Read the Passage: Luke 16

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: Luke 16

Handling Wealth (16:1–13)

Luke 16:1–13 contains the parable of the unjust servant, which is sometimes referred to as the parable of the shrewd steward. As these titles imply, there is some debate as to whether the servant in this narrative was guilty of incompetence, fraud, neither, nor both. In any event, this man was accused of misusing his master’s goods. This was a very serious charge, for a steward is responsible for handling the resources of another in accord with the will of the owner. In this parable, since the servant was unable to dig, and unwilling to beg, he began to endear himself to his master’s debtors by lowering their bills. While we might expect such actions to enrage the master, the master actually commended the shrewdness of his steward. Note the teaching in Ps. 49:18, even as the psalmist wrote about sinful acts, “For men will praise you when you do well for yourself” (Ps. 49:18).

While there is discussion as to the guilt or innocence of the steward in this narrative, such debate is largely inconsequential to Jesus’ point in this parable. Indeed, Christ does not endorse the steward’s actions; rather, He appeals to the servant’s example and gives three main lessons. First, Christ teaches that just as the steward used his master’s money to gain friends for himself and to secure an earthly home, so Christians are to use their Master’s resources (i.e., the gospel) to make disciples, thus confirming their own heavenly home (cf. Luke 16:9). Second, in Luke 16:10–12 (cf. Luke 12:33; 18:22), Christ teaches that how one handles money (i.e., what is least) is a good barometer of one’s spiritual condition (i.e., what is much). Third, in Luke 16:13, Jesus teaches that it is impossible to serve both God and money. While money itself is not evil, the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Loving Wealth (16:14–18)

In context, Jesus’ wealth-related teachings in this section of Luke’s Gospel were largely directed toward the Pharisees and scribes who had been complaining about His keeping company with sinners (cf. Luke 15:2). Surely, some of the religious leaders were upset by Christ’s parable of the prodigal son, in which the materialistic older brother was a villain. Furthermore, many Pharisees were offended by Jesus’ explicit teaching in Luke 16:13 that one cannot serve both God and money, for they “were lovers of money” (Luke 16:14). Next, the religious leaders then began to deride Christ, which prompted Him to declare, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts” (Luke 16:15). In other words, the Pharisees believed that their works and wealth were a means to and a sign of God’s favor. Yet, it is the preaching of the gospel, not works or wealth, that leads people into the kingdom of God.

Misusing Wealth (16:19–31)

The final wealth-related teaching that Jesus gives in this chapter is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, which only appears in Luke’s Gospel. This parable is unique in that the poor man in the narrative, Lazarus, is the only named figure in any of Jesus’ parables. This story contrasts the lives of two men: an unnamed rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. Whereas the rich man was clothed in fine apparel and ate sumptuously, poor Lazarus was covered in sores and was malnourished. Upon their deaths, Lazarus “was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22) and the rich man experienced “torments in Hades” (Luke 16:23). Observed that the term “Abraham’s bosom” is only used here in Scripture, as it relays the idea that Lazarus had a seat of honor with Abraham (cf. Matt. 8:11; John 13:25). Hades, however, was the place of the dead—especially, in the New Testament, the sinful dead.

Luke 16:24–31 communicates the main lesson of this parable, which can be summarized with the teaching that one’s material status in the present life is not an indicator of one’s standing with God. Note the following five observations about this narrative. First, while the rich man desired relief, he seemed to have understood that his destiny was fixed, for he did not ask to be released. Second, while the rich man spoke to Abraham, he did not speak to Lazarus, and he was told that Lazarus could not come to him. Third, part of the rich man’s torment was the knowledge that his lost brothers would soon join him in Hades. Fourth, Abraham informed the rich man that Moses and the prophets were sufficient revelation for salvation. Fifth, the rich man was told that even a spectacular supernatural sign, such as one rising from the dead, would not be adequate to convert someone.

Application Questions:

1. How would you summarize the biblical perspective on wealth? Why is material wealth a source of temptation for many people?
2. Why did the master commend the actions of the unjust steward, even though the servant cost the master money?
3. How can we distinguish the godly stewardship of money from the ungodly love of money?
4. Should the details of this narrative be understood literally, and if so, what can we learn about the afterlife?
5. How can someone attain salvation by reading Moses and the prophets? Why can isolated supernatural signs not lead to salvation?