Luke Chapter 16

Parable About an Unjust Steward

            ¹ He also told his disciples,

“A rich man had a property manager that was reportedly wasting the rich man’s holdings. ² He called him in, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Give me your record books for your work; you can’t continue being manager.’ ³ The fellow thought to himself, ‘What am I going to do? My boss is firing me. I’m not strong enough for hard work; I’m ashamed to beg. ⁴ I know what I’ll do, so when I’ve been let go, people will welcome me into their homes.’

⁵ “He called in each debtor and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my employer?’

⁶ “‘800 gallons of olive oil.’

            “‘Take your bill, sit down quick and write “400.”’

⁷ “‘How much do you^sg owe?’

            “‘1,000 bushels of wheat.’

            “‘Take your bill and write, “800.”’

⁸ “The employer had to admire the conniving fellow. The children of this world are smarter among their own kind than the children of light are. ⁹ Make friends with your material wealth so when it runs out, they’ll welcome you into permanent shelters.

¹⁰ A person that’s reliable in little things will be reliable in big ones. Someone that’s unreliable in little things will be unreliable in big ones. ¹¹ So if you’re not reliable with what has nothing to do with being good, who’ll trust you with true wealth?

 ¹² If you’re not reliable with other people’s things, who’s going to give you your own?

¹³ No one can serve two masters. You’ll disregard one and care about the other. You can’t serve God and wealth.”        

Lk 16:1-13

The Law and God’s Kingdom

            ^{1 4} The Pharisees, who loved money, heard these things and started laughing at him. ¹⁵ He told them,

“You try to make yourselves look good to other people, but God knows your hearts. What people prize, God detests. ¹⁶ The Law and the Prophets were operating until John came. Since then, the coming of God’s kingdom is being presented, and people keep trying to get into it by force. ¹⁷ But it’s easier for earth and sky to pass away than for one serif* of the Law to fail.”

¹⁸ Everybody that divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

Lk 16:14-18

Parable About the Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “A rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, celebrated every day in splendor. ²⁰ A poor man named Lazarus had been brought regularly to his gate. The man was covered with sores, ²¹ and he wanted to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. The dogs even came and licked his sores.

²² “The poor man died, and angels carried him away into Abraham’s arms. The rich man died, too, and was buried. ²³ In hell he looked up in torment and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms.

²⁴ “He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue; I’m in agony in this flame.’

²⁵ “Abraham said, ‘Son, remember, you received your good things in life, and Lazarus received bad things. Now he’s comforted here, and you’re in torment. ²⁶ Besides, a wide chasm lies between us and you^pl, so people can’t cross over from one place to the other.’

²⁷ “‘Then send him to my father’s house— ²⁸ I have five brothers—to warn them so they won’t come to this place of torment.’

²⁹ “Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. They can listen to them.’

³⁰ “‘No, Father Abraham, if somebody goes to them from the dead, they’ll repent.’

³¹ “Abraham told him, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, they won’t be convinced even if somebody rises from the dead.’”                                                                                                

Lk 16:19-31