CHAPTER 16 VER. 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._ Having rebuked in three parables those who murmured because He received penitents, Christ now adds a fourth and fifth on almsgi... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he called him, and said unto him,_... _give an account of thy stewardship_, i.e. of how much thou hast received and how thou hast expended it, _for thou mayest be no longer steward. _ So Christ saith, unto every one in the hour of death, "Give an account of thy stewardship. Give an account of... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do?_ The steward acknowledges the justice of the accusation. He had wasted his master's goods, henceforward he must labour or beg for his living. The one thing he was unable, and the other he was ashamed to do. In his distress, he knows not which w... [ Continue Reading ]
_I am resolved what to do_, &c. 1 will give each one of my lord's debtors a bond to show that they owe less than they are actually indebted, so that in return for my kindness and dishonesty, they may entertain me when I am deprived of my stewardship. VERS. 5 AND 6. _How much owest thou unto my Lord?... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ The _κόζος_ which was the same size as the homer, contained ten ephahs. See. "To me," says S. Augustine (_Quæst. Evang. Lib._ ii 34), "the meaning... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely._ The landlord, not the Lord Jesus, as Erasmus holds. The lord praised not the action, for it was dishonest, but the prudence, the cunning craft of the steward, just as we often admire, not indeed a crime, but the cleverness shown... [ Continue Reading ]
_And_ (in like manner) _I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness._ Ye have heard how the unjust steward made his lord's debtors so kindly disposed towards him, that when he was deprived of his stewardship, they were willing to receive him into their houses. In like... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much._ By "that which is least" we must understand earthly possessions as distinguished from the "much" of spiritual gifts. That ye may not be deprived of your heavenly stewardship, or rather that ye may be entrusted therewith, take hee... [ Continue Reading ]
_If, therefore, ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?_ If ye have made a wrong use of this world's fleeting possessions (1Ti 6:7), who will entrust to your care the things which are lasting, and which pertain unto the kingdom of God? Theo... [ Continue Reading ]
_And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?_ The wording of this verse is different, but the sense is the same as that of the preceding. The mammon which in the verse above Christ called unrighteous, he here calls "another man's." For... [ Continue Reading ]
_And He said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men, i.e._ make outwardly a show of justice, whereas God knoweth your hearts to be full of all uncleanness. For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. Your pretended zeal for the service of God,... [ Continue Reading ]
_There was a certain rich man._ You ask, Is this a parable or a true history? I answer, A history! 1. Because Christ does not call it a parable. 2. Because the poor man is named Lazarus, and the rich man, according to a Hebrew tradition quoted by Euthymius, is called a native of Nice. 3. Because... [ Continue Reading ]
_And there was a certain beggar_, a poor man, according to the Arabic. A beggar, poor in earthly possessions, but rich in virtues and in patience; named Lazarus. "The mention of the name," says S. Ambrose, "shows this to be a narrative, not a parable;" and S. Cyril tells us, "that according to the... [ Continue Reading ]
_And dogs came and licked his sores._ Francis Lucas thinks that they did this as if feeding on a dead body, and that they thus caused the poor sufferer much pain, for, S. Chrysostom adds, "he had not the strength to drive them away." But in another sense the dogs may be considered as cleansing and... [ Continue Reading ]
_And it came to pass that the beggar died_, of disease, misery, and want. _And was carried, i.e._ his soul was conducted with honour for the soul after death needs no actual carrying. Observe here the office of the angels; for S. Chrysostom says, if we need guides then we are changing from one coun... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he cried_ "cried" because his great punishment evoked a great cry. S. Chrysostom. _And said, Father Abraham._ He calls Abraham father, because he was a Jew, and therefore a descendant of Abraham. He did not address Lazarus, says Theophylact, because he was ashamed, and moreover thought that La... [ Continue Reading ]
_And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed._ (Chaos, in the Vulgate). Perhaps the rich man, as an increase to his torment was shown as in a vision the heavenly abode of the blessed, whither Abraham and Lazarus were to ascend a little after the death of Christ. Hear S. Cypri... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then he said, I pray thee, therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him_, &c. Probably these words are spoken as the former ones, after the manner of a parable (see verse 24). For it is a very common occurrence in everyday life that those who have met with misfortunes wish to warn their brethren... [ Continue Reading ]
_That he may testify unto them_ how grievously I am tormented for my sinful indulgence, and exhort them to repentance and amendment, _lest they also come into this place of torment. _ You will say that the damned are in utter despair, hating both God and man, cursing everything and every creature,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the Prophets, i.e._ the writings of Moses and the Prophets, which the Scribes and Pharisees read and expound in their synagogues.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he said, Nay, Father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent._ He is speaking of his own experience. For as he had been affected, so does he think it will be with his brethren. S. Chrysostom. Titus more clearly writes, "Why does the rich man say this but because he hi... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he said unto him_, &c. They will say that Lazarus is a phantom, sent by the spirits of evil to deceive; whereas the writings of Moses and the prophets are inspired, are accepted by the Jews at the rule of faith, according to that which is written, "We have now a more sure word of prophecy; wher... [ Continue Reading ]