Luke Chapter 16
Money and Righteousness
A. The Story of the Dishonest Steward
1. (Luke 16:1–8) What the dishonest steward did.
“He also said to His disciples: ‘There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, “What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.” Then the steward said within himself, “What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.” So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, “How much do you owe my master?” And he said, “A hundred measures of oil.” So he said to him, “Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.” Then he said to another, “And how much do you owe?” So he said, “A hundred measures of wheat.” And he said to him, “Take your bill, and write eighty.” So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.’”
Notes
a. He also said to His disciples: This parable marks a transition from speaking to the multitudes (Luke 15:1–2) to specifically teaching His disciples. However, the Pharisees were still present and listening, as shown in Luke 16:14.
b. There was a certain rich man who had a steward: A steward was a manager who handled property and finances on behalf of a wealthy man. This was not a casual role, but one that required faithfulness and accountability. In common law terms, it was more than an “arms-length” relationship; it was fiduciary. The steward was expected to act in the best interest of his master.
In this case, the steward was accused of wasting his master’s possessions, essentially embezzling. The master rightly demanded an account. Every person, both believer and unbeliever, will one day be called to give an account of their stewardship before God (Romans 14:10–12; Second Corinthians 5:10).
c. What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me: When confronted, the steward realized he had few options. Manual labor (digging) was beyond him, and begging was beneath him. His self-assessment shows both pride and weakness.
d. So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him: Acting quickly, the steward reduced the debts of his master’s clients. Whether he removed his own dishonest commission or simply lessened their burden, his plan was to gain their favor for the future. He was using his present position to prepare for what came next.
e. So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly: The master did not praise dishonesty but rather recognized the steward’s foresight and shrewdness. Jesus highlighted that “the sons of this world” often show more zeal, creativity, and determination in pursuing worldly goals than the “sons of light” do in pursuing eternal ones.
Paul often used examples like war and slavery to illustrate spiritual truths without endorsing the systems themselves. In the same way, Jesus here used the unjust steward to illustrate lessons about foresight, urgency, and accountability.
The steward provides a negative example with positive applications. He recognized that accountability was certain, and he prepared for it. He acted decisively in the moment to secure his future. Likewise, Christians are to live with the awareness that they must give an account and therefore use present opportunities for eternal purposes.
f. Spiritual Application: Believers are often less committed to advancing the Kingdom of God than unbelievers are in advancing their own worldly agendas. Jesus’ words are a rebuke to careless discipleship. It is a shame to the church that companies like Coca-Cola have greater worldwide penetration than the gospel. The world’s children chase profit and pleasure with zeal, while God’s children too often neglect eternal priorities.
g. A warning and a call: Every Christian will hear the words, “Give an account of your stewardship.” Our time, our talents, our resources, and our influence are all given by God. Faithful stewardship will be rewarded with commendation (Matthew 25:21; First Corinthians 4:5). Unfaithful stewardship may result in loss of reward, though salvation is still secure (First Corinthians 3:13–15).
Money and Righteousness
B. Using Money Now with an Eye to Eternity
2. (Luke 16:9) Using money now with an eye to eternity.
“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.”
Notes
a. Make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon: Here Jesus moves from the parable to direct application. He commanded His disciples to use their present resources wisely, not for selfish indulgence but for eternal purposes. Earthly wealth, often corrupting, can nevertheless be put to godly use when it is employed to advance the Kingdom of God.
The word mammon comes from the Aramaic word mammon, meaning “that in which one puts one’s trust,” and it came to signify wealth and possessions. Because people so easily trust in money rather than God, Jesus described it as “unrighteous mammon.”
As Clarke explained, riches are deceitful because “Riches promise much, and perform nothing: they excite hope and confidence, and deceive both: in making a man depend on them for happiness, they rob him of the salvation of God and of eternal glory.”
Thus, Jesus warned His disciples that wealth is never neutral. It can master a person or serve as a tool. The command is clear: use it while you have it, directing it toward eternal investments.
b. That when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home: Money is temporary and will ultimately fail, whether through death, loss, or the passing of this present world. Yet when wealth is used in service to God, it can produce fruit that remains forever. Those who are won to Christ and helped by our stewardship will be present in eternity to welcome us into the everlasting home prepared by God.
This means that the best “financial planning” is not merely saving for retirement or securing earthly stability, but investing in the Kingdom of God. Wise stewardship includes giving generously, supporting gospel work, and using every opportunity to channel resources into eternal purposes.
