Commentary on the Gospel of Luke: Part II, Chapters 9 - 16

LUKE 16

LUKE 16 Luke 16:1–17:19 COMMENDATION OF AND TEACHING ABOUT HUMAN COMPASSION 1. And he also said to his disciples, etc. After mentioning Jewish lack of mercy and detailing divine merciful love, the Evangelist now commends and provides an exhortation about human compassion. This part is divided into two. In the first section he exhorts the disciples themselves through Christ’s teaching and parabolic exempla to engage in corporal works of mercy. In the second section he turns to spiritual works where Luke 17:1 reads: And he said to his disciples, etc. Luke 16:1–31 HUMAN COMPASSION AND CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY The first section encompasses the present chapter, which has three parts. The first part gives a parabolic exemplum of provident mercy. The second part propounds ST. BONAVENTURE’S COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 1470 teaching of perfect mercy where verse 9 reads: And I say to you: Make friends, etc. The final part adds an exemplum of punishment for a lack of mercy where verse 19 has: There was a certain rich man, etc. Luke 16:1–8 THE PARABOLIC EXEMPLUM OF PROVIDENT MERCY So concerning the exemplum of provident mercy, which features a steward who was free and easy with the goods of his master, it must be noted that it is partly an explicit exemplum and partly a parabolic saying. For if this passage were not an explicit exemplum, the end of the parable would not read in verse 8: “The master commended the unjust steward because he had acted prudently,” etc. But on the other hand, if this passage were not parabolic in nature, the Lord would never be proposing the detestable and fraudulent action of the steward in the exemplum. From these considerations it follows that the interpreter must realize that this exemplum must be understood partly in a literal sense and partly in a parabolic sense. For this parable and the one about the rich glutton that follows bear the nature both of an example and of a parable. Now this parable has more of the parable about it while the parable of the rich glutton has more of the example about it. So the latter parable is to be understood more from the literal sense while the parable under present consideration is to be understood partly as metaphor and partly in a literal sense.1 – Now one must attend carefully to the 1 Luke 16:1–8 has given interpretive fits to both ancient and contemporary interpreters. Bonaventure’s explanation is quite adept. See Stephen L. Wailes, Medieval Allegories of Jesus’ Parables, UCLA CHAPTER SIXTEEN 1471 manifest interpretation of this parabolic exemplum. It proposes something to be acknowledged, something to be repulsed, something to be feared, something to be tolerated , something about which to be provident, something to be imitated, and something to be commended.2 – For the origin of human power is to be acknowledged where verse 1 reads: There was a certain rich man. – What is to be spurned is the abuse of the power entrusted to a person. See verse 1 which intimates this: who was reported to him as squandering his possessions. – The judgment of heavenly justice is to be feared. See verse 2: And he called him and said to him. – To be tolerated is the imperfection of human weakness which verse 3 suggests : And the steward said within himself. – What is to be provided for is the finding of faithful friends where verse 4 reads: I know what I will do, when I am removed from my stewardship. – The display of generous mercy is to be imitated. About this verse 5 says: He summoned each of his master’s debtors. – A wise and provident decision is to be praised or commended as verse 8 states: The master praised the unjust steward. 2. (Verse 1). So first through this parable he teaches his disciples to acknowledge the origin of earthly power, for verse 1 reads: And he said also to his disciples, to whom he said in Luke 8:10 above: “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.” And John 15:15 has: “I have called you friends, because all things that I Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies 23 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987), p. 247: “The most careful justification of interpretive method comes from Bonaventure, who explains that the parable...