Why did the Pharisees deride Jesus after he taught about money and stewardship?

The Pharisees are described as covetous, or lovers of money. When Jesus taught about using worldly wealth in light of eternity and that you cannot serve God and money, his words cut across their desires and way of life. Rather than admit their sin, they mocked him and treated his teaching as foolish. They felt secure because people respected them and they were outwardly religious. Their ridicule was a way to defend their greed and avoid facing what God was really saying to them through Jesus.

What does it mean that the Pharisees justified themselves before men?

To justify themselves before men means they worked hard to look righteous in people’s eyes, while hiding their real motives. They wanted a good reputation for piety and strictness, so that others would admire and praise them. But Jesus says that God knows their hearts. He sees the greed, pride, and hypocrisy that people cannot see. This shows that being right with God is not about appearances or religious show, but about a heart that is truly humble, honest, and submitted to God’s will.

What does Jesus mean when he says what is highly esteemed among men is abomination to God?

Jesus is warning that the things people naturally praise are often the very things God hates. People tend to admire outward success, religious show, wealth, status, and man-made forms of worship. The Pharisees loved this kind of honor. But God looks at the heart and the real reasons behind actions. When people use religion to gain praise or riches, or when they value human traditions above God’s commands, that is deeply offensive to God, even if everyone around them approves and applauds.

What does the phrase the law and the prophets were until John mean here?

When Jesus says the law and the prophets were until John, he is marking a turning point. Up to John the Baptist, God’s revelation came through what we call the law and the prophets, often in shadows and promises. With John’s ministry, and then Jesus, the kingdom of God is preached more openly. The focus moves from waiting for the Messiah to hearing his message and entering his kingdom. This does not throw away the earlier writings, but shows that what they pointed to is now standing in front of the people.

What does it mean that since John the kingdom of God is preached and every man presseth into it?

Jesus is saying that from John’s time, the message about God’s kingdom is being openly announced, and people are responding with great eagerness. Crowds came to hear John, then Jesus, and later the apostles. Many pushed through obstacles, social pressure, and even opposition from leaders like the Pharisees to hear and receive this message. The picture is of people forcing their way toward something precious. It shows the strong desire and effort of those who truly want to enter God’s kingdom, even when it is costly.

How can Jesus say the law lasts while also preaching the kingdom of God?

Jesus does not set the kingdom against God’s law. When he says it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than for one tiny stroke of the law to fail, he shows that God’s law still stands and will be fulfilled. The preaching of the kingdom brings out the real meaning and depth of that law, rather than canceling it. The Pharisees twisted the law to suit themselves. Jesus shows that entering God’s kingdom means honoring God’s commands in their true, inward sense, not relaxing them to fit human desires.

Why does Jesus bring up divorce and remarriage in this short passage?

Jesus brings up divorce to give a concrete example of how the Pharisees made God’s law lighter to fit their wishes. They allowed divorce for many small reasons, as if a man could easily put away his wife and marry another with a clean conscience. Jesus states plainly that if a man divorces his wife without the serious cause that God allows and marries another, he commits adultery, and the one who marries a wrongfully divorced woman does too. This shows that Jesus upholds the true, strict intent of God’s command about marriage.

What does this passage teach about God’s view of marriage and adultery?

This passage shows that in God’s eyes, marriage is a binding covenant, not something to be set aside lightly. A man who puts away his wife for trivial reasons and marries another is not free in God’s sight; he is committing adultery. Likewise, a person who marries someone who was wrongly put away shares in that sin. God’s standard does not bend to social customs or legal tricks. He sees the original marriage bond and holds people to faithfulness, even when human laws say something different.

How does God knowing our hearts shape the way we handle money and relationships?

If God knows our hearts, then hiding behind a religious image or social respect will not help us. In money matters, this means we cannot love wealth and still think we are serving God just because we give a little or talk religiously. In relationships, especially marriage, we cannot treat people carelessly and then cover it with religious excuses. Knowing that God sees motives should humble us, make us honest about our sins, and move us to seek a heart that truly loves him more than money, praise, or personal ease.

How can this passage guide someone who struggles with wanting approval from others?

This passage shows how empty it is to live mainly for what people think. The Pharisees worked hard to appear good, but God saw through them. If you often chase approval, this text gently warns you that human praise can even hide things God hates. It invites you to shift your focus from the crowd’s opinion to God’s gaze. A good step is to pray honestly, ask God to reveal your heart, and choose obedience even when it costs you reputation. In the end, God’s approval is the only verdict that lasts.

Luke.16.14

Luke 16:14

KJV

And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

The Law and the Prophets

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.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.