Chapter 16:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| McGee
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Mark John
Luke 16
Concise Complete
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 8:19,20 , for
that is the
2 peter
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.
Chapter 16:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| McGee
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Mark John
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
