The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 60

disotplea. There is no doubt that this removed from office? To conceive such a importa.nt teaching belongs to the last case were to sacrifice probability to a moral portion of our Lord's life, and it is probable ~cruple." Roughly, then, two things all- that it is closely connected with the parable 1mporte.nt to us are taught here : (I) that of the prodigal son just related. It is not dismissal, death, will certainly come ; (2) likely that two such weighty sermons had that some provision certainly oucrht to be been preached at the same time, but in the made for the life that lies beyond::_the life evening, or on the following day, or at lee.et that comes after the di!l!Iliseal, or death. on the next eabbath, the same auditory that There wa■ a oertain rich man, which had a listened to the prodigal son we believe were steward ; and the same was accused unto stortled and enthralled by the story of the him that he had wasted his goods. And he unjust steward, and then, or very shortly oalled him, and said unto him, How is it after, by the awful and vivid picture of life that I hear this of thee 1 give an account of beyond the grave in the parable of the rich thy stewardship ; for thou ma.yest be no man and Laze.rue, There is a close link of longer steward. The story of the parable thought between the parable of the unjust contains little incident. There is the rich steward and that of the prodigal. The man, clearly a noble of high rank, whose heroes of both these narratives, in the first residence is at a distance from bis estates, instance, had a. considerable she.re of this the scene of the little story. Over these he world's goods entrneted to their charge, and ha.s placed, as administrator or fact0r, the one by both, in the early portions of the story, ea.lied here a. steward ; the revenues of the these goods were misused and wasted. The lands this official has wasted; he appears Greek words used of the " wasting " of the to have been generally a. careless if not a prodigal and of the steward were in both dishonest servant. The owner of the est.ates, cases the same(ch.xv.13; xvi. 1), No parable when he becomes a.ware of the facts of the in the New Testament he.a been so copiously case, at once gives notice of dismissal to the discussed or has received so many and such steward, desiring him, however, before yield- varying interpretations at the hands of ex• ing up his office, to give in his accounts. poeitors. We will a.t once put a.side e.11 the Appalled at the sudden a.nd utter destitution ingenious, but from our point of view mis• which lay before him, the steward occupies taken, interpretations which see in "the the short time of office yet remaining to steward" the Pharisees, the publicans, him in devising a plan by which he would Judas Iscariot, or Sate.n. The parable has seoure the good offices of certain persons a broader, a more direct, a more universally who were in debt to his master. He (the interesting, meaning. It contains a deep steward) had yet a little time of power and important teaching for every man or remaining before he was turned a.drift; he woman who would wish to rank among the would turn this to account, and would do a followers of Jesus Christ. Now, our Lord good turn to these men, poor neighbours of would have all men look forward gravely hie, and debtors to his lord, while he was in and calmly to the certain event of their offioe, and so win their friendohip, and, on death, and, in view of that event, would have the principle that one good turn deserves them make careful and thoughtful prepare.• another, would be able to reckon on their tion for the life which was to come after gratitude when all else had foiled him. death. To press this most important lesson With the immorality of the a.et by which home, the Master, as hie custom was at this he won the good will of these debtors of his late period of his ministry, conveyed his master we have nothing to do; it is simply instruction in the form of a parable. The a detail of the picture, which is composed of sketch of a steward a.bout to be dismissed figures and imagery chosen for their fitness from his office, and who thus would be to impress the lesson intended to be taught. stripped of his income, was a fit emblem of Give an account of thy stewardship ; for a man a.bout to be removed from this world thou mayest be no longer ste'lllard. This by death. '.rhe steward in the parable-story taking away the position and privileges of felt that, when dismissed, he would be as it the man represents the act of death, in were a.lone, stripped of all, and destitute. which God takes away from us all the The soul of such e. man, when dead, would varied gifts, the possessions, and the powers be also stripped of everything, would be large or small with which we a.re entrusted a.lone and destitute. The question here during our lifetime. Our day of dismissal might be asked-Why take for the principal will be the day of our passing away from figure of the parable so immoral a ohare.oter this life. as an unjUBt steward? The answer is well Ver. S.-What shall I do1 for my lord suggested by Professor Bruce, "For the ta.keth away from me the stewardship. This simple reason that hie misbehaviour is the day of dismissal mUBt be prepared for; very natural explanation of the impending dis- carefully, very anxiously, the man who has Dli.s~e.l. Why should a faithful steward be received the sentence of doom ponders over 62 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [oH. xvi. 1-31.