Luke 16

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16:1 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.
16:2 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.
16:3 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.
16:4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
16:5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
16:6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
16:7 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.
16:8 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.
16:9 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.
16:10 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.
16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
16:12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
16:13 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.
16:14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
16:15 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.
16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
16:17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
16:18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
16:20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
16:21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
16:22 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;
16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
16:24 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.
16:25 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.
16:26 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.
16:27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
16:28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
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Everything King James Bible:Luke

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to: Luke
Book: Luke
Chapter: 16

Overview:
The Parable of the unjust steward. (1-12) Christ reproves the
hypocrisy of the covetous Pharisees. (13-18) The rich Man and
Lazarus. (19-31)

1-12 Whatever we have, the property of it is God's; we have
only the use of it, according to the direction of our great
Lord, and for his honour. This steward wasted his Lord's goods.
And we are all liable to the same charge; we have not made due
improvement of what God has trusted us with. The steward cannot
deny it; he must make up his accounts, and be gone. This may
teach us that Death will come, and deprive us of the
opportunities we now have. The steward will make friends of his
Lord's debtors or tenants, By striking off a considerable part
of their Debt to his Lord. The Lord referred to in this Parable
commended not the fraud, but the policy of the steward. In that
respect alone is it So noticed. Worldly men, in the choice of
their object, are foolish; but in their activity, and
perseverance, they are often wiser than believers. The unjust
steward is not set before us as an Example in cheating his
master, or to justify any dishonesty, but to point out the
careful ways of worldly men. It would be Well if the children of
Light would learn Wisdom from the men of the world, and would as
earnestly pursue their better object. The true riches signify
spiritual blessings; and if a Man spends upon himself, or hoards
up what God has trusted to him, as to outward things, what
evidence can he have, that he is an Heir of God through Christ?
The riches of this world are deceitful and uncertain. Let us be
convinced that those are truly rich, and very rich, who are rich
in Faith, and rich toward God, rich in Christ, in the promises;
let us then lay up our treasure in Heaven, and expect our
portion from thence.

13-18 To this Parable our Lord added a solemn warning. Ye
cannot serve God and the world, So divided are the two
interests. When our Lord spoke thus, the covetous Pharisees
treated his instructions with contempt. But he warned them, that
what they contended for as the Law, was a wresting of its
meaning: this our Lord showed in a case respecting Divorce.
There are many covetous sticklers for the forms of Godliness,
who are the bitterest enemies to its power, and try to set
others against the Truth.

19-31 Here the spiritual things are represented, in a
description of the different state of good and bad, in this
world and in the other. We are not told that the rich Man got
his estate By fraud, or oppression; but Christ shows, that a Man
may have a great Deal of the wealth, pomp, and pleasure of this
world, yet perish for ever under God's wrath and Curse. The Sin
of this rich Man was his providing for himself only. Here is a
godly Man, and one that will hereafter be happy for ever, in the
depth of adversity and distress. It is often the Lot of some of
the dearest of God's saints and servants to be greatly afflicted
in this world. We are not told that the rich Man did him any
harm, but we do not find that he had any care for him. Here is
the different condition of this godly Poor Man, and this wicked
rich Man, at and after Death. The rich Man in Hell lifted up his
eyes, being in Torment. It is not probable that there are
discourses between glorified saints and damned sinners, but this
dialogue shows the hopeless misery and fruitless desires, to
which condemned spirits are brought. There is a Day coming, when
those who now hate and despise the people of God, would gladly
receive kindness from them. But the damned in Hell shall not
have the least abatement of their Torment. Sinners are now
called upon to remember; but they do not, they will not, they
find ways to avoid it. As wicked people have good things only in
this Life, and at Death are for ever separated from all good, So
godly people have evil things only in this Life, and at Death
they are for ever Put from them. In this world, blessed be God,
there is No gulf between a state of nature and Grace, we may
pass from Sin to God; but if we die in our sins, there is No
coming out. The rich Man had five brethren, and would have them
stopped in their sinful course; their coming to that place of
Torment, would make his misery the worse, who had helped to show
them the way thither. How many would now desire to recall or to
undo what they have written or done! Those who would make the
rich Man's praying to Abraham justify praying to saints
departed, go far to seek for proofs, when the mistake of a
damned sinner is all they can find for an Example. And surely
there is No encouragement to follow the Example, when all his
prayers were made in vain. A Messenger from the dead could say
No more than what is said in the Scriptures. The same strength
of corruption that breaks through the convictions of the written
Word, would triumph over a Witness from the dead. Let us seek to
the Law and to the Testimony, Isa 8:19,20, for that is the
sure Word of Prophecy, upon which we may Rest, 2Pe 1:19.
Circumstances in every Age show that No terrors, or arguments,
can give true Repentance without the special Grace of God
renewing the sinner's Heart.