THE UNJUST STEWARD--THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.
And he said also unto his disciples,
There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the
same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he
called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of
thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be
no longer steward.
Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my
lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg
I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put
out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
So he called every one of his lord's debtors _unto him_, and
said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he
said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take
thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he
to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred
measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and
write fourscore.
And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done
wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation
wiser than the children of light.
And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon
of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you
into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that
which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust
in the least, is unjust also in much.
If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous
mammon, who will commit to your trust the true _riches_? And
if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's,
who shall give you that which is your own?
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one,
and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and
despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and
they derided him. 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.
The law and the prophets _were_ until John: since that time
the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into
it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one
tittle of the law to fail. Whosoever putteth away his wife,
and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever
marrieth her that is put away from _her_ husband committeth
adultery.
There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and
fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a
certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full
of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell
from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked
his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was
carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also
died and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in
torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his
bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham have mercy on me,
and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in
water, and cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame.
But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime
receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things:
but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And besides
all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so
that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither
can they pass to us, that _would come_ from thence.
Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou
wouldest send him to my father's house: for I have five
brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come
into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have
Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay,
father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they
will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and
the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose
from the dead.