LUKE LESSON 40
We will begin this lesson in 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 quickly see that Jesus is teaching the disciples here 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."
We see, here, 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."
This steward suddenly 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."
We see this 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."
Here, 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 this 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 is just
getting this 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 this 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."
This is saying 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 of 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]?"
What this is really saying, to me, is 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?"
This to me, is jumping from material things to men's souls.
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. The time has come to choose whose side
you are on. 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 here, were some of the
very people who had put great importance on worldly wealth and
prestige. "Deride" here means to sneer. They knew they were guilty of
just what Jesus was talking about here, 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 in this age of grace. He is saying
even you Pharisees must change and accept God's grace. By the
foolishness of preaching men are saved.
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 40 Questions
1. What in verse 1 was the steward accused of?
2. Who really are Jesus' stewards?
3. Name several ways we can be a steward.
4. What did his lord request of him in verse two?
5. In the 34th chapter of Ezekiel, what does God do to the bad
shepherd?
6. The steward says I cannot _______, to ________ I am ashamed.
7. In verse 4. is this action for his lord or himself?
8. What did he do to find favor with the man who owed 100 measures of
oil?
9. How much did he reduce the wheat?
10. In verse 8, Jesus says the children of the world are wiser than
whom?
11. Where will this steward's final place be?
12. What does verse 10 mean?
13. Does the dollar amount change the fact that someone is a thief?
14. Verse 12 is speaking not of money, but what probably?
15. In verse 13, we read ye cannot serve ______ and ______.
16. What are the only two ways from which you can choose whom you will
follow?
17. What does the word "derided" mean?
18. In verse 14, how are these Pharisees described?
19. They said they justified themselves before whom?
20. That which is highly esteemed of men is an _______ to God?
21. Up until when were the law and prophets in effect?
22. Since that time what had been preached?
23. What did the Pharisees not want to hear?
24. By the foolishness of what are men saved?
25. It is easier for what to fail than for one tittle of the law to
fail?
26. Jesus came not to destroy the law but to ______ ______.
27. If you put away your wife to marry another, you commit what sin?
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