Bible Commentaries
Luke 16

Verse 1

1 The first seven verses of this chapter constitute another parable. Like others, it has a specific point in view, which is to show the importance of using present opportunities to prepare for the future. Keeping this in mind, let us consider the details of the story. The rich man in the parable represents God, and the steward means human beings to whom God has entrusted the use of talents and good things of life.

Verse 2

2 Give an account stands for the warning that all mankind will have to give an account of personal conduct to God (Rom 14:12).

Verse 3

3 The anxiety of the steward about how he could meet the accounting, represents the concern that men should feel over the coming judgment before God and Christ.

Verse 4

4 The pronoun they in the application of the parable, refers to God and Christ as we shall see farther down in the chapter.

Verse 5

5 The steward still had charge of his lord's goods and the accounting of them, and he decided to manage the bookkeeping in a way to be an advantage to himself.

Verse 6

6 Upon payment of half the debt, this man was given full credit as if he had paid off his entire indebtedness.

Verse 7

7 This man's bill was marked "paid in full" upon his producing 80 per cent of the real account. The way the steward handled these accounts was wrong, but that was not the subject that Jesus had in mind when he spoke this parable as we shall see at the next verse.

Verse 8

8 The Lord (Jesus) did not commend the steward for his unjustness, but because he had done wisely. And that wisdom was shown by using his present opportunities to prepare against future needs. By favoring these debtors in this way, the steward won their good will; and when he was finally thrown out of a job and home, they would gratefully give him a place in their houses. Children of this world are wiser means the people of the world generally manifest more good judgment than professed Christians in many cases.

Verse 9

9 In this verse Jesus makes his application of the parable. The friends are God and Christ, and mammon of unrighteousness means the talents and opportunities bestowed upon men in this life. The exhortation is for us to make such use of these things that we will gain the favor of these friends by being friends to them ourselves. (See Joh 15:14.) Then when we fail, which will be when the earth and all things therein pass away, we will be invited to enter into the mansions that are in the Father's house (Joh 14:1-3).

Verse 10

0 We will not be judged by the amount of good we can do, but by whether we are faithful in doing what is within our power and opportunity.

Verse 11

1 Unrighteous mammon means the temporal things of this life. If we have misused these things, we will not be regarded as worthy of those in the next life.

Verse 12

2 If a man is careless in handling the goods of another, he would be still more unappreciative of his own, and would feel free to do as he pleased with them.

Verse 13

3 See the comments on Mat 6:24.

Verse 14

4 The Pharisees had not been named in the preceding parable, yet they applied it to themselves and hence they derided (sneered) him. They could not make any just reply to the teaching of Christ without exposing their own covetous heart, therefore they only made fun of him.

Verse 15

5 To justify means to declare or make it appear that one is just. The Pharisees did this and deceived the public into thinking they were benevolent men by their apparent deeds of kindness. But these things that men admired (because they did not know the motive back of them), God regarded as abominable, knowing their hearts.

Verse 16

6 Law and prophets until John. After the last prophet (Malachi) laid down his pen, the world heard no more revelation from God until John broke the silence by his preaching in the wilderness. Since then the kingdom of heaven was preached, but that does not say it was set up by him. Every man presseth into it. The kingdom of God existed in preparation before it was in existence in fact. (See Mat 11:12.) Presseth into it means those who accepted the preach. ing of John did so under the pressure of conscience, and in spite of opposition.

Verse 17

7 The reference to heaven and earth is for comparison, to indicate the permanence of the law until it had accomplished its purpose under God.

Verse 18

8 This is discussed in detail at Mat 19:9.

Verse 19

9 I do not deny this story being a parable on the ground that it says a certain rich man. The word certain is used elsewhere where we know a parable is being spoken (chapter 20:9). A parable requires a comparison while there is none in this case, not even any words that necessarily have to be taken figuratively. Furthermore, there are so many facts of a circumstantial nature that it shows Jesus had some particular case in mind. It was a literal fact that rich men lived in such luxuries as are described of this one.

Verse 20

0 Sores is from a Greek word that is defined "ulcers" in the lexicon. Lazarus was afflicted so badly he had to be carried to be laid at the gate of the rich man. He was placed there as an object of charity, even as beggars today seek a prominent place on the streets where they can be seen by the public.

