1Pravil pak i učedlníkům svým: Člověk jeden byl bohatý, kterýž měl šafáře; a ten obžalován jest před ním, jako by mrhal statek jeho. 2I povolav ho, řekl jemu: Což to slyším o tobě? Vydej počet z vládařství svého, nebo již nebudeš moci déle vládnouti. 3I dí vládař sám v sobě: Co učiním? Teď pán můj odjímá ode mne vládařství. Kopati nemohu, žebrati se stydím. 4Vím, co učiním, aby, když budu zsazen z vládařství, přijali mne do svých domů. 5I zavolav jednoho každého dlužníka pána svého, řekl prvnímu: Jaks mnoho dlužen pánu mému? 6A on řekl: Sto tun oleje. I řekl mu: Vezmi rejistra svá, a sedna rychle, napiš padesát. 7Potom druhému řekl: Ty pak jaks mnoho dlužen? Kterýž řekl: Sto korců pšenice. I dí mu: Vezmi rejistra svá, a napiš osmdesát. 8I pochválil ten pán vládaře toho nepravého, že opatrně učinil. Nebo synové tohoto světa opatrnější jsou, než synové světla v svých věcech. 9I jáť pravím vám: Čiňte sobě přátely z mamony nepravosti, aby, když byste zhynuli, přijali vás do oněch věčných stanů. 10Kdo jest věrný v mále, i ve mnoze věrný jest. A kdož v mále jest nepravý, i ve mnozeť nepravý jest. 11Poněvadž tedy v mamoně nepravé věrni jste nebyli, spravedlivé kdo vám svěří? 12A když jste v cizím věrni nebyli, což vašeho jest, kdo vám dá? 13Žádný čeledín nemůž dvěma pánům sloužiti. Nebť zajisté jednoho nenáviděti bude, a druhého milovati, aneb jednoho přídržeti se bude, a druhým pohrdne. Nemůžte Bohu sloužiti a mamoně. 14Slyšeli pak toto všecko i farizeové, kteříž byli lakomí, a posmívali se jemu. 15I dí jim: Vy jste, ješto se sami spravedliví činíte před lidmi, ale Bůhť zná srdce vaše; nebo což jest u lidí vysokého, ohavnost jest před Bohem. 16Zákon a proroci až do Jana, a od té chvíle království Boží zvěstuje se, a každý se do něho násilně tiskne. 17Snázeť jest zajisté nebi i zemi pominouti, nežli v zákoně jednomu tytlíku zahynouti. 18Každý, kdož propustí manželku svou, a jinou pojímá, cizoloží; a kdož propuštěnou od muže pojímá, cizoloží. 19Byl pak člověk jeden bohatý, a obláčel se v šarlat a v kment, a hodoval na každý den stkvostně. 20A byl jeden žebrák, jménem Lazar, kterýž ležel u vrat jeho vředovitý, 21Žádaje nasycen býti těmi drobty, kteříž padali z stolu bohatce. Ale i psi přicházejíce, lízali vředy jeho. 22I stalo se, že ten žebrák umřel, a nesen jest od andělů do lůna Abrahamova. Umřel pak i bohatec, a pohřben jest. 23Potom v pekle pozdvih očí svých, v mukách jsa, uzřel Abrahama zdaleka, a Lazara v lůnu jeho. 24I zvolav bohatec, řekl: Otče Abrahame, smiluj se nade mnou, a pošli Lazara, ať omočí konec prstu svého v vodě, a svlaží jazyk můj; nebo se mučím v tomto plameni. 25I řekl Abraham: Synu, rozpomeň se, žes ty vzal dobré věci své v životě svém, a Lazar též zlé. Nyní pak tento se těší, ale ty se mučíš. 26A nad to nade všecko mezi námi a vámi propast veliká utvrzena jest, aby ti, kteříž chtí odsud k vám jíti, nemohli, ani od onud k nám přejíti. 27I řekl: Ale prosím tebe, otče, abys ho poslal do domu otce mého. 28Neboť mám pět bratrů. Ať jim svědčí, aby i oni nepřišli do tohoto místa muk. 29I řekl jemu Abraham: Majíť Mojžíše a proroky, nechť jich poslouchají. 30A on řekl: Nic, otče Abrahame, ale kdyby kdo z mrtvých šel s nim, budou pokání činiti. 31I řekl mu: Poněvadž Mojžíše a proroků neposlouchají, aniž byť kdo z mrtvých vstal, uvěří jemu.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 PARABLES OF THE UNJUST STEWARD AND OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS, OR, THE RIGHT USE OF MONEY. (Luke 16:1-31)
steward--manager of his estate.
