by which you consider yourselves righteous: Romans 10: …

And he said to them, Ye are they who justify yourselves before men - The sense of the whole passage is, that pride, wherewith you justify yourselves, feeds covetousness, derides the Gospel, ver. 14, and destroys the law, ver. 18. All which is illustrated by a terrible example. Ye justify yourselves before men - Ye think yourselves righteous, and persuade others to think you so.

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And he said unto them,....

This he shows in the other parable of the rich man and Lazarus, which has likewise a further intention, and that is, to awaken us all to take the warning given us by the written word, and not to expect immediate messages from the other world,

They claimed to be looked upon as men of singular sanctity and devotion, and justified themselves in that claim: " You are they that do that, so as none ever did, that make it your business to court the opinion of men, and, right or wrong, will justify yourselves before the world; you are notorious for this." Secondly, They were highly esteemed among men.

Ye - justify yourselves - Ye declare yourselves to be just. Ye endeavor to make it appear to men that ye can still feel an insatiable thirst after the present world, and yet secure the blessings of another; that ye can reconcile God and mammon, - and serve two masters with equal zeal and affection; but God knoweth your hearts, - and he knoweth that ye are alive to the world, and dead to God and goodness. Therefore, howsoever ye may be esteemed among men, ye are an abomination before him. See the note on Luk 7:29.

covetous . . . derided him--sneered at Him; their master sin being too plainly struck at for them to relish. But it was easier to run down than to refute such teaching.

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justify yourselves--make a show of righteousness. highly esteemed among men--generally carried away by plausible appearances. (See 1Sa 16:7; and Lu 14:11).

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The truth here propounded by our Lord appears, at first sight — too obvious to admit of being disputed. And yet the very attempt which is here declared to be useless, is constantly being made by many in the matter of their souls. Thousands on every side are continually trying to do that very thing which Christ pronounces to be impossible. They are endeavoring to be friends of the world, and friends of God — at the same time. Their consciences are so far enlightened — that they feel they must have some religion.

The truth here propounded by our Lord appears, at first sight — too obvious to admit of being disputed. And yet the very attempt which is here declared to be useless, is constantly being made by many in the matter of their souls. Thousands on every side are continually trying to do that very thing which Christ pronounces to be impossible. They are endeavoring to be friends of the world, and friends of God — at the same time. Their consciences are so far enlightened — that they feel they must have some religion. But their affections are so chained down to earthly things — that they never come up to the mark of being true Christians. And hence they live in a state of constant discomfort. They have too much religion to be happy in the world — and they have too much of the world in their hearts to be happy in their religion. In short, they waste their time in laboring to do that which cannot be done. They are striving to serve both God and mammon! He who desires to be a happy Christian, will do well to ponder our Lord's sayings in these verses. There is perhaps no point on which the experience of all God's saints is more uniform than this, that decision is the secret of comfort in Christ's service. It is the half-hearted Christian who brings up an evil report of the good land. The more thoroughly we give ourselves to Christ — the more sensibly shall we feel within, "the peace of God which surpasses all understanding." (Philippians 4:7.) The more entirely we live, not to ourselves, but to Him who died for us — the more powerfully shall we realize what it is to have "joy and peace in believing." (Romans 15:13.) If it is worthwhile to serve Christ at all — then let us serve Him with all our heart, and soul, and mind and strength. Life, eternal life, after all — is the matter at stake, no less than happiness.