Luke 16

1 And he sayd also vnto his disciples. Ther was a certayne rych man which had a stewarde that was acused vnto him that he had wasted his goodes.

2 And he called him and sayd vnto him: How is it that I heare this of the? Geve a comptes of thy steward shippe: For thou mayste be no longer stewarde.

3 The stewarde sayd wt in him selfe: what shall I do? for my master will take awaye fro me ye stewarde shippe. I canot digge and to begge I am ashamed.

4 I woote what to do yt when I am put out of ye stewardshippe they maye receave me into their houses.

5 Then called he all his masters detters and sayd vnto ye fyrst: how moche owest thou vnto my master?

6 And he sayd: an hondred tonnes of oyle. And he sayd to him: take thy bill and syt doune quickly and wryte fiftie.

7 Then sayd he to another: what owest thou? And he sayde: an hondred quarters of wheate. He sayd to him: Take thy bill and write foure scoore.

8 And the lorde comended the vniust stewarde because he had done wysly. For ye chyldren of this worlde are in their kynde wyser then ye chyldren of lyght.

9 And I saye also vnto you: make you frendes of the wicked mammon that when ye shall departe they may receave you into everlastinge habitacions.

10 He that is faithfull in that which is leste ye same is faithfull in moche. And he yt is vnfaithfull in ye least: is vnfaithfull also in moche.

11 So then yf ye have not ben faithfull in ye wicked mamon? who will beleve you in that which is true?

12 And yf ye have not bene faithfull in another manes busines: who shall geve you youre awne?

13 No servaunt can serve .ii. masters for other he shall hate ye one and love ye other or els he shall lene to the one and despyse the other. Ye can not serve God and mammon.

14 All these thinges herde the pharises also which were coveteous and they mocked him.

15 And he sayd vnto the: Ye are they which iustifie youre selves before me: but God knoweth youre hertes. For ye which is highlie estemed amoge me is abhominable in yt sight of god

16 The lawe and the Prophetes raygned vntyll the tyme of Iohn: and sence that tyme the kyngdom of God is preached and every man stryveth to goo in.

17 Soner shall heven and erth perisshe then one tytle of the lawe shall perisshe.

18 Whosoever forsaketh his wyfe and marieth another breaketh matrimony. And every man which marieth her that is devorsed from her husbande committeth advoutry also.

19 Ther was a certayne ryche man which was clothed in purple and fyne bysse and fared deliciously every daye.

20 And ther was a certayne begger named Lazarus whiche laye at his gate full of soores

21 desyringe to be refresshed with the cromes whiche fell from the ryche manes borde. Neverthelesse the dogges came and licked his soores.

22 And yt fortuned that the begger dyed and was caried by the angelles into Abrahas bosome. The riche man also died and was buried.

23 And beinge in hell in tormetes he lyfte vp his eyes and sawe Abraham a farre of and Lazarus in his bosome

24 and he cryed and sayd: father Abraham have mercy on me and sende Lazarus that he maye dippe the tippe of his fynger in water and cole my tonge: for I am tourmented in this flame.

25 But Abraha sayd vnto him Sonne remembre that thou in thy lyfe tyme receavedst thy pleasure and contrary wyse Lazarus payne. Now therfore is he comforted and thou art punysshed.

26 Beyonde all this bitwene you and vs ther is a greate space set so that they which wolde goo from thence to you cannot: nether maye come from thence to vs.

27 Then he sayd: I praye the therfore father send him to my fathers housse.

28 For I have fyve brethren: for to warne the left they also come into this place of tourmet.

29 Abraha sayd vnto him: they have Moses and the Prophetes let them heare them.

30 And he sayd: naye father Abraham but yf one came vnto the from the ded they wolde repent.

31 He sayd vnto him: If they heare not Moses and ye prophetes nether will they beleve though one roose from deeth agayne.

Luke 16 Commentary

Chapter 16

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)

Verses 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.

Verses 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.

Verses 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, ( isaiah 8:19 isaiah 8:20 ) , for that is the ( 2 Peter. 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.