LOOK to the LORD!

Luke 18:9–14  

Jesus tells this story for those who look down on others and are sure they’re right with God. They compare themselves to those they despise and they think of themselves as righteous in their own eyes. So these two men went up to the temple to pray. The temple was elevated from anywhere in Jerusalem, and the elevation depicts that God is far above all of us (18:9-10). Both these men went up to the temple to talk to God and the temple was that special place at that time where God could be approached. The temple was where people could come and meet with God. 

So these two men who went up to the temple to pray and one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax-collector. The Pharisee was a religious leader who was part of a popular holiness movement. They sought to strictly adhere to the law and their oral tradition about what the law really meant and required. There strict conformity was there way by which they thought to please God. They considered themselves to be ‘righteous’ and they were typically admired in society for their zeal for the law. The other man was a tax-collector and tax-collectors were widely regarded as traitors to the Jewish nation. They were considered to be collaborators with their Roman oppressors. They were considered traitors because they collected taxes from their fellow Jews on behalf of the Romans. They were widely regarded as corrupt and were considered to be more than willing to cheat their fellow Israelites. (18:9-10)

This zealous religious leader, the Pharisee, stands by himself and he prays to God. He begins by thanking God that he isn’t a thief, an evildoer or an adulterer. Let’s not be too quick to ‘look down’ on this Pharisee. He doesn’t take what belongs to others. He is concerned about what is moral and seeks to avoid evil. He is also faithful to his wife and he is faithful in his giving. Not only that, but he is engaged in self-denial in that he fasts regularly and it looks like he is not ruled by his appetites. By any human standard he is a devout person. His commitment to the God of Israel is seen in his work, his ethics, his relationships, his diet, his religious practices, and his finances. Moreover, he prays and he is thankful to God. On the other hand the tax-collector would be considered a collaborator with Israel’s Roman colonizing oppressors. The tax-collector makes his money by collecting taxes from his fellow Jews. Whatever he collects above what the Romans expect from him he gets to keep. Most tax-collectors where known for cheating and making money at the expense of the common Jewish people. How can Jesus say that it was the tax-collector and not the religious Pharisee that went home right with God?

Looking again at the Pharisee’s prayer we see that he thanks God, but he thanks God that he is not like other people. Is he trying to remind God that he doesn’t steal; that he avoids evil and is faithful to his wife? Why is he telling God that he gives a tenth of all he gets, and even fasts twice a week? Why is he comparing himself to others who are lawbreakers and to the tax-collector across the room?  This Pharisee fasts twice a week, even though the law required only one fast per year and that on the Day of Atonement. So this Pharisee prays to God, thanks God that he is not like other people who are lawless, especially like this tax-collector. His sense of being right with God is based on a comparison to others. He sees himself as going beyond what the law requires, but of course this is only in selective areas. Moreover, he seems to be reminding God of what he thinks he deserves and oddly he doesn't ask God for anything. (18:11-12)  

Now in contrast to the Pharisee, the tax collector stood at a distance and he wouldn’t even look up to heaven. He stand back away from people, he looks down and beats his chest. He prays to God and he asks for what he doesn’t deserve. He confesses himself to be a sinner and in humble dependence he asks for mercy from God! As a sinful person he asks God for what he needs most; the mercy of God. He looks at himself in relation to the Holy God of Israel and he asks for what he does not deserve: he asks for mercy. (18:13)

Now Jesus gives his evaluation of the story by saying that it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who went home accepted by God or justified before God. It was the tax collector who Jesus said was rightly related to God. Jesus sums up the parable by saying that, ‘whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.” (18:14)

Jesus’ verdict was that the tax-collector went home justified by God, and not the Pharisee. The parable demonstrates Jesus’ concern for outcasts, in this case a tax-collector. Jesus calls us to be humble and contrite before others and before God in prayer. God is ready and willing to receive the unrighteous who are humble, contrite and repentant. But God closes his ears to those who are prideful about their own religious practices. We can't obligate God to bless us. If we are just trying to get God to bless, then who are we actually serving. Are we serving God or are we simply serving ourselves? God doesn’t owe us anything. If we were to get what we deserve then we would have to face the just judgment of God for our sins. What we need is the forgiveness and therefore we must look to the Lord, who is gracious and merciful. God in his grace sent His Son to live the life we should have lived and to die the sinners death that we deserve to die. We can find no comfort in looking down on others or in comparing ourselves to others and thinking of ourselves as superior to other. This is a false sense of righteousness. However, the good news is that we can humbly look to our merciful God for what we do not deserve. When we as sinful people humble ourselves and ask for mercy we shall receive the riches of God’s grace at Christ’s expense!