accused--informed upon.
had wasted--rather, "was wasting."
3 cannot dig . . . to beg, ashamed--therefore, when dismissed, shall be in utter want.
4 may receive me, &c.--Observe his one object--when cast out of one home to secure another. This is the key to the parable, on which there have been many differing views.
5 fifty . . . fourscore--deducting a half from the debt of the one, and a fifth from that of the other.
8 the lord--evidently the steward's lord, so called in
Lk 16:3,
Lk 16:5.
commended, &c.--not for his "injustice," but "because he had done wisely," or prudently; with commendable foresight and skilful adaptation of means to end.
children of this world--so
Lk 20:34; compare
Ps 17:14 ("their portion in this life");
Phil 3:19 ("mind earthly things");
Ps 4:6-
Ps 4:7.
their generation--or "for their generation"--that is, for the purposes of the "world" they are "of." The greater wisdom (or shrewdness) of the one, in adaptation of means to ends, and in energetic, determined prosecution of them, is none of it for God and eternity--a region they were never in, an atmosphere they never breathed, an undiscovered world, an unborn existence to them--but all for the purposes of their own grovelling and fleeting generation.
children of light--(so
Joh 12:36;
Eph 5:8;
1.Thes 5:5). Yet this is only "as night-birds see better in the dark than those of the day owls than eagles" [CAJETAN and TRENCH]. But we may learn lessons from them, as our Lord now shows, and "be wise as serpents."
9 Make . . . friends of--Turn to your advantage; that is, as the steward did, "by showing mercy to the poor" (
Dan 4:27; compare
Lk 12:33;
Lk 14:13-
Lk 14:14).
mammon of unrighteousness--treacherous, precarious. (See on
Mt 6:24).
ye fail--in respect of life.
they may receive you--not generally, "ye may be received" (as
Lk 6:38, "shall men give"), but "those ye have relieved may rise up as witnesses for you" at the great day. Then, like the steward, when turned out of one home shall ye secure another; but better than he, a heavenly for an earthly, an everlasting for a temporary habitation. Money is not here made the key to heaven, more than "the deeds done in the body" in general, according to which, as a test of character--but not by the merit of which--men are to be judged (
2.Kor 5:10, and see
Mt 25:34-
Mt 25:40).
10 He, &c.--a maxim of great pregnancy and value; rising from the prudence which the steward had to the fidelity which he had not, the "harmlessness of the dove, to which the serpent" with all his "wisdom" is a total stranger. Fidelity depends not on the amount entrusted, but on the sense of responsibility. He that feels this in little will feel it in much, and conversely.
11 unrighteous mammon--To the whole of this He applies the disparaging term "what is least," in contrast with "the true riches."
12 another man's . . . your own--an important turn to the subject. Here all we have is on trust as stewards, who have an account to render. Hereafter, what the faithful have will be their own property, being no longer on probation, but in secure, undisturbed, rightful, everlasting possession and enjoyment of all that is graciously bestowed on us. Thus money is neither to be idolized nor despised: we must sit loose to it and use it for God's glory.
13 can serve--be entirely at the command of; and this is true even where the services are not opposed.
hate . . . love--showing that the two here intended are in uncompromising hostility to each other: an awfully searching principle!
14 covetous . . . derided him--sneered at Him; their master sin being too plainly struck at for them to relish. But it was easier to run down than to refute such teaching.
