Luke

Chapter 16

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Scripture

KJV

1And 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.

2And 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.

3Then 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.

4I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

5So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

6And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

7Then 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.

8And 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.

9And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

10He 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.

11If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

12And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?

13No 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.

14And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

15And 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.

16The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

17And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

18Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22And 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;

23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24And 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.

25But 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.

26And 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.

27Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:

28For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

29Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Key VerseLuke 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.

Overview

Jesus tells His disciples the parable of the unjust steward, who shrewdly uses his master's resources to secure his future, teaching that believers should use worldly wealth wisely for eternal purposes. He then declares that no servant can serve two masters — God and mammon. The Pharisees, who love money, scoff at this teaching, and Jesus warns that what is exalted among men is an abomination before God. The chapter concludes with the sobering story of the rich man and Lazarus, contrasting their fates after death.

Key Themes

1

Faithful Stewardship

Jesus teaches that faithfulness in how we handle earthly wealth — which He calls 'unrighteous mammon' — reveals whether we can be trusted with true spiritual riches.

2

God or Mammon

The declaration that no one can serve both God and money confronts the human tendency to compartmentalize faith and finances, demanding an undivided loyalty.

3

The Reversal of Fortunes

The story of the rich man and Lazarus depicts an eternal reversal — the beggar is comforted in Abraham's bosom while the rich man who ignored him suffers in torment.

Study Questions

1.

What does Jesus mean when He says to 'make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness'? How should Christians use wealth for eternal purposes?

2.

Jesus says, 'He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.' How does your handling of small responsibilities reflect your readiness for greater ones?

3.

Why does Jesus say it is impossible to serve God and mammon? Is it possible to be wealthy and still serve God wholeheartedly?

4.

In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man's sin was not cruelty but indifference. How does this challenge passive neglect of the poor around us?

5.

Abraham tells the rich man that his brothers have 'Moses and the prophets' and should listen to them. What does this say about the sufficiency of Scripture for bringing people to repentance?

Connection to Christ

Jesus is the faithful steward of God's riches who used all that He had — including His very life — for the salvation of others. The story of the rich man and Lazarus points forward to Christ's own resurrection, which Abraham implies would not convince those who reject Scripture. Jesus challenges the love of money that blinds people to their need for a Savior and calls His followers to invest in the eternal kingdom He came to establish.

Personal Reflection

Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Luke 16. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?

Luke

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