Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew Mark and Luke John Calvin (continued)
Luke 16:1-15
Luke 16:1-15
Luke 16:1-15
1. And he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and he was accused to him that he was wasting his estate. 2. And he called him, and said to him, What is this that I hear of thee? render an account of thy stewardship, for thou shalt no longer have it in thy power to be steward. 3. And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, since my master taketh from me my stewardship? I cannot dig, and am ashamed to beg. 4. I know what I shall do, that, when I shall be dismissed from the stewardship, they may receive me 902 into their houses. 5. Having therefore sent for each of his master's debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou to my master? 6. And he said, A hundred baths of oil. And he said to him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 903 7. Then he said to another, And how much owest thou? Who said, A hundred measures of barley.
He saith to him, Take thy bill, and write eighty. 8. And the master commended the unjust steward, because he had acted prudently; for the children of this world are more prudent in their generation than the children of light. 9. And I say to you, Make to yourselves friends of the unjust mammon, that, when you shall fail, they may receive you into eternal habitations. 10. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in that which is least is unjust also in much. 11. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unjust mammon, who shall entrust to you what is true? 904 12. And if you have not been faithful in what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? — (A little after.) 14. And the Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15.
And he said to them, It is you that, justify yourselves in the sight of men: but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
The leading object of this parable is, to show that we ought to deal kindly and 902"Que 'quelques uns' me recoyvent;" — "that 'some persons' may receive me." 903"Et en escri cinquante;" — "and write fifty of them." 904"Du vray 'thresor' qui s'en fiera en vous?" — "who shall entrust to you the true (treasure?)"