“Timely Justice from the Just Judge”

 Luke 18:1–8                     

Jesus tells his disciples a story about a widow who wears out an unjust judge who is reluctant to give her justice against her adversary. This judge doesn’t fear God or respect people. The widow has an adversary who is doing her wrong by treating her unjustly. The widow apparently has no advocate and so she pleads with the judge to make things right for her. Jesus, we are told, tells this story to his disciples so that they will always pray and not be discouraged, lose heart and give up. He wants them to prayerfully, persistently and continually go to God in prayer. No matter the injustice or the mistreatment they can speak to God who is available and ready to hear from them. This man is a judge, but he is not a judge whose administration of justice reflects the just and fair judgments of God. He doesn’t respect or care about people. Deep down this judge didn’t love God and as a result he didn’t care about people who are made in God's image (18:1-2).

A certain widow who lived in the same town as the ‘unjust judge’ was being treated unjustly by her adversary. She was being oppressed and so she went to the judge. She knew this judge didn’t fear God or respect people, but having no advocate she kept repeatedly going to the judge and pleading for justice. Even though she begged the judge on numerous occasions to give her justice the judge refused to do anything to help her. Finally the unjust judge said to himself, “I don’t fear God, and I don’t respect people but this widow keeps on bothering me. I will give her justice because if I don’t she will keep coming here and she’ll beat me down!’ ”. Jesus told his disciples to listen to the unjust judge who was essentially annoyed to the point that he gave in and gave the widow justice against her adversary. The judge is annoyed, beaten down and worn out so that he gives up his resistance to giving her justice (18:3-6). The word Luke uses can be translated literally to give one a black eye. This little old powerless widow seems to put the fear in this arrogant judge who doesn’t fear God or respect people. He doesn't care what God thinks, or what the widow thinks but he doesn't want the shame of suffering a black eye at the hands of a widow who he has provoked by denying her justice. 

Jesus, however, is drawing a contrast between this unjust judge and God. God is not like that unjust judge. God is good and God is just and he will give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night. The good and just God will not put off his own chosen ones who are able to come and speak to him because they are his beloved who belong to God. God, who is merciful and just, will hear their pleas and he will answer their prayers. The good and just God will give them justice. Therefore, Jesus tells them to pray and to keep on praying and not to give up in their pleading for justice. Luke even says that God will do this quickly. This creates some tension for us as we appeal to God and wrestle and plead with him for justice. Again, we're not trying to wear down a distant God who is reluctant to answer our prayers. God is good and just as well as all-knowing and he knows what is best. We are never to give up or quit but we should continually go to God is prayer knowing that God will do what is right even if he doesn't do what we want when we want it. When the timing is right God will do what he has determined is best and when its right he'll do it quickly! Then Jesus leaves them and us with this question, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” This is persevering faith that makes one's request known to God and trusts patiently for God's answer in God's timing and it continues in the attitude of heart until the 'Son of Man' comes again and sets everything right! (18:7-8)

A 'Grateful Samaritan' Luke 17:11-19

 Backstory: God promised Abraham multiple descendants and a homeland to bless the world. They multiplied in Egypt, but became enslaved. God raised up Moses and delivered them with miraculous signs and formed them into a ‘holy nation’. God gave them His law and instructed them to build the Tabernacle as a mobile sanctuary for God to dwell among His people. They entered their promised land under Joshua, but they didn’t take full possession of it until the time of David. David made plans for and Solomon his son, built the Jerusalem temple as a more permanent sanctuary for God to dwell in their midst. They were to be a ‘light to the nations’ they became idolatrous like the rest of the nations. The Northern kingdom was defeated by the Assyrians and scattered, while the Southern Kingdom was taken into 70 years of captivity in Babylon. God preserved them because he had promised to bless the world through Abraham and He had promised David a perpetual kingship over God’s people. When the Persians defeated the Babylonians, God’s people were allowed to return to their land, but the return from exile and the rebuilt temple fell desperately short of the ‘kingdom’ promised by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and others. They remained in their land, but they dominated by various ‘pagan empires’. At the time of the Roman Empire they were longing for God to send them an ‘anointed conquering king’ and God sent them JESUS!

 John the Baptist introduced Jesus at his baptism and the voice from heaven confirmed Jesus to be the ‘Son of God’. The Spirit anointed him to preach ‘good news’ to the poor, liberation for captives, and recovery of sight for the blind, to set free the oppressed and to proclaim the ‘year of the Lord’s favor’. The Spirit led him into the wilderness were he overcame Satan’s temptations. Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit preaching God’s kingdom, and demonstrating his authority over demons, healing the sick, cleansing lepers, and even raising the dead. Yet, he incited the religious leaders against him by claiming authority to forgive sins, failing to adhere to their Sabbath regulations and eating with tax-collectors and sinners. Jesus formed a new 12 around himself and when his disciples recognized him as ‘God’s anointed King’ he proceeded on a journey to Jerusalem.

