Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2.pdf

<strong>Commentary</strong> on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2
LUKE 16:1-15
Luke 16:1-15
1. And he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and he
was accused to him that he was wasting his estate. 2. And he called him, and said to him, What is
this that I hear of thee? render an account of thy stewardship, for thou shalt no longer have it in
thy power to be steward. 3. And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, since my master
taketh from me my stewardship? I cannot dig, and am ashamed to beg. 4. I know what I shall do,
that, when I shall be dismissed from the stewardship, they may receive me 294 into their houses.
5. Having therefore sent for each of his master’s debtors, he said to the first, How much owest
thou to my master? 6. And he said, A hundred baths of oil. And he said to him, Take thy bill, and
sit down quickly, and write fifty. 295 7. Then he said to another, And how much owest thou? Who
said, A hundred measures of barley. He saith to him, Take thy bill, and write eighty. 8. And the
master commended the unjust steward, because he had acted prudently; for the children of this
world are more prudent in their generation than the children of light. 9. And I say to you, Make
to yourselves friends of the unjust mammon, that, when you shall fail, they may receive you into
eternal habitations. 10. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that
is unjust in that which is least is unjust also in much. 11. If therefore you have not been faithful
in the unjust mammon, who shall entrust to you what is true? 296 12. And if you have not been
faithful in what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? — (A little after.) 14. And
the Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15. And he said
to them, It is you that, justify yourselves in the sight of men: but God knoweth your hearts; for
that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
The leading object of this parable is, to show that we ought to deal kindly and generously with
our neighbors; that, when we come to the judgment seat of God, we may reap the fruit of our
liberality. Though the parable appears to be harsh and far-fetched, yet the conclusion makes it
evident, that the design of Christ was nothing else than what I have stated. And hence we see, that
to inquire with great exactness into every minute part of a parable is an absurd mode of
philosophizing. Christ does not advise us to purchase by large donations the forgiveness of fraud,
and of extortion, and of wasteful expenditure, and of the other crimes associated with unfaithful
administration. But as all the blessings which God confers upon us are committed by Him to our
administration, our Lord now lays down a method of procedure, which will protect us against being
treated with rigor, when we come to render our account.
294 “Que ‘quelques uns’ me recoyvent;” — “that ‘some persons’ may receive me.”
295 “Et en escri cinquante;” — “and write fifty of them.”
296 “Du vray ’thresor’ qui s’en fiera en vous?” — “who shall entrust to you the true (treasure?)”
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John Calvin