Bible Study:What does Luke chapter 16 mean?

What does Luke chapter 16 mean?

Luke 16:1—17:10 contains further teachings about the kingdom of God, particularly about the characteristics of those who follow God. The narrative starts with Jesus teaching the disciples about the role of worldly wealth and the realities of faithful stewardship. It then transitions to teaching the Pharisees how their love of money and accolades is opposed to God.The passage finishes by showing how the disciples can please God through faith and obedience, and by exposing the Pharisees' hearts hardened against belief.
Luke 16:1–8 contains the curious parable of the dishonest manager. The manager of a rich man's possessions is discovered to be incompetent. Realizing he is about to be fired, the manager works quickly. He ingratiates himself with his master's debtors by decreasing their debts in his master's ledgers. The master praises him for being so shrewd. This is not approval of the man's actions, but merely a recognition that it was a clever strategy.
In Luke 16:9–13, Jesus gives applications and consequences taken from the story of the dishonest manager. The main point is describing how His disciples should think about money. First, Jesus notes that eventually, earthly riches will fail and they will die. Instead of clinging to temporary possessions, His disciples should share their wealth, thus earning accolades when they arrive in paradise. Next, He tells them that those who have integrity with a little will prove trustworthy with much. If they are not faithful with worldly wealth, how can they be faithful with things of eternal value? Those who are faithful with another's things can be trusted with their own. Finally, Jesus points out that it's impossible to serve money and be devoted to God.
Luke 16:14–18 begins with the Pharisees rejecting Jesus' words. They love money and they claim to worship God. Jesus dismisses them. They don't even seek God's praise: they only want the attention of other people. Despite their claims, they don't follow the Mosaic law nor sincerely believe in the Prophets. Though the Mosaic law was never a formula to provide Jews with eternal salvation, it provides essential principles for the works that please God, including with money and in marriage.
In Luke 16:19–31, Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The account addresses the proper use of money, the relationship between earthly lives and what happens after death, and the Pharisees' stubborn rejection of Jesus. The story is of a rich man who dies and goes to torment in Hades. Also involved is a poor, diseased beggar who dies and goes to paradise. The Pharisees learn that riches may be a blessing on earth, but what you do with them is a sure sign of where you will be after death. In addition, if they reject the Law and the Prophets that tell them about Jesus, not even witnessing someone being raised from the dead will convince them to change their lives. This segment pointedly rejects the claim that those who reject God do so because of a lack of evidence or miraculous intervention (Romans 1:18–20; Matthew 12:38–39).
In Luke 17:1–10, Jesus will return His attention to the disciples. Jesus tells them to protect others from sin, trust that the amount of faith they have is sufficient, and take their position as His followers humbly.