Pastors who love money and engage in extortion may outwardly appear to be respectable religious leaders, but inwardly they worship the idol of money and exploit the souls of people. Jesus teaches that, in God's sight, their true nature is like foul-smelling filth.

 

Pastors who love money and engage in extortion may outwardly appear to be respectable religious leaders, but inwardly they worship the idol of money and exploit the souls of people. Jesus teaches that, in God's sight, their true nature is like foul-smelling filth.

 

 

 

 

 

“The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight’” (Luke 16:14–15).

 

 

 

(1)    As I read Jesus' words in the first half of Luke 16:14, “The Pharisees, who loved money,” I found myself rereading a brief devotional reflection I had previously written entitled “Pastors Who Love Money Like the Pharisees…”  Pastors who love money like the Pharisees are proud and do not acknowledge God.  Because of their sin, not only they themselves but also the members of their churches will stumble (cf. Hos. 5:4–5; Lk. 16:14).

 

(a)    Afterward, I also reread a short devotional reflection I had written under the title “Church Members Who Love Money…”  Church members who love money do not manage the Lord's possessions according to His will, even though He has entrusted them with those possessions for a time on this earth. Instead, they squander them in the Lord's sight.  Therefore, the Lord says to them, “I can no longer entrust my possessions to you; give an account of your stewardship and settle everything you have been managing.”  At that point, money-loving church members, like the people of this world, attempt to act wisely in their own eyes, but dishonestly gather unrighteous wealth in an unfaithful manner.  To such people the Lord says, “You cannot serve both God and money.” Yet even after hearing these words, they ridicule Him (Lk. 16:1–14).

 

(i)        Finally, I also reread a short devotional reflection entitled “People in the Church Who Love Money.”  Those within the church who love money and justify themselves before others ridicule the Lord’s words, “You cannot serve both God and money” (Lk. 16:13–15).

 

(2)    After that, I became curious about the Greek word translated as “lovers of money” (v. 14) and looked into its meaning. The word is φιλάργυροι (philargyroi).

 

1.       Etymology and Literal Meaning

 

This word is a compound formed from two Greek words:

 

φίλος (philos): loving, friendly, affectionate

 

ἄργυρος (argyros): silver, money

 

Combined together, it literally means “one who loves silver,” that is, “a lover of money” or “a greedy person.”

 

2.       Meaning in the Context of Luke 16:14

 

“The Pharisees, who loved money (φιλάργυροι), heard all this and were sneering at Him.”

 

In the preceding verse (v. 13), Jesus had declared, “You cannot serve both God and money.”  Upon hearing this, the Pharisees scoffed and ridiculed Him.  Luke exposes the fundamental reason for their reaction: their very nature was that of philargyroi—lovers of money.

 

Exposure of Their Hypocrisy: Outwardly, the Pharisees appeared to keep the Law meticulously and to love God above all else. In reality, however, the true center of their hearts was not God but money, which they had enthroned as their master.

 

A Distorted Theology: In Jewish society at that time, wealth was often viewed as evidence of God’s blessing upon those who obeyed Him faithfully.  The Pharisees proudly displayed their riches as badges of piety.  Consequently, they could not accept Jesus’ teaching when He spoke critically about wealth and attachment to possessions.

 

3.       Spiritual Lessons

 

In Scripture, the love of money is warned against not merely as financial greed but as a form of idolatry—placing material wealth in God's place—and as a root from which all kinds of evil may grow (1 Tim. 6:10).  No matter how impressive one's outward religious activities may appear, if the heart is enslaved to material possessions, they are of no value before God.

 

(a)    At this point, I felt led to meditate on 1 Timothy 6:10 in the Greek New Testament: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

 

(i)      The Meaning of Four Greek Expressions

 

1.       “A Root of All Kinds of Evil” (ῥίζα πάντων τῶν κακῶν — rhiza pantōn tōn kakōn)

 

ῥίζα (rhiza): “root.”  Just as a plant draws its nourishment from its roots, the word conveys the idea of the source from which evil grows.

 

πάντων τῶν κακῶν (pantōn tōn kakōn): literally, “all kinds of evils.”  In Scripture, “all” is often a rhetorical expression referring to every variety or category.  The warning is not that money itself is evil, but that the love of money becomes fertile soil from which many forms of sin spring forth.

