Luke 16:15, commentary and pictures

Jesus spoke these words to the covetous Pharisees who justified themselves before men and derided Him after His warning that no one can serve both God and riches. They were directed also to priests and rulers, scribes and Pharisees, and to all rich in this world's goods. They stand as Christ's instruction for everyone to read, believe and obey.

To justify oneself before men is to claim righteousness, to make oneself appear right and worthy by human standards, to defend one's conduct, and to seek approval and praise from others. But God knows the heart, judging by truth, motives and true moral worth rather than by outward wealth, honor, praise or pretension. Human praise therefore does not establish the goodness of a person or deed, for God judges every act by the motives that prompt it.

God's judgment thus reverses human judgment, so that one highly esteemed by people because of perversity, selfishness or hypocrisy of heart may be lightly esteemed and even abhorrent to God, even when the deed appears virtuous, while one looked down on by people may be great in His sight. In particular, riches, luxury, standing, wealth and worldly honor highly prized by people do not recommend anyone to God, secure His favor, or determine standing with Him when a person is not rich toward God. That which is highly esteemed among men includes riches gained by oppression, deception, overreaching, fraud or any other dishonest way.

The verse is illustrated by the rich man and Lazarus. The honored, ease-loving rich man clothed in purple and fine linen had all that money could procure but no true faith or moral soundness, lived as if all he possessed were his own, neglected God's call and the claims of the suffering poor, and was rejected, thrust out from God's presence into misery. At death his probation ended and by irresistible power he was commanded to quit the premises of which he was only steward, reduced to hopeless poverty and nakedness without the robe of righteousness. While the despised poor sufferer Lazarus in abject poverty possessed true faith and moral worth, was valued by God, placed in the most exalted position as an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ and admitted to the society of holy angels.

Disciples therefore must not judge or value people by wealth or by honors received from others. A person's origin or former occupation does not determine standing with God, and no one should disparage a minister God has accepted. What matters to God are merciful, loving and kind actions, including kindness to those outside the faith. The right response to human ideas of greatness is humility, distrust of self-importance, and trust in God, who alone can make a person great.

One who defends a wrong course before others without humbling the heart or confessing the wrong remains answerable to God, and deceptive conduct and exaggeration of the truth stand recorded in heaven. Those given great light and opportunity who fail to value and improve them face corresponding darkness, even if they justify their conduct before others. For any one man to assume control of an institution that should be under God's control is an abomination in heaven. Human greatness does not commend such control to God, for even making the Battle Creek Sanitarium the largest sanitarium the world has ever known will not secure His preserving care unless it is conducted on right lines, and without God being with it to preserve it, it will not be preserved.