16 1 The parable of the steward accused to his master. 13 To serve two masters. 16 The law and the Prophets. 19 Of Dives and Lazarus.
1 And he said also unto his disciples, [a]There was a certain rich man, which had a steward, and he was accused unto him, that he 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 master taketh away from me the stewardship. I cannot dig, and to beg I am ashamed.
4 I know what I will do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
5 Then called he unto him everyone of his master’s debtors, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my master?
6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said to him, Take thy writing, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
7 Then said he to another, How much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. Then he said to him, Take thy writing and write fourscore.
8 And the Lord commended [b]the unjust steward, because he had done wisely. Wherefore the [c]children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
9 And I say unto you, Make you friends with the riches [d]of iniquity, that when ye shall want, they may receive you into everlasting [e]habitations.
10 [f]He that is faithful in the least, he is also faithful in much: and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much.
11 If then ye have not been faithful in the wicked riches, who will trust you in the [g]true treasure?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in [h]another man’s goods, who shall give you that which is yours?
13 (A)[i]No servant can serve two masters: for either he shall hate the one, and love the other: or else he shall lean to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and riches.
14 All these things heard the Pharisees also which were covetous, and they scoffed at him.
15 [j]Then 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 (B)[k]The Law and the Prophets endured until John: and since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
17 (C)Now it is more easy that heaven and earth should pass away, than that one tittle of the Law should fall.
18 ¶ (D)Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, commiteth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her [l]that is put away from her husband, commiteth adultery.
19 ¶ [m]There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in [n]purple and fine linen, and fared well and delicately every day.
20 Also there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full of sores,
21 And desired to be refreshed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table: yea, and the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it was so that the beggar died, and was carried by the Angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.
23 And being in hell in torments, [o]he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 Then 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 pleasures, and likewise Lazarus pains: now therefore is he comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 Besides all this, between you and us there is a great gulf set, so that they which would go from hence to you, cannot: neither can they come from thence to us.
27 [p]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 said unto him, They have Moses and the Prophets: let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one came unto them from the dead, they will amend their lives.
31 Then he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rise from the dead again.
Footnotes
- Luke 16:1 Seeing that men oftentimes purchase friendship to themselves, by other men’s costs, it is a shame for us, if with a free and liberal bestowing of the goods which the Lord hath given us to that purpose, we do not please him, nor procure the good will of our neighbors, seeing that by this only means, riches, which are oftentimes occasions of sin, are turned to another end and purpose.
- Luke 16:8 This parable doth not approve the steward’s naughty dealing, for it was every theft: but parables are set forth, to show a thing covertly, and as it were under a figure to represent the truth, though it agree not thoroughly with the matter itself: so that Christ meaneth by this parable to teach us, that worldly men are more heady in the affairs of this world, than the children of God are careful for everlasting life.
- Luke 16:8 Men that are given to this present life, contrary to whom the children of light are set: St. Paul calls those spiritual, and the other carnal.
- Luke 16:9 This is not spoken of goods that are evil gotten, for God will have our bountifulness to the poor, proceed and come from a good fountain: but he calleth those riches of iniquity, which men use naughtily.
- Luke 16:9 To wit, the poor Christians: for they are the inheritors of these Tabernacles, Theophylact.
- Luke 16:10 We ought to take heed that for abusing our earthly function and duty, we be not deprived of heavenly gifts: for how can they use spiritual gifts aright, who abuse worldly things?
- Luke 16:11 That is, heavenly and true riches: which are contrary to worldly and flitting substance.
- Luke 16:12 In worldly goods, which are called other men’s, because they are committed to our credit.
- Luke 16:13 No man can love God and riches together.
- Luke 16:15 Our sins are not hidden to God, although they be hidden to men, yea although they be hidden to them whose sins they are.
- Luke 16:16 The Pharisees despised the excellency of the new Covenant, in respect of the old, being ignorant of the perfect righteousness of the Law, and how false expounders they were of the Law, Christ declareth by the seventh Commandment.
- Luke 16:18 They that gather by this place, that a man cannot be married again after that he hath put away his wife for adultery, while she liveth, reason fondly: for Christ speaketh of those divorces which the Jews used, of which sort we cannot take the divorcement for adultery, for adulterers were put to death by the law.
- Luke 16:19 The end of the poverty and misery of the godly, shall be everlasting joy: as the end of riotousness and cruel pride of the rich shall be everlasting misery, without all hope of mercy.
- Luke 16:19 Very gorgeously and sumptuously, for purple garments were costly, and this fine linen which was a kind of linen that came out of Achaia, was as dear as gold.
- Luke 16:23 Heavenly and spiritual things are expressed, and set forth under colors and resemblances fit for our senses.
- Luke 16:27 Seeing that we have a most sure rule to live by, laid forth unto us in the word of God, rashly and vainly do men seek for other revelation.