Luke 17:11–19    Jesus was continuing on his way to Jerusalem to fulfill his Exodus in his death and resurrection (Lk 9:31). Jesus was traveling along the border between Samaria and Galilee and making himself accessible to both Galileans and Samaritans. Jesus entered a town which was his normal practice since he had come to preach the kingdom of God (Lk 4:43). As he enters this town he met ten lepers who were keeping their social distance. They were shouting out in a loud voice, “Jesus! Master! Have mercy on us!”  They cry out to Jesus to pity them and to show them mercy; hoping to be cleansed by Jesus. Jesus sees them has pity and says, “Go. Show yourselves to the priests.” They are challenged to go to the priests and even though they were still leprous they went and as they went they were cleansed. They hear Jesus and they obey what Jesus told them to do. As they went, they were healed (Luke 11-15). One of the ten, a Samaritan, saw that he was healed and he returned to Jesus praising God in a loud voice. He had cried out with the ten for mercy, but he alone cries out in praise to God for the mercy he had received (17:16). This grateful man throws himself at Jesus’ feet and thanks Jesus. The man was a Samaritan (17:17).  Jesus asks him about the other nine?  Jesus is curious why only the Samaritan had returned to give praise to God (17:19). Jesus tells this formerly leprous now cleaned Samaritan to get up from his prostrate position on his face at Jesus’ feet. But he tells him to rise up for the Samaritan’s faith had made him well. But, what about the other nine; hadn’t they obeyed Jesus’ word? We know that Jews and Samaritans had no fellowship together at that time (John 4:9). But would that Samaritan have been accepted at the Jerusalem temple among the Levitical priests? What about the fellowship the ten had in their shared leprous condition? They were outcasts bound together, by their shared uncleanness! Now that the ten were clean would the racial religious barrier between Jew and Samaritan be restored in the lives of the ten? Would the nine return to the old order and the old ways of the Pharisaical Jews and would the racial barrier between Jew and Samaritan be restored? The story shows us that Jesus is God’s Messiah and the savior of Jews and Samaritans. There is a new allegiance that supersedes the alliance to the Mosaic system, the Levitical priesthood and the Jerusalem temple. There is a new order and a new people with primary alliance to Messiah Jesus! God is working his restorative healing power through his Messianic King Jesus who has ushered in the new Messianic age and alliance to Jesus must be our supreme alliance. Jesus is the savior of Jews and Samaritans and Gentiles as well. Jesus becomes God’s new dwelling place where we can meet with our God! King Jesus has broken down the barriers to genuine fellowship with God and with God’s people. Jesus becomes the embodiment of Israel’s God and the very presence of God and we are to fall at his feet in grateful praise and rise up in obedience to his word (Luke 17:17-19)! 

The Unworthy Servant!

 Luke 17:1-10

Jesus is talking to his disciples and he brings up the things that entice others to sin or cause people to stumble in their faith. These enticing things Jesus says are inevitable, they are bound to come. It’s even impossible for them not to come in one form or another in this fallen world. However, Jesus warns his disciple that it would actually be better to drown in the sea tied to a large millstone than to be the source or cause of the stumbling of a ‘little one’.  Jesus warns his disciple to watch themselves so that they do not become the means through which a temptation or enticement comes in the lives of others. Jesus says watch out that you don’t become someone else’s excuse not to worship and serve the Lord. (17:1-3)

Now Jesus after warning his disciple against negatively influencing others, he then gives some teaching on sin and forgiveness. First Jesus says that when your ‘brother or sister’ sins against you, then you have an obligation to confront them by rebuking them. This is not heavy handed or harsh, but it gives the offender the opportunity to take responsibility for their sinful actions. We can’t simply avoid them and hold resentment in our hearts, but we must confront for the sake of the relationship and for the good of the offender. Then when they do acknowledge their sin and repent it becomes our responsibility to extend the grace and forgiveness that we have experienced from God himself through Jesus Christ. So we are to rebuke and when they repent we are to forgive. However, we are to continually and repeatedly forgive even when our brother or sister offends us over and over again. The Rabbis of Jesus day said you should forgive up to three times. However, here Jesus says seven times. Also in Matthew 18, when Peter asked if he should forgive seven times Jesus said that it should be seventy seven times. Seven, being a complete number, is however as many times as it takes and this not above or beyond what God extends to us. After all we struggle and fall in the same areas again and again and God forgive us over and over again.