Jesus’ words expose the folly of waiting to give until “someday,” when we imagine we will have enough. The deception of mammon always convinces us that the good life is just out of reach, that contentment will come when we earn more. In reality, the true “good life” is found in living generously now with eternity in view.
c. A timeless principle of human nature: Even surveys demonstrate the futility of thinking more wealth equals satisfaction. When asked how much money they would need to attain “the American dream,” those who earned $25,000 annually said they would need $54,000, and those who earned $100,000 said they would need $192,000. No matter the income level, the human tendency is to believe that happiness lies in doubling what one already has. Jesus cuts through this deception, teaching that true treasure is not in accumulation but in investment toward eternity.
d. Eternal perspective: The call of this verse is simple yet searching—use temporal wealth to produce eternal results. When money is transformed into souls reached, ministries supported, and lives changed, it has been used rightly. Every Christian will one day face the reality of whether their financial decisions were driven by selfish ambition or eternal wisdom.
Money and Righteousness
C. Faithfulness in Little Things Demonstrates Faithfulness in Greater Things
3. (Luke 16:10–12) Faithfulness in the little things shows how one will be faithful in the large things.
“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?”
Notes
a. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much: Jesus places money in the category of “least.” If a person cannot be trusted to manage earthly wealth responsibly, they cannot be trusted with weightier responsibilities in God’s Kingdom. Earthly resources are the training ground for eternal stewardship.
Character is consistent. The person who cuts corners with small things will cut corners with large things. The one who cheats in earthly matters cannot be trusted in spiritual matters.
Many people excuse unfaithfulness in small things by saying, “If I had more, I would do better.” Jesus refutes this idea. Faithfulness is not measured by the amount entrusted but by the integrity of stewardship.
i. If one is false and unfaithful in everyday life, it does not matter if they know how to project a Christian image. They are also false and unfaithful in the spiritual life. No one should entrust them with true riches when their character is unproven in lesser matters.
b. If you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?: Earthly money, though temporary and tainted with the corruption of this world, is a test of trustworthiness. If a person cannot manage money wisely before God, how can they be trusted with souls, spiritual authority, or eternal rewards?
Leaders in God’s church are not required to be wealthy or successful by worldly standards. What matters is faithfulness with what God has given. A poor man who honors God with little is more trustworthy than a rich man who wastes or hoards his wealth.
The tragedy is that many Christians are willing to entrust their spiritual care to leaders who demonstrate no faithfulness in financial integrity. Jesus’ standard is higher: true riches are only entrusted to those proven in “unrighteous mammon.”
i. The principle is clear: how one handles earthly resources reveals how one will handle eternal responsibilities.
c. If you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?: All that we possess belongs to God. We are not owners but stewards. What we call “our money” or “our possessions” are in truth God’s resources temporarily placed under our care.
Faithfulness with what belongs to God will result in blessing that is truly ours, both in eternal reward and in greater trust from the Lord.
As Meyer observed, “So God is testing men by giving them money, that He may know how far to trust them in the mart of the New Jerusalem.” Earthly stewardship is the proving ground for heavenly responsibility.
i. The warning is sobering: if we fail to be trustworthy with what belongs to God, why should He grant us eternal rewards or lasting responsibilities in His Kingdom?
Money and Righteousness
D. No One Can Be Faithful to More Than One Master
4. (Luke 16:13) No one can be faithful to more than one master.
“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Notes
a. No servant can serve two masters: Jesus presents the relationship of slave to master, not employee to employer. A slave belonged entirely to one master, and his time, energy, and loyalty could not be divided. Serving two masters is an impossibility, not a challenge.
Many deceive themselves into thinking they can balance loyalty to both God and money, but Jesus’ words cut through the illusion. You may possess both, but you cannot serve both. Sooner or later, one will demand priority and the other will be neglected.
Jesus is speaking about the heart. Many profess love for God, but their actions reveal they are servants of wealth. The test is simple: You will sacrifice for your god. If you sacrifice for money but not for Christ, money is your god.
i. Jesus states that serving two masters is a simple impossibility. If you think that you are successfully serving two masters, you are deceived. One can have both money and God; but one cannot serve both money and God.
b. You cannot serve God and mammon: Jesus states this with divine authority—it is impossible to serve both. Mammon is not simply wealth but the spirit of greed, covetousness, and materialism that clings to wealth.
It is a mistake to think that poverty protects a person from serving mammon. The poor can be just as enslaved by greed, envy, and desire as the wealthy. Mammon is a matter of the heart, not merely the bank account.
When God is served, mammon becomes a tool. It is used to bless others, support gospel work, and glorify God. But when mammon is served, the claims of God are neglected. The priorities of heaven are dismissed for the priorities of earth.
i. As Morgan observed: “When God is served, Mammon is used beneficently. When Mammon is served, the claims of God are ignored.”
ii. John Trapp commented: “The worldling’s wisdom (as the ostrich’s wings) to make him outrun others upon earth, and in earthly things; but helps him never a whit toward heaven.”
iii. Again Morgan summarized it well: “Money possessing a man is the direst curse, for it hardens his heart and paralyzes his noblest powers. The money of a God-possessed man is a blessing, for it becomes the means of his expressing his sympathy with his fellows.”
Money and Righteousness
E. Jesus Responds to the Pharisees’ Derision
5. (Luke 16:14–15) Jesus responds to the Pharisees’ derision.
“Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.’”
Notes
a. And they derided Him: The Pharisees could not receive Jesus’ teaching because it exposed their idolatry. They were “lovers of money,” and when confronted with the truth, they responded with mockery rather than repentance. Their rejection was not due to misunderstanding but to self-interest.
The word derided literally means “to turn up one’s nose at.” (Barclay) It describes open sneering, a gesture of disdain. Instead of humbling themselves under the authority of Christ, they ridiculed Him as if He were beneath them.
This is often the way men respond when God’s Word confronts their idols. It is easier to ridicule the messenger than to repent of sin. Many today dismiss biblical preaching about money, greed, and covetousness because it strikes too close to the heart.
i. Their derision revealed their allegiance: they could not serve God because they were enslaved to mammon.
b. You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts: The Pharisees excelled at projecting righteousness before men. Their prayers, fasting, and almsgiving were carefully staged performances. They measured themselves by human approval rather than divine truth.
Jesus cuts through the façade: “God knows your hearts.” Outward appearances may deceive men, but God cannot be fooled. The human heart is open before Him, and He discerns whether our service is truly for Him or for self.
For some, the truth that “God knows your hearts” is the sweetest comfort, for He knows the sincerity of hidden devotion. For others, it is the most dreadful condemnation, for He sees through hypocrisy and pretended spirituality.
i. Men may be satisfied with religious masks, but God demands reality. Justification before men counts for nothing when one stands before God.
c. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God: God’s values are not man’s values. The things men exalt—wealth, status, influence, and outward religious display—are often detestable to the Lord.
Men honor the wealthy, the eloquent, and the powerful. God honors the humble, the faithful, and the contrite in spirit. As Isaiah wrote: “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones’” (Isaiah 57:15).
The Pharisees lived for the esteem of men, but in God’s sight their pride, greed, and hypocrisy were an abomination. This remains true today—what culture applauds is often the very thing God despises.
i. Jesus’ rebuke reminds us that the true measure of our lives is not man’s applause but God’s approval.
Money and Righteousness
F. The Unchanging Nature of God’s Law
6. (Luke 16:16–18) The unchanging nature of God’s law.
“The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail. Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.”
Notes
a. The law and the prophets were until John: Jesus declared that the ministry of John the Baptist marked a transition point in salvation history. John represented the culmination of the Old Testament order—the Law and the Prophets. With his ministry complete, a new era dawned with the coming of the Messiah. Since that time, the good news of the Kingdom of God has been proclaimed. This new order is distinct from the Law, yet it is not contrary to it, for it fulfills the Law in Christ (Matthew 5:17).
The Law revealed God’s holiness and man’s need for redemption; the gospel reveals the fulfillment of that need in Jesus Christ. The Old Covenant gave shadows and types; the New Covenant brings substance and reality in Christ.
b. The kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it: In Jesus’ day, zealots and revolutionaries often attempted to forcefully advance what they thought was the kingdom of God through violence and rebellion. Their passion, though misguided, demonstrated zeal. Believers are called to mirror that same intensity—not with violence but with dedication, sacrifice, and urgency in pursuing the Kingdom of God.
Some interpreters, such as Pate, suggest that “pressing into it” also describes hostile attempts by demonic forces and their human agents to violently oppose and disrupt the work of God’s Kingdom. Both understandings hold truth: the Kingdom is both pursued with zeal by the faithful and opposed with force by the wicked.
The believer must recognize that spiritual conflict surrounds the advance of God’s Kingdom. Paul described this struggle, saying, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
c. It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail: While announcing the new order of the Kingdom, Jesus guarded against the misconception that God’s Law could be set aside or disregarded. The Law reflects the eternal character of God, and not one stroke of it will fail. Heaven and earth themselves will pass away before the Word of God loses its authority.
Yet the new order calls for deeper obedience—not mere outward conformity but inward submission to God’s will. The Kingdom fulfills the Law by bringing its righteous requirements to completion in Christ and by writing God’s standards on the hearts of His people (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10).
d. Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery: As an illustration of the Law’s permanence, Jesus addressed the sanctity of marriage. In His day, some Rabbis trivialized marriage, allowing divorce for almost any cause. One school of thought even permitted divorce if a wife burned her husband’s meal. Others allowed it simply if a man found a woman more attractive.
Jesus reaffirmed God’s standard: marriage is binding, and casual divorce results in adultery. His words cut against the Pharisees’ distortion of the Law, reminding them that God’s standard is higher than man’s traditions.
i. Jesus taught the ideal of marriage and divorce, but His words must be interpreted within the whole counsel of God.
In Matthew 5:31–32 and Matthew 19:7–9, Jesus gave sexual immorality (porneia) as legitimate grounds for divorce.
In First Corinthians 7:15, Paul added that abandonment by an unbelieving spouse also constitutes biblical grounds.
Therefore, Luke 16:18 must be understood as referring to those who divorce without biblical grounds and remarry, thereby committing adultery.
ii. Jesus emphasized that the coming of the Kingdom does not abolish God’s moral law. Under the New Covenant, God still cares deeply about righteousness, marriage, and obedience. The permanence of His standards proves that grace never lowers God’s expectations; it enables His people to fulfill them.
Money and Righteousness
B. The Story of Lazarus and the Rich Man
1. (Luke 16:19–21) Lazarus and the rich man on earth.
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.”
Notes
a. There was a certain rich man: Jesus presented this account not as a parable but as an actual event. Nowhere else in His parables does Jesus name an individual, but here He names Lazarus. This detail strongly suggests that Jesus, from His eternal perspective, recounted a true case history rather than a fictional illustration.
The rich man, though central to the story, is left unnamed. Tradition later gave him the name Dives, which is simply the Latin word for “rich.” The anonymity of the rich man is significant, for his wealth did not secure his identity before God, while the poor beggar’s name was remembered in eternity.
b. Clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day: The rich man’s wealth was displayed in his lifestyle. Purple dye was expensive and reserved for royalty or the extremely wealthy. Fine linen was imported, costly, and associated with luxury. To “fare sumptuously every day” means he lived in constant indulgence, feasting not occasionally but habitually.
Barclay notes: “The word used for feasting is the word that is used for a gourmet feeding on exotic and costly dishes. He did this every day.” Most people in that society might feast only on festival days or special occasions, but this man’s extravagance was without restraint.
His sin was not in being wealthy, but in the self-indulgent way he used his wealth—while neglecting the suffering at his very gate.
c. A certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs: In stark contrast, Lazarus, whose name means Eleazar or “God is my help,” was destitute, covered in sores, and dependent on others to lay him at the rich man’s gate. He longed for scraps, the discarded bread used as napkins in wealthy homes.
Morrison remarked: “Here are two men, and day after day there is not the space of twenty yards between them, yet a distance like the sea divides the two.” The physical nearness of the rich man and Lazarus highlights the moral distance between them—the indifference of wealth against the cries of need.
Barclay explained: “Food was eaten with the hands and, in very wealthy houses, the hands were cleaned by wiping them on hunks of bread, which were then thrown away. This is what Lazarus was waiting for.” Even the crumbs that fell were denied him.
d. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores: Jesus adds this detail to intensify the misery of Lazarus. The dogs, often seen as unclean scavengers, licked his wounds, suggesting both neglect and humiliation. Instead of being comforted by human compassion, Lazarus received the attention of animals, underscoring the rich man’s cruelty of neglect.
The picture is vivid: one man clothed in purple, the other clothed in sores; one feasting daily, the other starving; one inside the house in comfort, the other outside the gate in agony. The contrast between them is total, preparing the way for the reversal of their conditions in eternity.
Money and Righteousness
B. The Story of Lazarus and the Rich Man
2. (Luke 16:22–23) Lazarus and the rich man in Hades.
“So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”
Notes
a. So it was that the beggar died…The rich man also died and was buried: Death came to both, as it comes to all men regardless of wealth or poverty. Lazarus, despised in life, had no honorable burial. Yet he was honored in eternity, carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man, esteemed in life, received a burial, but his soul was without comfort or heavenly escort.
The reality is clear: at death, the body returns to the earth, but the soul continues in conscious existence. Lazarus’ body was likely discarded without honor, but his soul was carried into comfort. The rich man’s body was buried with pomp, but his soul was carried into torment.
This shows that the true measure of a life is not in wealth, health, or earthly honor but in one’s standing before God.
i. Clearly, it was the immaterial part of Lazarus—the soul or spirit—that angels carried. His body remained on earth, but his eternal spirit was received in heaven. The rich man’s body likewise remained in the grave, but his soul entered torment.
b. The idea of Abraham’s bosom: The phrase can be understood in three ways:
The righteous gathered to the patriarchs at death (Genesis 15:15; Genesis 25:8).
A picture of parental love and intimacy, as in John 1:18, where the Son is described as in “the bosom of the Father.”
A banquet image, where the honored guest reclines closest to the host, as in John 13:23.
In this context, Abraham’s bosom pictures a place of comfort, honor, and fellowship for the faithful. Lazarus was not saved by his poverty, and the rich man was not condemned by his wealth. Lazarus was saved because of his faith in the true God, while the rich man perished in unbelief. Wealth and poverty shaped their experiences but did not determine their eternal destinies.
c. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom: The contrast is sharp. The rich man, once surrounded by luxury, is now in anguish. Lazarus, once covered with sores, is now comforted in Abraham’s embrace.
Trapp vividly described hell’s torments as “having punishment without pity, misery without mercy, sorrow without succor, crying without compassion, mischief without measure, torments without end, and past imagination.”
i. The rich man could see Lazarus, but a gulf separated them. Nearness in life meant nothing now. Eternity had fixed their destinies.
d. Being in torments in Hades: Jesus here gives important insight into the afterlife. Hades is the temporary abode of the dead. At that time, it had two divisions: one of comfort (Abraham’s bosom) and one of torment.
The Greek term Hades parallels the Hebrew Sheol, meaning “the place of the dead.” In the Old Testament, Sheol often simply meant the grave, but Jesus revealed more—two distinct experiences after death depending on one’s relationship to God.
Hades is not the same as Gehenna (hell) or the “lake of fire.” Gehenna, the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem, was a place of idolatrous sacrifices and burning refuse (2 Chronicles 28:1–3; Jeremiah 32:35). Jesus used it as a vivid image of eternal punishment (Mark 9:43–44). The final destiny of the damned is the lake of fire (Revelation 20:13–15), prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).
Hades is temporary, a waiting place until the final judgment (Revelation 20:11–13). Yet it is no less real, for the rich man was conscious, in torment, and aware of both his own condition and Lazarus’ comfort.
ii. After the cross, the experience of the believer changed. Paul wrote that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6–8). Jesus’ redemptive work emptied Abraham’s bosom of the faithful (Ephesians 4:8–9; Isaiah 61:1; Hebrews 11:39–40). He preached to the spirits in Hades (Acts 2:24–27, Acts 2:31; 1 Peter 3:18–19), securing salvation for the faithful and sealing condemnation for the unbelieving. Now, those in Christ are received immediately into His presence.
Money and Righteousness
B. The Story of Lazarus and the Rich Man
3. (Luke 16:24–26) The rich man’s plea.
“Then 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.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’”
Notes
a. Father Abraham, have mercy on me: The rich man addressed Abraham as “father,” acknowledging his Jewish heritage and descent. Yet being a physical descendant of Abraham was not enough to secure eternal life. Faith, not ancestry, is the true mark of Abraham’s children (Romans 9:7–8).
The great reversal is striking: in life, Lazarus begged at the rich man’s gate. In eternity, the rich man became the beggar, pleading for relief.
His wealth did not condemn him, nor did Lazarus’ poverty save him. Rather, the rich man’s heart was revealed by his disregard for God and for his neighbor, while Lazarus trusted in God despite suffering.
b. Send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue: Even in torment, the rich man treated Lazarus as a servant. His request showed that death had not removed his pride, his entitlement, or his view of Lazarus as inferior.
Morrison noted: “And he could not plead he was ignorant of Lazarus, for he recognized him at once in Abraham’s bosom. It was not want of knowledge, then, but want of thought that was the innermost secret of his tragedy.”
Death did not destroy the rich man’s desires but left them unfulfilled. He longed for even the smallest drop of water, a picture of unending torment and eternal thirst.
c. Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things: Abraham gently reminded the rich man that in life he had enjoyed abundance, but never used it for eternal purposes. Lazarus had suffered in life, yet now was comforted. The roles were reversed because eternity balances the scales of justice.
The rich man contrasts with the unjust steward earlier in the chapter (Luke 16:1–12). The steward used his present resources to prepare for the future. The rich man squandered his life without thought of eternity.
d. Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: Abraham explained the impossibility of changing destinies after death. The gulf was fixed, impassable, and eternal. The rich man could see comfort but not reach it.
This shows the finality of judgment. There is no postmortem salvation, no second chance, no purgatory. As Hebrews 9:27 declares: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”
Trapp noted that the rich man had “punishment without pity, misery without mercy, sorrow without succor, crying without compassion, mischief without measure, torments without end, and past imagination.”
Importantly, Jesus’ description denies the doctrines of soul sleep or annihilation. The rich man was conscious, aware, and reasoning. His suffering was real and without hope of relief.
i. The gulf was fixed by God Himself, eternal and unalterable. As Pate observed: ‘There is no hint here of purgatory or remedial cleansing. The chasm was fixed, it is assumed, by God.’
Money and Righteousness
B. The Story of Lazarus and the Rich Man
4. (Luke 16:27–31) The rich man thinks of his brothers.
“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”
Notes
a. I beg you therefore, father: Once again, the roles are reversed. The rich man, who never begged in life, is now the beggar. His request underscores the utter helplessness of those in torment. In eternity, pride collapses into desperation, but it is too late for repentance.
b. Send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them: The rich man retained memory of his family and awareness of their spiritual danger. This demonstrates that memory is not erased in eternity. He hoped that Lazarus could be sent back, perhaps in a vision, to warn his brothers. Yet even here, the rich man treated Lazarus as a servant, asking Abraham to “send him.” His pride and sense of superiority remained unchanged.
This was the first time he thought of others, but his concern came too late. In life, he had lived only for himself. In death, he could no longer act to prevent their ruin.
c. Lest they also come to this place of torment: The rich man now recognized the terror of his condition and wished to spare his brothers from the same fate. He knew what was required for them—repentance—but imagined that a miraculous sign would produce it. His concern, though real, was powerless. His chance to influence his family for God was gone with his last breath.
The mention of five brothers personalizes the story. It shows that those in torment retain not only memory but also regret. His request is tragic: he who once feasted without care now pleads for his family not to join him in eternal loss.
d. They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them: Abraham’s response cuts to the heart of the issue. The rich man’s brothers already had the Scriptures, sufficient to lead them to repentance and faith. To neglect the Word of God is to forfeit salvation.
The power of God’s Word is enough. Spurgeon observed: “When God’s whole creation having been ransacked by the hand of science, has only testified to the truth of revelation—when the whole history of buried cities and departed nations has but preached out the truth that the Bible was true… if men are yet unconvinced, do you suppose that one dead man rising from the tomb would convince them?”
As Pate noted, Luke uses the historic present tense here: “Abraham says, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.’” This highlights the ongoing, living authority of Scripture.
e. No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent: The rich man objected. He knew his brothers’ hardness of heart toward the Scriptures and believed a spectacular miracle would succeed where the Word failed. Yet Abraham knew otherwise. If they rejected the testimony of God’s Word, they would also reject one risen from the dead.
The unbelieving heart always demands another sign, yet never submits. As Spurgeon declared: “If the Holy Scripture be not in the hands of God enough to bring you to the faith of Christ, then, though an angel from heaven, though the saints from glory, though God Himself should descend on earth to preach to you, you would go on unwed and unblest.”
History confirms this truth. Jesus Himself rose from the dead, yet many refused to believe. Another man named Lazarus was raised (John 11:38–44), and the religious leaders not only refused to believe but plotted to kill him (John 12:9–10).
f. If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead: Here is the sobering conclusion. Faith is not produced by miracles but by the hearing of God’s Word (Romans 10:17). Miracles may support the message, but they cannot replace it. The rich man’s brothers, like all men, had everything necessary for salvation in the Scriptures. Their unbelief was not from lack of evidence but from hardness of heart.
Morgan said: “He declares that the sacred writings are in themselves as powerful as anything like the delivery of their message by one risen from the dead.”
Spurgeon added: “Although a churchyard should start into life, and stand up before the infidel who denies the truth of Christianity; I declare I do not believe there would be enough evidence in all the churchyards in the world to convince him. Infidelity would still cry for something more.”
Thus, the rich man was not lost because of his wealth but because he did not listen to the Law and the Prophets. In the same way, many will perish, not for lack of revelation, but for ignoring the revelation God has already given.
