Luke 16:14

The Pharisees. See pp. 51, 52.

Covetous. Gr. philarguroi, literally, “money lovers.” The word occurs in the NT only here and in 2 Tim. 3:2. Some critical commentators have suggested that it was the Sadducees, not the Pharisees, as Luke has it, that are here described, on the basis that the former constituted the wealthiest class of Jewish society. But Jesus is not discussing the possession of riches in and of themselves. It is not the possession of wealth that bars a man from heaven, but rather his inordinate love and misuse of wealth. There is nothing to prevent a relatively “poor” man from being covetous. Elsewhere Jesus plainly charges the Pharisees with being covetous (see on Matt. 23:14). According to the philosophy of life of the Pharisees, wealth constituted an evidence of divine blessing. In comparison, Jesus not only had no possessions (see on Matt. 8:20), but did not even desire any (see on Matt. 6:24-34). In this as in other respects His principles and those of the Pharisees were utterly irreconcilable.

Heard all these things. What follows (vs. 14-31) is quite evidently a continuation of a report of the same occasion as that represented by vs. 1-13.

Derided him. Or, “sneered at Him.” No doubt the Pharisees realized that Jesus had been directing His remarks at them (see vs. 9-13; see on v. 9). It seems that the present narrative sequence, beginning with ch. 15:1, is the record of Jesus’ teachings upon a single occasion (see on chs. 15:1; 16:1, 14). If so, the Pharisees had been present from the beginning (see ch. 15:2), and the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son had all been addressed to them by Jesus to justify His interest in “publicans and sinners” (see ch. 15:1-3).