Luke 16   
    Luke 16:1 "And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the
same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods."
     We see that Jesus is teaching the disciples a lesson about being  good stewards. Every person who has proclaimed
Christianity as a way of life is a steward of the things Jesus has entrusted to them. What a terrible thing for God to leave
you in charge of a job and find out later that you are a bad steward. Some are stewards of money, some are stewards of
God's churches, and some are stewards of God's people. To fail in any of these would not only cause a problem for you,
but for those you are to minister to, as well.
     Luke 16:2 "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."
     The master wants to take account of what he has done. This is like the Lord giving the ministers that He has
entrusted a last warning. He is saying, If you didn't repent and do the first work, I will no longer entrust this ministry to
you. The 34th chapter of Ezekiel is speaking of this very same thing. The ministers are called shepherds in Ezekiel. God
will not continue on with a bad shepherd or a bad steward.
     Luke 16:3 "Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the
stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed."
     The steward sees the error of his ways. His first thought is to do something quick to find favor with his lord. He is
not used to physical labor. He wants to earn his way back in favor so that he will not have to beg.
     Luke 16:4 "I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into
their houses."
     The steward has lost favor with his lord and is trying to make friends with the world. He feels he has already lost out
with his lord so he must find somewhere to go. He feels if he makes friends with the world, they will take him in.
     Luke 16:5 "So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest
thou unto my lord?"
     Luke 16:6 "And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down
quickly, and write fifty."
     He is short changing his lord. He makes a deal with the worldly to reduce their debt to buy favor with them. This is
really not the steward's oil. It belongs to his lord.
     Luke 16:7 "Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of
wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore."
     We see a repeat of the mistake he made with oil. Bribes have never been pleasing unto God, and this is no exception.
In fact, it is worse to bribe the worldly. Not only is it a bad example, but will just get the steward in trouble with his lord.
     Luke 16:8 "And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this
world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." 
     Luke 16:9 "And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye
fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."
     To me this means that the steward no longer has a place with his lord. He might as well make the best deal he can,
because he has chosen unrighteousness. His place will not be heaven, but his everlasting habitation will be with the
unrighteousness in hell.
     Luke 16:10 "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least
is unjust also in much."
     A thief is a thief whether he is taking a dollar or $10,000. The amount is not the important thing. A person's heart is
either faithful or unfaithful. It really doesn't matter how big or how small.  It is the same.
     Luke 16:11 "If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your
trust the true riches?"
     If you are not honest here on the earth with your neighbors, then God surely cannot trust you with heavenly
treasures. The true riches are like having eternal life. The true riches are heavenly treasures.
     Luke 16:12 "And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is
your own?"
     Ministers are entrusted with the souls of the people they minister to. If the minister fails his converts and causes them
to fall, the Lord will see to it that He has none that are his own.
     Luke 16:13  "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he
will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
     You can only have one Lord. This is saying that you cannot straddle the fence. You must be on God's side or Satan's
side. There are no other sides. If you choose money and things of this world over God, you are on Satan's side. A
worldly person cannot inherit eternal life.
     Luke 16:14 "And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him."
     These Pharisees, who heard Jesus speaking, were some of the very same people who had put great importance on
worldly wealth and prestige. "Deride" means to sneer. They knew they were guilty of just what Jesus was talking about,
but instead of repenting, they made fun of what Jesus was saying.
     Luke 16:15 "And 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."
     These Pharisees are self-righteous. Their hearts are wicked. They have no compassion for others. They have been
blinded by their own pride. They may put up a big front  to the people and be highly respected by them. God judges the
heart, not the outward appearance. God knows how evil they really are. In fact, they are an abomination to God.
     Luke 16:16 "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and
every man presseth into it."
     Jesus told them exactly what they did not want to hear. He said the law had been in effect for a very long time, up
until John the Baptist. Jesus tells them that every one, Jew and Gentile, will be able to enter the kingdom of God.
     Luke 16:17 "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail."
     Jesus says even though this kingdom is for everyone, the law is still valid. He will tell them later that He came not to
destroy the law, but to fulfill it. God or His law never changes.
     Luke 16:18 "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever
marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery."
     Jesus quotes one of the laws about marriage to prove His point. He is just saying this has not changed. It is so now as
it was with the law.
     Luke 16:19  "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared
sumptuously every day:"
     It seems that he was sure to use his money for his own personal wants. He seemed to be pampering himself by buying
himself fine clothes and eating all sorts of delicate foods. A rich person must not hang on to his riches for themselves,
but must be quick to help others in need. That does not seem to be the case with this rich man. He seemed to be thinking
just of himself.
     Luke 16:20 "And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,"
     Here is a person exactly opposite of the rich man. Lazarus laid at his gate, because begging was the only way he had
of getting enough to live on.
     Luke 16:21 "And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs
came and licked his sores."
     The rich man had opportunity. It is strange that the rich man was not named and the beggar was. Two different
dictionaries give two different meanings to Lazarus name. Perhaps this can shed some light on why Lazarus' name was
mentioned and not the rich man's. Lazarus means "God help, or God helped". The other meaning was "helpless". This
tells us a lot more about Lazarus. He is unable to help himself and God has heard his cry and helped him. Lazarus was
not asking much, just the crumbs. He had no one to doctor his sores so the dogs licked them.
     Luke 16:22 "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom:
the rich man also died, and was buried;"
    Luke 16:23 "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his
bosom."
     We see the love and care God has for His son. It is quite a different story with this selfish, self-centered rich man who
had eyes for no one's problems and had spent all his time and money on himself. It appears from this that those in hell
can see those in heaven which makes their torment worse.
     Luke 16:24 "And 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."
     The fact that this rich man calls Abraham father tells us that he was of Hebrew decent. He was one of those who
thought they would go to heaven just because they were Abraham's children and grandchildren in the flesh. We do see
from the Scripture above that hell is a place of torment and fire.
     Luke 16:25 "But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and
likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented."
     We must notice here that Abraham does not deny that this rich man is a descendent of his. He calls him son .
Abraham reminds him that he had opportunity to help Lazarus and he didn't. 
     Luke 16:26 "And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass
from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."
     Really these people who are in hell have been put there by the Lord. They had no control over going back and forth.
They made their choice on earth; and once doomed to hell, there is no escape. The same thing applies to those who
make heaven. The way we live here on earth determines our final resting place. We must choose Jesus and His ways,
if we are to make heaven.  If we do not choose Jesus, then we are automatically on the side of Satan and will go to hell.
The decision is here on the earth before you die.  There is no changing your mind after you die.  Good and evil are miles
apart here on earth, but even further in eternity.
     Luke 16:27 "Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:"
     Luke 16:28 "For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of
torment."
     He finally realized there is no help for him. He wants some one to go and tell his brothers. He believes if maybe they
could hear from someone who actually had died, they would believe. His concern is for his five brothers.  They are
rich, too, and he wants to make sure they don't do the same sin that got him in this terrible place.
     Luke 16:29 "Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them."
     He is saying, they have an equal chance to accept or reject the teaching of God. That is the very reason God sent
Moses and the prophets. That was their job to deliver the people, not only from physical bondage, but spiritual, as well.
     Luke 16:30 "And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent."
     Jesus will rise from the dead. He does appear to them 40 days and nights after His Resurrection. He does tell them,
and all others who will listen even today, in His Word.
     Luke 16:31 "And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded,
though one rose from the dead."
     Those who have hardened their hearts will not believe Moses' words. They will not believe God's only begotten Son,
Jesus, even though He rose from the grave. They have chosen the world and its riches over God.