STEWARDS, SCOFFERS AND SECOND CHANCES
LUKE 16:1-31
The setting of this chapter is carried over from the previous chapter. Jesus had just told the parable of the Prodigal Son who squandered his estate. Now He moves directly into a story of a servant who has squandered the possessions with which he was entrusted.
The entire chapter will have some themes running through it. They will be the themes of...
THE PARABLE OF THE UNFAITHFUL STEWARD
This is a difficult parable. It seems to commend unrighteousness. It teaches you how to rip off your employer.
1. The Situation of the Steward.
Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and this steward was reported to him as squandering his possessions.
This steward learns that he is going to be fired. He is going to be fired because he has done a poor job of stewarding. He is going to go from being the manager of an estate to being in the unemployment line. He has the authority of the rich man. But now he is facing an impending dismissal.
Our situation is similar. We have been alerted to an impending termination. We are all going to die.
Woody Allen was once asked, "Do you hope to achieve immortality through your work?" He replied, "Actually, I was hoping to achieve immortality through not dying." We are all under the sentence of death. If the Lord delays His coming, we will all end up dead.
2. The Scheme of the Steward.
"And the steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg.
The first thing that this steward did was to start talking to himself. He comes up with a plan. It is not a righteous plan. It is a plan to ingratiate himself with his master’s debtors. He decides, "If I take care of them now, perhaps they will take care of me later."
Why did Jesus choose an unrighteous man to teach us about a righteous way? Because all truth is God’s truth. You can look at any detail of life and you can see spiritual truth there. It is either a lesson by way of comparison or it is a lesson by way of contrast.
3. Carrying out the Plan.
"And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
"And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’
"Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’" (Luke 16:5-7).
The steward begins using what little authority he has left. He uses that authority to lower the various amounts of money due to his master. By so doing, he is trying to ingratiate himself to these debtors at the expense of the master.
There are two observations that we ought to make with regard to this man’s actions. He acted decisively. And he took a big risk.
4. The Praise of the Master.
"And his master praised the unrighteous steward because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light." (Luke 16:8).
You would think that we would read that the master SCOLDED the unrighteous steward. But it doesn’t say that. The steward was praised. Why? Not because of his dishonesty, but because he looked ahead and made provision for his future needs.
Here is the point. The people of this world will commit themselves to obtaining worldly wealth and they will bend themselves to the task until they have accomplished their goal. The people of heaven often just seem to drag along.
The parable teaches the principle of planning ahead. Are you planning for the future? How far ahead do your plans go?
- 20 years?
- 50 years?
- 100 years?
You need to plan for the future. For ALL of the future. Everything that you own will eventually end up in the garbage heap. Don't live for garbage.
By the end of this chapter we shall see a parable about a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. The point is seen here in that the rich man failed to plan ahead.
THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PARABLE
"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.
"If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you?
12 And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." (Luke 16:9-13).
The number one rule in interpreting parables is the CONTEXT. Jesus often explains the meaning of the parable either just before or just after He gives it. This is the case here.
1. The Mammon of Unrighteousness.
The word mammon is an Aramaic term. It could refer to wealth or it could refer to property. We would call it "material riches."
Money itself is amoral. It is without morals. It is not in itself good or bad. But it can be used badly.
And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.
What is wrong with loving money? It becomes a form of idolatry. We begin to worship money instead of worshiping God. Instead of chasing money, we need to chase after righteousness.
There are no pockets in a shroud. You don't see a U-haul behind a hearse. You can't take it with you.
A man decided that he wanted to take his money with him when he died. Each time danger would threaten, he would grab his wallet. And each night that he went to bed, he would put his wallet on a table in the attic over his bed. Sure enough, he died in his sleep and, the next morning, his wife saw that he had passed away and she ran upstairs to the attic to find everything where he had left it the night before.
As she collected his wallet and belongings, she muttered, "I knew he should have but these in the basement."
When John D. Rockefeller died, someone asked his lawyer how much he had left. The lawyer answered, "All of it."
2. Making Friends with Mammon.
"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings." (Matthew 16:9).
This verse teaches us to use money to "make friends" - not in the literal sense but in the spiritual sense. We usually try to do just the opposite. We want to use our friends to make money.
Jesus calls us to use all of our resources to prepare for the time of our future termination. Does this mean that our money can get us into heaven? No. But it DOES mean that our money can keep us out of heaven. You can love God. Or you can love money. But you cannot love both.
3. The Correlation of Faith and Ability.
"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." (Luke 16:10).
Have you ever heard someone say, "If I had a lot of money, I would use it for the Lord"? My question to such a person is what they are doing with the money that they have now. If you aren’t using what you have for Him now, then you will not in the future, no matter how much you have.
The same principle applies to more than just money. It also applies to talents and abilities. Do you think you would share the gospel more if you were able to speak better? It isn’t true.
The same principle applies to age. I tell high school kids to be careful what they make of themselves, for that is the way they will be in the future. What do you want to be ten years from now? Be that way today.
