Luke 16:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.

NIV: It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

NASB: But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.

CSB: But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter in the law to drop out.

NLT: But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God’s law to be overturned.

KJV: And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

NKJV: And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.

This verse is difficult to interpret. It helps to remember that the entire chapter shows that our beliefs about God determine our actions and priorities. Jesus is speaking about the role of the Mosaic law (Luke 16:16) in the age of grace.

God interacts with the world in different ways depending on what He has revealed in those places and times. Always, in every culture, salvation is by God's grace through faith that God will fulfill His promises (Ephesians 2:8–9). God had given the Jews the Mosaic law nearly 1500 years before the moment described in this verse. The Mosaic law stated that the Jews would be saved if they trusted God as their God; following the Mosaic law was a sign of their trust. God's grace, received through faith, saved them; their faith was evidenced by their obedience (1 Samuel 15:22; Galatians 3:11).

The Law and the Prophets, which began to fade with the coming of John the Baptist, also heralded the future arrival of a new promise or the new covenant. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus' identity and words, the "good news of the kingdom of God" (Luke 16:16).

In addition to pointing to Jesus, the Law and the Prophets still provide principles on how to live out our faith (Matthew 5:17–19). The context in this chapter is loving God more than money and, therefore, using money for the benefit of God's kingdom and other people (Luke 16:9). Loving others with our money is a sign that God is our priority and that we have faith in what Jesus says; it gives evidence that we're saved.

The precise laws of the Old Testament are not applicable to Christians today. We don't have to burn sacrifices or follow the Sabbath. Civil and ceremonial requirements are not part of salvation. The eternal principles are to love God and love others (Deuteronomy 6:5; Luke 10:27). The New Testament and the Holy Spirit give believers instructions on how to live that love out.

Jesus tells another story about the seriousness of what He means. The rich man who did not look after the needs of the beggar Lazarus goes to hell. His lack of relationship with God both proves he is not saved and caused him to use his money selfishly (Luke 16:19–31).

First, however, Jesus broadens the application. It's not just about money; it's about having the right responsibilities in everything God has blessed us with, including our spouse (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.