 

2.       “The Love of Money” (ἡ φιλαργυρία — hē philargyria)

 

φιλαργυρία (philargyria): This is the noun form related to φιλάργυροι (philargyroi) (“lovers of money”). It refers to greed that treats money as life’s highest goal and object of devotion.

 

3.       “Have Wandered Away from the Faith” (ἀπεπλανήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως — apeplanēthēsan apo tēs pisteōs)

 

ἀπεπλανήθησαν (apeplanēthēsan):

 

Meaning “to go astray,” “to wander,” or “to deviate from the proper path.”

 

It conveys the idea that when people become blinded by money, they drift away from the proper course of faith in God, often without even realizing it.

 

4.       “Pierced Themselves with Many Griefs” (ἑαυτοὺς περιέπειραν ὀδύναις πολλαῖς — heautous periepeiran odynais pollais)

 

περιέπειραν (periepeiran): A vivid and powerful term depicting the act of impaling flesh on a skewer or repeatedly stabbing with a sharp weapon.  The imagery graphically illustrates that the pursuit of wealth ultimately results not in fulfillment but in severe anguish and self-inflicted destruction of one's soul and life.

 

(ii)       The Spiritual Message of 1 Timothy 6:10

 

1.       Money Is Neutral, but Loving It Is Idolatry

 

The Bible does not teach that money itself is evil.  The problem lies in loving money.  To love money means to trust in it, seek comfort from it, and enthrone it as the master of one’s life. In essence, this displaces God and becomes a form of idolatry.

 

2.       It Is One of the Strongest Temptations That Can Destroy Faith

 

The Apostle Paul warns that greed ultimately causes people to “wander from the faith.”  Obsession with wealth blinds spiritual perception and damages one's relationship with God.

 

3.       The End of Greed Is Self-Destructive Suffering

 

Those who abandon faith and conscience in pursuit of greater riches ultimately fail to find satisfaction.  Instead, their greed becomes like a sharp spear that pierces their own souls and families, bringing tragedy and deep sorrow.

 

(3)    I became curious about the Greek word translated as “sneered” or “ridiculed” in the phrase, “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and were sneering at Him” (v. 14), so I looked up both the word itself and its meaning.  The word is ἐξεμυκτήριζον (exemyktērizon).

 

1.       Etymology and Literal Meaning

 

This is a vivid and powerful verb whose meaning is intensified through the combination of three elements:

 

ἐκ (ek): “out of,” and by extension “completely” or “thoroughly” (an intensive prefix)

 

μυκτήρ (myktēr): “nose” or “nostril”

 

-ίζω (-izō): a verbal ending

 

Combined meaning: Literally, it refers to snorting through the nose, turning up one’s nose in contempt, or scoffing with disdain.  It is not merely laughing with one's mouth; rather, it depicts the physical expression of utter contempt and rejection toward another person.

 

2.       Grammatical Feature and Its Significance: “They Kept On Ridiculing”

 

In Greek grammar, this verb is in the imperfect tense.

 

The imperfect tense indicates that an action in the past was not a one-time occurrence but was continuous or repeated.

 

In other words, the Pharisees did not simply hear Jesus’ words and mock Him once.  Rather, they continued sneering, exchanging knowing glances among themselves, repeatedly expressing their contempt and ridicule.

 

3.       The Spiritual Meaning in the Context of Luke 16:14

 

“The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and were sneering at Him (ἐξεμυκτήριζον).”

 

The reason the Pharisees reacted with such arrogant contempt was that Jesus’ teaching directly challenged their way of life and value system.

 

Arrogance Toward the Word of God

 

They considered themselves experts in the Law.  Therefore, Jesus’ declaration, “You cannot serve both God and money,” sounded to them like the naïve words of an inexperienced teacher.  In order to justify their love of money, they ended up ridiculing Jesus, the very Son of God.

 

A Unique Word Used in Luke

 

The word ἐξεμυκτήριζον (exemyktērizon), from the mukterizō family of words, is extremely rare in the New Testament.  Interestingly, it appears again in Luke 23:35, where religious leaders mock Jesus as He hangs on the cross.  Thus, those who sneered at Jesus because they loved money eventually became the very people who mocked Him at His crucifixion.