It is like the old country road that had a sign at its entrance:
|
Choose your rut carefully, you'll be in it for the next 50 miles. |
Here is the point. There is a correlation between your use of finances and your standing in the Kingdom.
|
Finances |
The Kingdom |
|
Entrusted with little things. |
Entrusted with much. |
|
Unrighteous mammon. |
True riches. |
|
That which belongs to another. |
That which is given as your own. |
|
TWO MASTERS |
|
|
Either love one... |
And hate the other. |
|
Or hate this one... |
And love this one. |
If you will be faithful in the worldly things, then you will have the opportunity to demonstrate faithfulness in kingdom things.
4. Ownership versus Stewardship: …who will give you that which is your own? (16:12).
Our problem is that we have not come to the point of realizing that we own nothing. People arguing over earthly possessions are like two fleas arguing over who owns the dog. We are merely stewards. Everything that we have is only given to us on loan.
You are a steward. The question is whether you will be a wise steward or a foolish steward. The answer to that will determine whether you eventually receive that which lasts.
THE UNFAITHFUL STEWARDS OF ISRAEL
This passage is the bridge that spans the gap between the parable of the unfaithful steward and the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
1. The Reaction of the Pharisees.
Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things, and they were scoffing at Him.
And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God." (Luke 16:14-15).
The reaction of the Pharisees was to scoff. There is a lesson here. Whenever unbelievers have no answer to the truth, they will try to cover their unbelief in ridicule. If they are making fun of you, it is because they have no real answers and they must resort to mockery.
Why did they mock? Because they had no answers and because they wanted to justify themselves.
2. Unbelievers and the Kingdom.
"The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it." (Luke 16:16).
The Pharisees viewed themselves as protectors of the Law and the Prophets. But when John the Baptist came along preaching the gospel of the kingdom, they found themselves set against it.
|
What does Jesus mean when He says of the kingdom that "everyone is forcing His way into it?" |
This literally can read "and everyone is with violence going into it." This Greek word is used only one other time in the New Testament. It is also a passage which is speaking of John and the Kingdom.
"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force." (Matthew 11:12).
There have been two interpretations suggested of these passages:
I believe that it is this second interpretation that fits the context of the two passages.
3. The Law and the Prophets.
The Pharisees prided themselves on upholding the Law. But what they had really done was to separate the letter of the Law from the spirit of the Law.
They had built a great hedge around the Law. This hedge was made up of interpretations and additional ordinances. They reasoned that, if you did not go through the hedge, then you would not be in danger of breaking the Law. But their traditions had come to the point of replacing the Law. They were now keeping the letter of their own laws while breaking the Law of God. And so, instead of a hedge around the Law, their traditions had become a series of legal loopholes by which men could break the Law and still be self-righteous.
"But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail." (Luke 16:17).
The word which is translated "stroke of a letter" is the Greek word keraian. It literally means "horn." It seems to refer to the small tail which stuck out from the Hebrew letter beth (B) to distinguish it from the koph (K). It would be the equivalent of the little slash that distinguishes the "O" from the "Q."
The Bible has not failed. And it will not fail. It is eternal. This means that the Bible is not out-dated. It is not merely an ancient book about ancient people that lived long ago and far away. It is as relevant as tomorrow's newspaper. It is relevant because God has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
4. The Instance of Divorce.
"Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery." (Luke 16:18).
The command against divorce also has a spiritual application. The nation of Israel enjoyed a marriage relationship with the Lord and was now seeking to be divorced from the Lord's Anointed One.
Jesus has been teaching that the Law will not pass away. Now He moves to illustrate this teaching with one specific example. It is an example which the Pharisees had filled with loopholes.
You see, divorce among the Jews was commonplace in the days of Jesus. Josephus describes many of his own marriages and subsequent divorces. There were two schools of thought among the Jews regarding divorce:
The School of Hillel was the more popular among the Jewish men, especially those who wanted a divorce.
The Talmud goes to great lengths to outline the proper format of a bill of divorce; that it must be written in twelve lines and follow a specific protocol. But it failed to speak on the importance of the permanence of marriage.
Jesus turns our attention back to the Law by pointing out that marriage is binding for life.
|
Whoever divorces |
Whoever marries |
|
|
¯ |
¯ |
|
|
And then remarries |
A divorced woman |
|
|
¯ |
¯ |
|
|
Commits... |
Commits... |
|
|
¯ |
¯ |
|
|
ADULTERY |
||
Whenever a divorce takes place for any reason, the vows of the marriage have been broken and sin has taken place.
PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS
The story of the rich man and Lazarus is a parable. It is an illustration of a spiritual truth. The spiritual truths that are being illustrated are those lessons that Jesus was teaching in the previous verses.
|
The Lessons in Luke 16:1-18 |
The Parable in Luke 16:19-31 |
|
The utilization of earthly riches to prepare for a heavenly future (16:1-9) |
The rich man who took no thought for a life after death |
|
The Pharisees who were lovers of money (16:14) |
The rich man who was a lover of money |
|
The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John (16:16). |
"If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead" (16:31). |
1. The Cast of Characters.
"Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day.
"And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,
This is the story of two men. One was a rich man and one was a poor man. Remember that this story is told in the context of Jesus having taught on the subject of money.
a. The Rich man.
The Jews held to a prosperity theology. They believed that God loves rich people more than poor people. They said that God blesses everyone He loves and because rich people are blessed with their riches, God must love them a lot.
This man lived like a king. He regularly dressed in king's clothes. And he lived like a king every day.
Dyed cloth was expensive. Most people wore white. Some wore dark white because their clothes hadn't been washed for several days. Only the very rich possessed colored clothes.
b. Lazarus.
This is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Eleazar. It is a name that means, "helped by God." But to look at him, it did not seem as though God had helped him at all. Lazarus was a beggar. He was dependent upon everyone else for his survival. His only request in this parable was for the garbage which came from the rich man’s leftovers.
The passage does not say that he was given the table scraps. It says that he wanted them. Instead, he received the company of dogs.
Dogs were viewed differently in that day than they are today. Today we shampoo dogs. We have collars for them. We walk them and pamper them.
But dogs in that day roamed in wild packs and were considered a nuisance. It was considered to be an extreme slur to call someone a dog.
What you need to know is that the Law gave specific commands regarding the treatment of the poor in Israel.
If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother;
For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, "You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land." (Deuteronomy 15:11).
There were to be no starving people in Israel. They did not need a system of food stamps or welfare. Those who had money were to share with those who were poor.
This tells me something about the rich man of our parable. He was more interested in his money than in his obedience to the Law.
2. Two Deaths and Two Destinies.
"Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.
The one thing is common that both of these men had is that they both died. Death is no respecter of persons. Rich or poor, smart or silly, weak or strong, everyone dies. But after that, all similarity ceases.
a. Abraham’s bosom.
Lazarus had an entourage of angels. They accompanied him to a place referred to here as "Abraham's bosom."
This is the language of a feast. You did not sit on a chair when you attended a feast. You would recline on a pillow. To lie on someone’s bosom at a feast was to recline in the seat of honor.
b. Hades.
This is the Greek word for hell. It is described as "torment."
Why did the rich man go to hell? Was it because he was rich? Was it because he did not give money to Lazarus? I do not believe so. I believe that the reason he went to hell is because he was an unrepentant sinner.
3. The First Request of the Rich Man.
"And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.’" (Luke 16:24).
Have you ever heard someone say, "I want to go to hell so that I can be with all my friends"? Hell will not be fun. If you don’t believe this, I have an experiment for you. Go to a stove, turn it on, wait five minutes and sit on it. Now party. Lot’s of fun, isn’t it?
Who is the beggar now? Notice his request. He still wants Lazarus to play the part of the servant. He asks that Lazarus be sent with a single drop of water.
When I am thirsty, I ask Paula to get me a glass of water. I don’t ask for a single drop of water. That brings me to a question. Is this literal or is it merely symbolic language? I do not know. But I do know that when you have a symbol, the reality is much more intense than the symbol.
4. The First Answer.
"But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.
Notice what this passage teaches. It teaches that the decision you make here affect where you live over there. It teaches that there are no second chances. It teaches that there is no purgatory.
There is a great gulf fixed between heaven and hell. It took the Cross to span that gulf. You can only pass over it by coming to the cross. You don’t have to go to hell. Jesus suffered hell for you when He paid the penalty for sins upon the cross.
5. The Second Request of the Rich Man.
|
Funeral for an Atheist: All dressed up and nowhere to go. |
"And he said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father’s house -
28 for I have five brothers - that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’" (Luke 16:27-28).There are no atheists in hell. This man suddenly became very religious. He suddenly has a driving desire to see the gospel preached to his family.
6. The Second Answer.
"But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
But he said, 'No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’
"But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’" (Luke 16:29-31).
In John 11 there was another man named Lazarus. He died and Jesus raised him from the dead. Did this cause the Jews to believe? It did not. They were even more resolved to kill Jesus. They even talked about murdering Lazarus.
Remember that this parable began with Jesus proclaiming that the Law and the Prophets would never fail.
This will be a condemnation against the Pharisees. They have been watching the One whose coming was foretold in the Law and the Prophets. They have seen the miracles of Jesus and they have rejected Him. They will see Him raise Lazarus from the grave and their reaction will be to try to put Lazarus back in the grave. And even when Jesus Himself rises from the dead, they will not believe it.
|
Do you take Hell seriously? What is there in your life that shows that you really believe in Hell? |
As we come to a close in this chapter, I want to make some concluding observations:
I think that there is a reason for this. The parable is told to the Pharisees and the story is told in such a way that they will identify with the rich man. You, as the reader, are also to slip your feet into the sandals of the rich man and ask whether they fit, not only with regard to riches, but with regard to your eternal destiny.
Today there is a chance for repentance. But the Scriptures give every indication that once you die your fate is sealed. It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
This parable points us to the cross. It calls us to come in faith to the cross where Jesus suffered the agony and the torment and even the thirst in our place.