Luke 16, a chapter that covers love of money to the answer of “Where are the Dead”. So, let’s get started, and verse 1 reads.
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.
That he was a thief, and stole from the Lord. This won’t go well for him.
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.
[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.
He wasn’t about to do an honest days’ work for an honest dollar.
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.
[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?
Doing this for a favor when he is out of a job, maybe these people will help him out.
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.
Gave him a 50 percent discount. This man is now in debt to him. Know why he is considered a thief now.
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.
Fourscore is 80. This man only got a 20 percent discount. Maybe his house didn’t have a pool.
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.
A very interesting verse in God’s word. First, wise only in this world, not in God’s word. Second, know we are not of this world but only come through this world. Meaning, these in this generation (the generation of the fig tree) are wiser than the children of Light. That’s Gods children today who don’t have a clue how evil this world has become. They are not in Gods’ word and don’t even know who they are. They are our responsibility to plant the seeds to.
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.
Everlasting habitations is the lake of fire at the end of the millennium. Go ahead, worry more about money and not your soul, but know there will be a reckoning.
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.
How you are now with anything is how you will be with everything. That makes it easy for you to be judged.
Luke 16:11] If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
[12] And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?
[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.
By this time, I hope you understand that mammon is ill gotten gains. Being rich by the blessings of God is a good thing, but not being acquired of by evil means.
Luke 16:14] And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
[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.
Notice they are already breaking the 10th.commandment. Also, derided is to mock or laugh at. Hate to be in their shoes when they stand before him. The most important thing to get out of that is, God and Jesus can read your mind. We can’t hide anything from the Father, he knows all.
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.
[17] And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
John was included with the prophets. John was the last of the prophets. Do not let any man come to you and say he is a prophet. He is a liar and a thief. Jesus did not come to destroy the law he came to fulfill the law. (Mat.5).
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.
Now we know that upon repentance all sins are forgiven. This is speaking spiritually, think of that Marriage to the Lamb. What Jesus is saying here is Idolatry. Leaving your first love and worshipping the antichrist at the 6th.trump. Many will be deceived. Many will think that he comes to fly them away. This is the great “Apostasy”. Now we come to the rich man and Lazarus.
Luke 16:19] There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
[20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
[21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Dressed with royalty. And he too had much ill -gotten gains. But Lazarus was poor. Again, think spiritually. Let’s go to Rev.2:8 and read.
Rev.2:8] And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
[9] I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Rich in God’s blessings, these that say they are Jews are Kenites (1Chr.2:55). But the poor, they have the knowledge and their eyes are opened by the Lord. Back to Luke and verse 22 reads.
Luke 16:22] And 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;
[23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Hell is grave, torment is shame. Both he and Lazarus are in the spirit, and they are both in paradise.
Luke 16:24] And 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.
Asked if Lazarus could come and give that Living Water, that’s Jesus, that’s the Word. Again, this torment is great shame. Hell doesn’t exist until after the Great White Throne Judgement. And as Hebrews 12:29 says, God is a consuming fire.
Luke 16:25] But 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.
[26] And 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.
Now we know that in heaven for all of us there is a good side and a bad side that we go to, this is a temporary judgement until the all have come through the flesh. Then the millennium, then the White Throne Judgement, then and only then does anybody die the second death. The death of the soul.
Luke 16:27] Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:
[28] For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
[29] Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
They have God’s word, and so do we. More reason to study his word today.
Luke 16:30] And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
[31] And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Jesus died and was risen, and many don’t believe on him. This is why we plant seeds for the Lord today, to bring as many as we can to the Lord. Time is running short, but by the grace of God, His Will be done. Let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible