_THE MAN WHO ACTED WISELY_ ‘There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; … And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely.’ Luke 16:1 This parable draws a lesson from the conduct of a worldly man. Not that we are advised to act as he did—but that as he showed wisdom a... [ Continue Reading ]
_CALLED TO ACCOUNT_ ‘Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.’ Luke 16:2 We call this parable the Parable of the Unjust Steward—i.e. a fraudulent, dishonest steward—and such undoubtedly he did become; but not deliberately dishonest up to the time when his lord cal... [ Continue Reading ]
_A GOOD RESOLUTION_ ‘I am resolved what to do.’ Luke 16:4 The words of the text were put by our Blessed Lord into the lips of a thoroughly worldly man, with whom we come in contact in that well-known parable—the Parable of the Unjust Steward. We want to remember, do we not, that our Lord’s advice... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE WORLD AND THE CHURCH_ ‘The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.’ Luke 16:8 There are several respects in which the world shames the Church, and in which ‘the children of this world’ prove themselves wiser than ‘the children of light.’ I. THERE IS... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAKE FRIENDS_ ‘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.’ Luke 16:9 Our Lord wishes us to understand that His religion and service call for just as much zeal, prudence, and tact as the p... [ Continue Reading ]
_GODS WAYS AND MEN’S WAYS_ ‘And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided Him. 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.’... [ Continue Reading ]
_LIVING AND DYING_ ‘There was a certain rich man.… And there was a certain beggar.’ Luke 16:19 This is a solemn parable. It gives us a peep into the unseen world. It tells of a poor man who went to heaven, and of a rich man who went to hell. We must not suppose that he went to hell _ because_ he... [ Continue Reading ]
_VAIN HOPES_ ‘And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.’ Luke 16:30 We may profitably consider what this means in its ap... [ Continue Reading ]