FRAMEWORKS:
Luke's Gospel, Chapter 16
For
preliminaries see chapter 1
v.1-15
The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
v.16-18
Additional Teachings
v.19-31
The Rich Man and Lazarus
v.1-15
The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
v.1
(another story:
a rich man with a careless manager) Jesus
told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused
of wasting his possessions.
v.2
(he holds him
to account) So
he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you?
Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager
any longer.'
v.3
(the manager
wonders what to do) “The
manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking
away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to
beg—
v.4
(I know a way
to win others over to me) I
know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will
welcome me into their houses.'
v.5
(he called his
master's debtors in) “So
he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first,
‘How much do you owe my master?'
v.6
(he reduced
the debt by half) “‘Nine
hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied. “The manager told him,
‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and
fifty.'
v.7
(he similarly
reduced the debt of a second one) “Then
he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?' “‘A thousand bushels
of wheat,' he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make
it eight hundred.'
v.8
(the master
commended him) “The
master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly.
For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their
own kind than are the people of the light.
v.9
(use your material
blessings for spiritual means) I
tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so
that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
v.10-12
(trust breeds
more trust) “Whoever
can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,
and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest
with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly
wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not
been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you
property of your own?
v.13
(you can't have
split loyalty between God and materialistic prosperity) “No
one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love
the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and money.”
v.14
(the Pharisees
were upset) The
Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at
Jesus.
v.15
(Jesus rebukes
them) He
said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the
eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly
is detestable in God's sight.
v.16-18
Additional Teachings
v.16
(the Law reigned
before John, but now the reality of the kingdom) “The
Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time,
the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone
is forcing their way into it.
v.17
(yet the Law
is not abandoned) It
is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least
stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
v.18
(as seen in
marriage requirements) “Anyone
who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery,
and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
v.19-31
The Rich Man and Lazarus
v.19
(another story:
a rich man lived in luxury) “There
was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived
in luxury every day.
v.20,21
(outside his
gate was a beggar) At
his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and
longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs
came and licked his sores.
v.22
(both eventually
died) “The
time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's
side. The rich man also died and was buried.
v.23
(in the post-death
underworld, the rich man saw the beggar in heaven) In
Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far
away, with Lazarus by his side.
v.24
(he pleads for
help) So
he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus
to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because
I am in agony in this fire.'
v.25
(he is told
this is justice) “But
Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received
your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he
is comforted here and you are in agony.
v.26
(and so now
nothing can be changed) And
besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set
in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot,
nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
v.27,28
(lease tell
my brothers of this then) “He
answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for
I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not
also come to this place of torment.'
v.29
(they already
have the Law and the Prophets) “Abraham
replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to
them.'
v.30
(but if someone
goes they will repent) “‘No,
father Abraham,' he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to
them, they will repent.'
v.31
(no they won't
even if someone rises from the dead) “He
said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets,
they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'”