Indicating continuation. In the preceding chapter the Lord spoke three parables concerning a sinner's salvation. In this chapter He continued with one more parable, this one concerning the believer's service. After a sinner becomes a believer, he needs to serve the Lord as a prudent steward.

Illustrating how the believers, saved by the love and grace of the Triune God, are the Lord's stewards (Luke 12:42; 1 Cor. 4:1-2; 1 Pet. 4:10), to whom the Lord has committed His possessions.

As a farmer, who digs in the field.

As a beggar, who begs for help.

Signifying being received into the eternal tabernacles (v. 9).

Among the Hebrews, a liquid measure of between eight and nine gallons.

A dry measure of between ten and twelve bushels.

The praise is not for the steward's unrighteous act but for his prudence.

The unsaved ones, the worldlings.

The saved ones, the believers (John 12:36; 1 Thes. 5:5; Eph. 5:8).

To use money to do things to help others according to God's leading.

Mammon, i.e., money, is of the satanic world. It is unrighteous in its position and existence. The steward in the parable exercised his prudence by his unrighteous act. The Lord teaches us, His believers, to exercise our prudence in the use of unrighteous mammon.

After the satanic world is over, mammon will be of no use in the kingdom of God.

I.e., eternal habitations. The prudent believers will be received into the eternal habitations by those who shared the benefit of their prudence. This will be fulfilled in the coming kingdom age (cf. Luke 14:13-14; Matt. 10:42).

Least refers to mammon, the possessions of this age; much refers to the rich possessions in the next age (cf. Matt. 25:21, 23).

Referring to the true possessions in the coming kingdom age (cf. Matt. 24:47).

In His New Testament economy God does not intend that the New Testament believers care for material possessions. Though the material things of this world were created by God and belong to Him (1 Chron. 29:14, 16), they have been corrupted by man's fall (Rom. 8:20-21) and usurped by Satan, the evil one (1 John 5:19); hence, they belong to fallen man and are unrighteous (v. 9). While God does supply the believers with their daily necessities from the material things of this age (Matt. 6:31-33) and commits to them as His stewards a portion of these material goods for their exercise and learning that He might prove them in this age, none of these goods should be considered theirs until the restitution of all things in the next age (Acts 3:21). Not until then will the believers inherit the world (Rom. 4:13) and have an abiding possession (Heb. 10:34) for themselves. In this age they should exercise to be faithful in the temporary material things God has given them that they may learn to be faithful toward their eternal possession in the coming age.

Some MSS read, our own.

Lit., Serve as a slave.

In Greek, hold to one means cleave to the one as against the other. This indicates that to serve the Lord requires us to love Him, giving our heart to Him, and cleave to Him, giving our entire being to Him. Thus we are released from being occupied and usurped by mammon, that we may serve the Lord wholly and fully. The Lord emphasizes here that to serve Him we must overcome the enticing, deceitful mammon of unrighteousness.

See note Matt. 6:24^3b.

Lit., were turning up the nose.

The self-justifying of the Pharisees was a prideful exalting of self; hence, it was an abomination in the sight of God.

The law and the prophets refers to the Old Testament.

Indicating the change of dispensation from the law to the gospel. See note Matt. 11:13¹.

See note Luke 4:43².

To the Pharisees, the money lovers, the Savior preached the kingdom of God as the gospel (v. 14). Money and sexual lust, which is incited by money, held them back from entering into the kingdom of God. Hence, the Savior's preaching hit these two things purposely and strongly in vv. 18-31.

For the Pharisees to force their way into the kingdom of God, they needed to humble themselves (cf. v. 15) and to divorce their money (cf. v. 14), not their wives (cf. v. 18), that is, to overcome money and lust, which is incited by money.

The minute, horn-like projection that distinguishes various Hebrew letters.

Or, fall.

Lit., releases.

This is not a parable, because it mentions names such as Abraham, Lazarus, and Hades. It is a story used by the Savior as an illustrative answer to the money-loving and self-justifying Pharisees (vv. 14-15); it is a warning to them, unveiling that their future will be miserable, like that of the rich man, as a result of their rejecting of the Savior's gospel because of their love for money.

A rabbinical phrase, equivalent to being with Abraham in Paradise. See note 2 Cor. 12:4¹.

See note Matt. 11:23^1d.

A gulf that divides Hades into two sections: the pleasant section, where Abraham, Lazarus, and all the saved saints are (v. 22), and the section of torment, where the rich man and all the perished sinners are (vv. 23, 28). The two sections are cut off from each other and have no bridge between them for passage. Yet those in the two sections can see and even talk to one another (vv. 23-25).

Referring to the law of Moses and the books of the prophets (cf. v. 16), which are the word of God (Matt. 4:4). Whether one hears the word of God or not determines whether one is saved or perishes. The poor man was saved not because he was poor but because he heard the word of God (John 5:24; Eph. 1:13). The rich man perished not because he was rich but because he rejected the word of God (Acts 13:46).

If people do not hear what the word of God says, they will not be persuaded even if someone miraculously rises from the dead. The Savior's word here implied that if the Jews, represented by the Pharisees, did not hear the word of God spoken through Moses and the prophets in the Old Testament, they would not be persuaded even though He would rise from the dead. This very tragedy occurred after His resurrection (Matt. 28:11-15; Acts 13:30-40, 44-45).