 

Although the Pharisees believed themselves to be holy, Luke exposes them through this single word as spiritually blind people whose greed prevented them from recognizing the Messiah (Christ), causing them to dismiss His words with contempt.

 

(a)    At this point, I became intrigued by the statement: “Those who loved money and sneered at Jesus eventually mocked Him as He hung upon the cross.”  So I asked an AI about this observation, and I received the following response:

 

(i)       “You have made a very perceptive and insightful observation.  The connection that caught your attention is not merely a coincidence; rather, it is a highly sophisticated theological foreshadowing intentionally woven into Luke’s Gospel by its author.

 

By examining the Greek text and the structure of Luke’s Gospel, we can see how these two scenes are connected in a remarkably striking way through three key points.

 

1.       The Uniqueness of the Word: Used Only Twice in the New Testament—and Both Times by Luke

 

The verb underlying ἐξεμυκτήριζον (exemyktērizon) appears only twice in the entire New Testament, and both occurrences are found in Luke’s Gospel.

 

First Occurrence (Lk. 16:14): Money-loving Pharisees hear Jesus’ teaching and sneer at Him.

 

Second Occurrence (Lk. 23:35): Religious rulers mock Jesus as He hangs upon the cross.

 

“The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at Him (ἐξεμυκτήριζον). They said, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’”

 

Luke is showing that the same arrogant “snorting contempt” displayed by the Pharisees in chapter 16 ultimately reaches its final expression at the cross in chapter 23.

 

2.       The Inevitable Progression from the Love of Money to the Murder of the Messiah

 

Spiritually speaking, it was not accidental that those who sneered at Jesus eventually became the ones responsible for His crucifixion.

A Clash of Values: Jesus proclaimed the eternal Kingdom of God and the salvation of souls.  The Pharisees desired wealth, honor, influence, and the preservation of their privileged status in this world.

 

From Mockery to Murderous Intent: At first, they dismissed Jesus’ teaching with a sneer, saying in effect, “What nonsense!” (chapter 16).  But as Jesus’ popularity increased and their hypocrisy and greed were exposed before the people, they became determined to eliminate Him in order to protect their idols—money and power.

 

The Cost of Idolatry: Ultimately, the idol they loved—wealth and privilege—led them into the horrific sin of rejecting and crucifying the Son of God.

 

3.       The Fulfillment of Psalm 22 (The Old Testament Background)

 

Luke’s use of this unusual word is likely connected to the Old Testament.  In the Septuagint (LXX), the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, a related form of this word appears in Psalm 22:7: “All who see me mock me (ἐξεμυκτήρισάν); they hurl insults, shaking their heads.”

 

Psalm 22 is one of the clearest prophetic psalms concerning the suffering of the Messiah.  By using this rare word in both Luke 16 and Luke 23, Luke visually demonstrates to his readers that the suffering of the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament is being fulfilled through those who, because of their love of money and spiritual blindness, mock and reject Him.

 

Conclusion: The spiritual blindness that began with a love of money (Luke 16) grew into the arrogance of mocking the Son of God Himself and ultimately culminated in the extreme hardness of heart that could ridicule Him even as He hung on the cross (Luke 23).  The observation you have made highlights one of Scripture’s most sobering indictments: it shows the terrifying destination to which unchecked greed and idolatry can lead a human heart” (Internet).

 

(4)    Finally, I would like to meditate on Jesus’ words to the money-loving Pharisees, dividing His statement into three parts: “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” (Lk. 16:15).

 

(a)    “You justify yourselves before men”

 

(i)       Here, the Greek word translated as “justify yourselves” is δικαιοῦντες (dikaiountes), which means “those who make themselves appear righteous” or “those who claim themselves to be righteous” (Internet).

 

1.       Etymology and Literal Meaning

 

This word is the present active participle form of the verb δικαιόω (dikaioō), which is derived from the adjective δίκαιος (dikaios), meaning “righteous.”

 

δικαιόω (dikaioō): “to declare righteous,” “to pronounce innocent” (in a legal sense).

 

δικαιοῦντες (dikaiountes): a plural participle meaning “those who are presenting themselves as righteous.”