15 justify yourselves--make a show of righteousness.
highly esteemed among men--generally carried away by plausible appearances. (See
1.Sam 16:7; and
Lk 14:11).
16 The law, &c.--(See
Mt 11:13).
and every man presseth, &c.--Publicans and sinners, all indiscriminately, are eagerly pressing into it; and ye, interested adherents of the mere forms of an economy which is passing away, "discerning not the signs of this time," will allow the tide to go past you and be found a stranded monument of blindness and obstinacy.
17 it is easier, &c.--(See on
Mt 5:17-
Mt 5:18)
18 putteth away his wife, &c.--(See on
Mt 19:3-
Mt 19:9). Far from intending to weaken the force of the law, in these allusions to a new economy, our Lord, in this unexpected way, sends home its high requirements with a pungency which the Pharisees would not fail to feel.
19 purple and fine linen, &c.--(Compare
Est 8:15;
Off 18:12); wanting nothing which taste and appetite craved and money could procure.
20 laid--having to be carried and put down.
full of sores--open, running, "not closed, nor bound up, nor mollified with ointment" (
Jes 1:6).
21 desiring to be fed with--but was not [GROTIUS, BENGEL, MEYER, TRENCH, &c.]. The words may mean indeed "was fain to feed on," or "gladly fed on," as in
Lk 15:16 [ALFORD, WEBSTER and WILKINSON, &c.]. But the context rather favors the former.
licked, &c.--a touching act of brute pity, in the absence of human relief. It is a case of heartless indifference, amidst luxuries of every kind, to one of God's poorest and most afflicted ones, presented daily before the eye.
22 died--His burial was too unimportant to mention; while "the rich man died and was buried"--his carcass carried in pomp to its earthly resting-place.
in to Abraham's bosom--as if seen reclining next to Him at the heavenly feast (
Mt 8:11).
23 in hell--not the final place of the lost (for which another word is used), but as we say "the unseen world." But as the object here is certainly to depict the whole torment of the one and the perfect bliss of the other, it comes in this case to much the same.
seeth Abraham--not God, to whom therefore he cannot cry [BENGEL].
24 Father Abraham--a well-founded, but unavailing, claim of natural descent (
Lk 3:8;
Joh 8:37).
mercy on me--who never showed any (
Jak 2:3).
send Lazarus--the pining victim of his merciless neglect.
that he may--take me hence? No; that he dares not to ask.
dip . . . tongue--that is the least conceivable and the most momentary abatement of his torment; that is all. But even this he is told is (1) unreasonable.
25 Son--stinging acknowledgment of the claimed relationship.
thou . . . Lazarus, &c.--As it is a great law of God's kingdom, that the nature of our present desires shall rule that of our future bliss, so by that law, he whose "good things," craved and enjoyed, were all bounded by time, could look for none after his connection with time had come to an end (
Lk 6:24). But by this law, he whose "evil things," all crowded into the present life, drove him to seek, and find, consolation in a life beyond the grave, is by death released from all evil and ushered into unmixed and uninterrupted good (
Lk 6:21). (2) It is impossible.
26 besides all this--independently of this consideration.
a great gulf fixed--By an irrevocable decree there has been placed a vast impassable abyss between the two states, and the occupants of each.
27 Then he said--now abandoning all hope for himself.
send him to my father's house, &c.--no waking up of good in the heart of the lost, but bitter reproach against God and the old economy, as not warning him sufficiently [TRENCH]. The answer of Abraham is, They are sufficiently warned.
30 Nay--giving the lie to Abraham.
but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent--a principle of awful magnitude and importance. The greatest miracle will have no effect on those who are determined not to believe. A real Lazarus soon "rose from the dead," but the sight of him by crowds of people, inclined thereby to Christ, only crowned the unbelief and hastened the murderous plots of the Pharisees against the Lord of glory; nor has His own resurrection, far more overpowering, yet won over that "crooked and perverse nation."