Luke 16:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

NIV: He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

NASB: And He said to them, 'You are the ones who justify yourselves in the sight of people, but God knows your hearts; because that which is highly esteemed among people is detestable in the sight of God.

CSB: And he told them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly admired by people is revolting in God’s sight.

NLT: Then he said to them, 'You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.

KJV: And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

NKJV: And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Luke 16 is a collection of teachings about how people who prioritize the things of the world—in particular, money—demonstrate that they do not love God. The Pharisees love money and claim to love God. All they can do is sneer derisively at Jesus, attempting to discredit Him in front of His disciples (Luke 16:14).

Jesus charges them with trying to justify themselves before men. That is, they try to convince other people that they are righteous and holy. Matthew 23 gives a long list of examples, including:

"'They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others'" (Matthew 23:5–7).

Later, Jesus will share the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9–14). A socially despised tax collector prays to God, lamenting his sin in humble repentance. A nearby Pharisee prays for all to hear, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get" (Luke 18:11–12). It is the tax collector, who makes his living extorting money from others, who goes away justified, not the Pharisee.

"Justification" is the state of being declared righteous. It is a legal decision and declaration. What the Pharisees refuse to see is that they cannot be declared righteous based on their own works and character. Their works prove that their character comes from Satan; they are liars and the truth is not in them (John 8:44). Jesus calls out two sins that are considered an abomination in the Old Testament: unfaithfulness with money (Deuteronomy 25:13–16; Luke 16:10–13) and unfaithfulness in marriage (Deuteronomy 24:4; Luke 16:18).

Luke 16:14–18 exposes the Pharisees' twisted relationship between their hearts, the Mosaic law, and the kingdom of God. They love money, and so reject Jesus' assertions about the antagonistic relationship between chasing wealth and following God. Jesus points out that this is a problem with their hearts, not the Law. He then gives another example: the callous way in which men divorce their wives. Next, Jesus will tell the story of the rich man and Lazarus, warning the Pharisees to let the Scriptures lead them to Him (Luke 16:19–31).

Teaching His disciples and confronting the Pharisees, Jesus offers several lessons about wealth and devotion to God. The first is a parable about a dishonest manager. This illustrates the value of being careful and clever with earthly resources. Jesus then uses remarks about the Law and marriage to introduce the story of the rich man and Lazarus. This not only highlights the dangers of greed, but it also debunks the common claim that a non-believer would submit to God if only they saw "a little more evidence" or a miracle.

The prior chapter included Jesus' teachings centered on lost things: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. Luke 16 includes several of Jesus' lessons about living in the kingdom of God compared to the world system, beginning and ending with parables (Luke 16:1—17:10). Chapter 16 includes the parable of the dishonest manager, Jesus' teaching on how money reveals faith, and the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Luke 17:1–10 teaches about whether Christ-followers bear responsibility for others' sin, lessons about faith, and the parable of the unworthy servants.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.