The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 63

of God, nnd of these goods we e.re bnt the 1 ing which it gave religion, contributecl not tempnrnry stewn.rds. Who shall give you a little to the ste.te of things which led t.o the.t which is your own t We have here e. the final disruption of the Jewish nntion ns V<•ry mR-gnificent promise. Although on n nation some forty years after th!'se words eR-rlh mRil can possess nothing of his own were spoken. It is ouly a student of the - here he is but a steward for a time of 'l'almud who <'an form e.ny notion of the property belonging to 11.nother-yet 11, prospect Phe.risee mind; e. superficial study even of is held out to him tliat, if he be found parts of this strange, mighty collection will faithful in the trust while on earth, in the show why our Lord WRS so seemingly he.rd world to come something will be given to in his rebukes of these often earnest and him really and truly bis own. There will religious men; it will show, too, why the be no dismiss11.l or death there. same Divine Muster at times seemed t.o Ver. 13.-No servant ca.n serve two ch11.nge his words of bitter wre.th into accents ma.stars. . . . Ye ca.nnot serve God a.nd of the tenderest sympathy and love. For mammon. Very nvidly is this experience that whioh is highly esteemed among men brought out in the great parable which is abomination in the sight of God. Espe- immediatelv follows. There the rich man ciaUy alluding to the.t haughty pride of was evidently one who observed the sacred men in wealth and money, wbioh, after all, ritual of the Law of Moses : this we learn is not theirs. without doubt from his conversation after Ver. 16.-The Law and the prophets were death with Abraham. Thus be tried, after until J'ohn: sinoe that time the kingdom ot his light, to serve God, but he also served God is preached, and ever:, man presseth mammon : this we learn, too, clearly from into it. Some expesitors discern so little the description given to us of his life, from connection between the sayings contained the mention of tile gorgeous apparel and tile in these verses which intervene between the sumptuous feeding. The service of the two two great parables of the unjust steward was incompatible, and we know from the and the rich man and Lazarus, that they sombre sequel of the story to which master consider them as a number of se.yings of the rich man really held, and whom-alas the Master collected by Luke and inserted for him I-in his heart he despised. here. A clear thread, however, runs through Ver. 14.-A.nd the Pharisees also, who the whole piece between the two parables. were oovetous, hea.rd all these things : and Probably, however, here, as in many parts they derided him. This shows that many of the Gospel, we only have just a bare of the dominant sect had been present and sketch, or p1•1fcis, of what the Lord ea.id; had listened to the parable of the unjust hence its fragmentary character. Here (in steward. Although scrupulous, and in a the six:teentll verse), the Master went on way religious men, these Phe.risees were speaking to the Pharisees who derided him notorious for their respect and regard for (ver. 14). "Up to the period of John the riches, and all the.t riches purcha8e, and Baptist," said the Master, •• tile old state of tlley felt, no doubt deeply, the Lord's bitter things may be said to have continued in reproach of covet.ousness. They, the rulers force. With him began a new era; no longer and leaders of Ismel, the religious guides, were the old privileges to be confined to were evidently attacked in such teaching Israel exclusively; gradually the kingdom as they bad been lately listening to, not of God was to be enle.rged, the old wall of the common people whom they so despised. sepe.re.tion we.s t.o be taken down. See, every The l!COrnful words alluded t.o in the ex- man is pressing into it; the new state of pression," they derided him," were no doubt things has alree.dy begun; you see it in the directed against the outward poverty of the crowds of publicans, sinners, Samaritans, and popular Ge.lilaian Teacher. "It is all very others pressing round me when I speak of well," they would say, "for one springing the kingdom of God." from the ranks of the people, landless, Ver. 17.-And it is easier for heaven and moneyless, to rail at wealth and the earth to pe.sa, than one tittle of the Law to possessors of wealth ; we can understand fail. "Yet think not," went on the Master, such teaclling from one such as !JOU,." " that, though things are changing, the Ver. 15.-And he 1aid unto them, Ye a.re Divine Law will ever fail. The mere tem- they which jUBtify yourselves before men ; porary and transit.ory regulations will, of but God knoweth :,our hearts. The part course, give place t.o a new order, but not the the Phe.riaees 11layed in public imposed smallest part of one letter of the Di vine upon the people. The great influence which moral Law will fail." "One tittle." 'fhie is they exercised we.a in great measure due to the rendering of a Greek word the diminu- the respect generally felt for their strict tive of "horn," which denoted the horn or and religious lives. '!'he hypocrisy of this extremity of a Hebrew letter, by the omis- famous sect-it we.a probably in many ce.aea sion or addition of which-to give an instance 11DOOW1cio1111 llypocrisy-"11d the fallle colo111- -the ~tter d becomes the letter ,. ; thus with  OH. xvr. 1-31.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 65