 

In summary, according to Scripture, the only One who can declare a person righteous is God, the Judge.  Yet the Pharisees had seated themselves in God's judicial seat and were effectively pronouncing their own verdict: “You are righteous!”

 

2.       Grammatical Feature: Meaning in the Context of Luke 16:15

 

“And He said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves (δικαιοῦντες ἑαυτούς) before men, but God knows your hearts...’”

 

Luke adds the reflexive pronoun ἑαυτούς (heautous, “yourselves”) after the participle, making it explicit that they were “those who make themselves righteous.”

Show-Window Righteousness Before Men: They were not truly righteous; rather, they acted in such a way as to appear righteous in the eyes of others.  Their acts of charity, prayers, and fasting became instruments for public display.

 

[Outwardly Attractive Merchandise in a Display Window: Just as a department-store display window may look impressive while the storage room behind it is empty, the Pharisees decorated only their outward appearance—religious activities, social status, and wealth—for public viewing.

 

Hypocrisy Beneath the Surface: Behind the glass, however, their hearts were filled not with God but with greed and the love of money.  In other words, theirs was not genuine righteousness but a counterfeit righteousness designed to say: “Look how righteous I am.”]

 

The False Connection Between Wealth and Righteousness: The Pharisees regarded wealth as proof of divine blessing.  By displaying their prosperity, they were effectively saying: “See how righteous I am? That is why God has blessed me so richly.”  Thus, they attempted to justify themselves through their material success.

 

Conclusion: The Pharisees were people who loved money (v. 14) while simultaneously presenting themselves as righteous before others through religious hypocrisy (v. 15).

 

·         At this point, I was reminded of the spiritual classic written by A. W. Tozer: Worship: Praise or Entertainment?

 

The Pharisees’ practice of dikaiountes (“making themselves appear righteous”) can be viewed as an early example of the very “showmanship religion” that Tozer strongly warned against.  The relationship between this book and today’s passage can be summarized in three ways.

 

1.       Turning Worship into Performance

Tozer criticized the church for losing true worship centered on God and replacing it with religious entertainment designed to please human eyes and ears.

 

The Pharisees in Luke 16 were masters of this religious performance.  They prayed, gave alms, and practiced religion not for God but to be seen and praised by people.

 

2.       Who Is the Audience—God or People?

 

The Pharisees’ Religion: Their audience was people.  Their religious activity was a performance designed to gain applause, honor, and ultimately to preserve their status and wealth.

 

Tozer’s Warning: According to Tozer, the only audience in true worship should be God.  Yet he warned that many Christians have become preoccupied with pleasing people and displaying their spirituality before others.

 

3.       “God Knows Your Hearts”

 

Jesus’ terrifying declaration in Luke 16:15 echoes Tozer’s warning to the modern church.  No matter how impressive the stage, how polished the presentation, or how impressive the religious performance may appear, if the heart lacks reverence for God and is filled instead with the pursuit of money and success, God does not regard it as worship but as an abominable show.

 

Ultimately, Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees and Tozer’s warning to the modern church proclaim the same message: Tear down the outward show-window religion and recover sincerity at the center of the heart.

 

(b)    “God knows your hearts” (Lk. 16:15)

 

(i)       This is Jesus’ strongest and most solemn declaration, instantly stripping away the mask of the Pharisees’ elaborate religious performance.

 

1.       The Greek Text and Literal Translation

Greek text: ὁ δὲ θεὸς γινώσκει τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν

 

Word-for-word translation:

 

ὁ δὲ θεὸς (ho de theos): “But God”

 

γινώσκει (ginōskei): “knows”

 

τὰς καρδίας (tas kardias): “the hearts”

 

ὑμῶν (hymōn): “of you”

 

2.       A Deeper Meaning Through Key Greek Terms

 

①      ὁ δὲ (ho de): “But, in contrast”

 

The conjunction “de” (δὲ—meaning "but" or "however") is appended to the preceding phrase, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men," thereby creating a dramatic turn.  It draws a clear contrast: while people may be deceived by—and even marvel at—the contrived, "window-dressing" righteousness you have fabricated, God, conversely, is not deceived.

