Luke 15:1

Luke 15:1. To the disciples. To the body of the disciples, including the publicans for whom the parable had a special adaptation. That the Pharisees also heard what He said appears from Luke 15:14.

A certain rich man. This represents God, the Possessor of all things. To none other do men really stand in the relation of stewards. The only objection to this interpretation, arising in Luke 15:8, is answered by that verse itself, which indicates that the whole parable is borrowed from the actions of ‘the sons of this world,' and only partially applicable to ‘the sons of the light' The view that mammon is meant involves great difficulties. A reference to Satan is far fetched. Existing political circumstances may have suggested some points in the parable, but a direct application to these things is out of the question. (For example : some think the Romans are represented by the rich man, the publicans by his steward; others that the former represents the Emperor, the latter a governor like Pilate, etc.) Other views seem to imply that our Lord spoke the parable to puzzle His hearers.

A steward. Such stewards were often slaves, but this one was evidently free. He represents Christ's disciples, but especially then the publicans, who, being in many cases rich, needed such instruction. (Zacchaeus may have heard of the lesson, see chap. Luke 19:8).

Was accused. The accusation was true (Luke 15:3), but probably malicious also.

As wasting his goods. He led a life of luxury on his lord's means. In how many ways is this accusation true of Christ's disciples! The plain statement, that the property of the master was wasted, opposes the explanation that he had added a profit for himself to the rents, etc., of the tenants and debtors. According to this, the transaction in Luke 15:5-7 was simply an alteration to the fair rent. But this would be no real restitution. The view that mammon is the lord, involves, here the strange idea that this waste is equivalent to entering the service of Christ, since they could not ‘serve God and mammon.' And so throughout the whole, this interpretation compels us to take the worst acts in the parable as representing the best in the application.