Verse 21

1 In addition to what he might receive from the crowds that would be passing in and out of the gate of such an estate, he might be given the crumbs or scraps taken up from the table of this rich man. The dogs licked his sores. That was no discomfort to the afflicted man, but the fact indicates his helpless condition. There was no one to treat and bind up the sores, but they were left to run openly, else the dogs would not have cared for it.

Verse 22

2 Abraham's bosom. In old times people reclined while eating, at tables only a few inches higher than the floor. The diners would lie on their sides and rest the head on one hand while serving themselves with the other. They lay at a 45-degree angle with the table, which placed the head of one person virtually in the bosom of the one behind him, and in very intimate cases the two would be very near each other. (See Joh 13:23.) Since the situation of Lazarus on earth pertained to food, it was fitting to represent him as lying in the bosom of Abraham, where he could partake with him of the good spiritual things in Paradise. Nothing is said of what disposition was made of the body of Lazarus, but. the rich man was buried, which is to remind us that his body remained on the earth after his spirit was placed in Hades.

Verse 23

3 We have just read that the rich man was buried after his death. People are buried in the earth only, hence this man had something in his being besides his body that went elsewhere, and that could feel the sting of torments. For information about hell, see the note at Mat 5:30. Abraham's bosom is explained in the preceding verse, and afar off will be considered at verse 26.

Verse 24

4 Father Abraham was said because he was a descendant of that patriarch. The rich man's brothers had Moses and the prophets (verse 29), which were given to the Jews only, hence we know he was of that race. Objectors criticize this verse on the ground that the rich man's body was buried on the earth, therefore he had no tongue to be tormented. The objection shows the utter lack of considering the subject fairly. The only part of a human being that has any feeling is the inner man. While body and soul are united, the latter exercises itself through the former as a vehicle only, for the body itself has no feeling. If it did have, a dead man, or one under an anesthetic would flinch from pain caused by contact with any disagreeable object. Therefore, when the inner man is freed from the in-cumbrance of the flesh, it will still maintain its ability to experience feelings.

Verse 25

5 Abraham addressed the rich man as son on the same basis as the latter called Abraham his father, as was explained at the preceding verse. Abraham told the rich man to remember some things that he had experienced while living on the earth. This indicates that persons in Hades or the intermediate state, will be able to recall their experiences which they had on the earth. Whether the same will apply when they enter the eternal state after. the judgment, is not revealed in the Scriptures.

Verse 26

6 Gulf is from CHASMA, which Thayer defines, "A gaping opening, a chasm, gulf." He then explains the definition to mean, "Equivalent to a great interval." Since this gulf is impassable, it separates the objects on each side virtually as much as if they were a great distance apart. This explains the phrase afar off in verse 23. Another truth that is taught here, is that no change can be made in the spiritual classification of human beings after death; this agrees with Rev 22:11.

Verse 27

8 There is nothing said about what the five brothers were to do as to their manner of life. Lazarus was to be asked to testify, which means to bear witness as to the kind of place in which their dead brother was being tormented, to the end they might so live that they would avoid it. The rich man took for granted his brothers would know what changes they would have to make in their lives; also, that if they heard from one who had seen the fate of their brother, they would take warning and make the necessary reformation.

Verse 29

9 The brothers had the law of Moses which would lead them in the right way of life, if they would hear (heed) its teaching.

Verse 30

0 The object the rich man thought of accomplishing was the repentance of his brethren. The evidence shows that here was a family of the prosperous ranks of society, abusing their wealth and being unconcerned about the less fortunate ones.

Verse 31

1 Neither will they be persuaded. Again there is nothing said about being convinced of facts already taught in the Scriptures, but that the brothers might be induced to do what they knew was their duty. Rose from the dead. The rich man understood that in going back from Hades to the earth, one would need to be raised from the dead, and Abraham endorsed that idea by repeating it without any correction. This all proves that no communication ever takes place between men on earth and the spirits in the unseen world, hence the theory of spiritualism is a fraud. Even those who have been permitted to rise from the dead never said anything about information gained while dead. God expects men to be convinced by the testimony furnished them by living persons; that was verified by the miracles performed before their eyes.