 

②      γινώσκει (ginōskei): “He thoroughly knows”

 

The verb ginōskō signifies more than intellectual awareness.  It refers to a deep, experiential, and accurate knowledge of a person's true nature.

 

Furthermore, it is in the present tense.  In Greek, the present tense often denotes ongoing action.  Therefore, God continually sees and understands every hidden motive, every act of hypocrisy, and every secret greed that the Pharisees attempt to conceal.

 

③      τὰς καρδίας (tas kardias): “The deepest inner being”

In Scripture, the heart (kardia) is the center of a person's intellect, emotions, will, and moral choices. 

 

The Pharisees devoted themselves to maintaining their outward image—religious behavior, appearance, and speech.  But God's standard of judgment focuses on the heart.  Though they spoke holy words externally, God saw that inwardly their hearts were filled with the love of money and self-worship.

 

3.       Spiritual Message for Us

 

Performance Does Not Work Before God

 

As Tozer emphasized, people may successfully perform religion before human audiences.  But God, who sees with perfect clarity, examines the motives of the heart as though with an infinite spiritual MRI.  His message is: “No matter how beautifully you package your words, I know that your true goal is money, status, and worldly glory.”

 

The Most Terrifying Warning and the Greatest Comfort

 

For hypocrites, this statement is terrifying because it exposes every hidden sin.  Yet for those like the tax collector in Luke 18, who may appear weak and sinful before others but sincerely love God in their hearts, it becomes one of Scripture’s greatest comforts: “I know the sincerity of your heart.”

 

Ultimately, Jesus is declaring that the reputation and popularity the Pharisees gained from people are nothing more than counterfeit currency in the court of God's kingdom.

 

(c)    “What is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” (Lk. 16:15)

 

(i)        This statement is the final conclusion of Jesus’ exposure of the Pharisees and one of the most shocking declarations in Scripture, overturning worldly values completely.  According to the vivid language of the Greek text, its meaning can be summarized in three points.

            1.   Greek Text and Key Word Analysis

 

Greek text: ὅτι τὸ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὑψηλὸν βδέλυγμα ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ

 

Key words:

 

ὑψηλόν (hypsēlon): that which is exalted, elevated, impressive, honored.

 

βδέλυγμα (bdelygma): an abomination, something detestable, disgusting, or loathsome.

 

ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ (enōpion tou theou): before God, in God's presence.

 

2.   Specific Meaning and Spiritual Reversal

 

①      The Reality of the World's “Honor” (Hypsēlon)

 

The word refers to everything people admire, envy, praise, and celebrate.  For the Pharisees, this included wealth, social status, prestige, and public admiration.  People saw their prosperity and religious authority and said: “What impressive and admirable people they are!”

 

②      God's Evaluation: “An Abomination” (Bdelygma)

 

Jesus says that what people admire so greatly is, before God, not merely undesirable but an abomination.

 

In the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint), bdelygma is frequently used for idolatry and things utterly offensive to God.  Though the Pharisees appeared to be respected religious leaders, inwardly they worshiped the idol of money and exploited people spiritually.  In God's sight, their true condition resembled something foul, corrupt, and repulsive.

 

③      A Complete Reversal of Values

This statement reveals how radically different God's standards are from the world's standards.

 

The world's perspective: Outward appearance (Wealth, Reputation, Success).  These are often regarded as evidence of righteousness.

 

God's perspective: Motives, Humility, Truthfulness, Integrity of heart.  If greed, pride, and hypocrisy dominate the inner life, then outward success becomes meaningless.

 

3.   Connection to A. W. Tozer's Insight

 

                   This verse completes the warning found in Tozer's Worship: Praise or Entertainment?

 

When modern Christianity becomes obsessed with popularity, public approval, and worldly success, it risks becoming not a holy church but a religious spectacle.  God is not deceived by human applause.

 

Conclusion: Jesus is not saying that every act that receives human praise is evil.  Rather, He is teaching that: When people deceive others, harbor greed in their hearts, and gain admiration through hypocrisy, that false honor becomes one of the most detestable sins in God's kingdom.

 

Immediately after this severe warning to the Pharisees, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:19–31), showing what became of a wealthy man who loved riches and enjoyed the admiration of others.  That parable serves as a vivid illustration of the truths contained in this passage (Internet).