, to do the things
that they believe to be right and to obey the commands of God, but their
lives are like those of servants, not like the free, joyous, loving
experience of true sons.

Possibly the most artistic touch in the parable is its abrupt close. We do
not know whether the elder son yielded to the entreaty of his father or
not. It was an appeal to the Pharisees; would they accept the grace of God
and further his plans for the salvation of the lost, or would they
continue to criticize and envy the repentant sinner? Shall we live as
servants or as sons?

6. The Unrighteous Steward. Ch. 16:1-13

1 And he said also unto the disciples, There was a certain rich
man, who had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he
was wasting his goods. 2 And he called him, and said unto him,
What is this that I hear of thee? render the account of thy
stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward. 3 And the
steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord
taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to dig;
to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am
put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
5 And calling to him each one of his lord's debtors, he said to
the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, A
hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bond, and
sit down quickly and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And
how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. He
saith unto him, Take thy bond, and write fourscore.

8 And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had
done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own
generation wiser than the sons of the light. 9 And I say unto you,
Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of
unrighteousness; that, when it shall fail, they may receive you
into the eternal tabernacles. 10 He that is faithful in a very
little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a
very little is unrighteous also in much. 11 If therefore ye have
not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to
your trust the true _riches_? 12 And if ye have not been faithful
in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your
own? 13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate
the one, and love