⁵ The apostles found the confronting, rebuking and forgiving of others to be a rather difficult command to accept and so they asked Jesus for more faith. They felt they needed great faith to forgive so many times, but Jesus said that they only needy faith as small as a mustard seed. If they had faith in the right object, faith in the person and work of Messiah Jesus, then they could say to a mulberry tree be uprooted and be planted into the sea. In others words, if someone continually repeats the same sin against us again and again we only need a ‘little gospel faith’ to extend the forgiveness we ourselves have received. This is because God extends his forgiveness to us ‘in Christ’ again and again for we all struggle and sin in the same ways repeatedly. God does not keep a record of wrongs, but he removes our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:11-12). The apostles need persevering and empowering faith to be bold to rebuke and to be patient enough to repeatedly extend the forgiveness of sins to our offenders. We forgive because that is what God has done for us in sending Jesus to live the life we that we should have lived and die the death that we deserve to die.  

Note that this is not about doing impressive miracles such as clearing a piece of property of trees for timbers or in order to construct a building without the need of earth moving equipment. As far as we know, no one has ever literally done that. However, no impediment remains for the extending of the forgiveness of sins for those who have received that abundant grace and forgiveness that is ours through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. In the light of the abundant provision of grace and forgiveness that God has poured out freely upon us ‘in Christ’ who are we to withhold what we have freely received (See Matthew 18:32-33)?

Now Jesus goes on to say that this takes only a little faith placed in the right place, and he also implies that this is not above the call of duty for his followers. He says that a master doesn’t say to his servant who comes in from the field or from watching sheep to sit down and enjoy their dinner. No, the master rightly says, ‘Get things ready, prepare my dinner and wait on me while I eat and drink; then after that you may eat and drink’? In summary Jesus says that the servant ought not to expect to hear their master say thank you for doing what the servant was commanded to do. In other words, we are commanded to rebuke our offenders and to extend forgiveness whenever and wherever it is needed. We are commanded to forgive as we ourselves have been forgiven God (Luke 11:4) and when we do this we are like the ‘unworthy servant’. We are commanded to watch least we cause others to stumble, to rebuke those who sin against us and to extend the forgiveness of sins we have received from God ‘in Christ’. When we do this we have only done our duty! Praise God for enabling us by his grace to obey, but let us not think that we have gone above and beyond what God requires of believers. God forbid, that we think that we have put God in our debt. No, we have only done what God requires of us and we ought to thank him for his super abounding grace!  (17:7-10)

‘Lazarus and the Rich Man’

Luke 16:19–31

In this parable Jesus speaks of a rich man who wore clothing made of expensive purple clothe and fine linen. He dressed like royalty and feasted in luxury like a king.  He lived in a walled compound with a large secure entrance gate. Watchmen with their dogs kept watch as people passed by the gate and visitors went in and out of that gate. There was plenty of foot traffic there since the owner lived in luxury everyday and threw banquets regularly. All these activities made this a place where a poor beggar, named Lazarus, could be laid to beg. The man's parents has given him the name, Lazarus, which means, ‘God has helped’. But his name seemed to mock him for where was the help of God in his life? Had God abandoned Lazarus or had Lazarus abandoned God? He looked forsaken, particularly because his body was covered with sores (Job 2:7). Lazarus seemed to have no comfort in his life. He longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table, but the scrapes were quickly devoured by the rich man’s guard dogs who then like Lazarus' sores. Lazarus quietly endured the harsh and sad reality that was his life. (16:19-21)

By contrast to Lazarus, the rich man lived in luxury and feasted every day. He sat secure inside his compound enjoying all the luxuries associated with royalty. He feasted regularly at his banquet table among his well-respected guests and sat content well-dressed in his fine clothing. Lazarus, on the other hand, sat in misery covered with sores outside the gate among the dogs. He longed to eat the leftover scrapes from the rich man’s table, but the dogs beat him to the scrapes and they licked Lazarus' open sores after they had their fill. Lazarus’ appears to be forsaken by God, while the rich man appears to be living under the blessing and favor of God.  

Every time the 'rich man' left his property to attend meetings and functions he would see the pitiful Lazarus there having been laid at his gate. They lived radically different lives, but in time death came and visited them both. The rich man throughout his lifetime lived in luxury daily, while unemployment, poverty, hunger, physical ailments, and the shame of begging was Lazarus’ daily existence. Lazarus’ appeared to be forsaken by God, but the angels came and carried Lazarus away to the very side of Israel's great patriarch Abraham. Poor Lazarus lived in poverty, experienced hunger, was covered with sores but now he found himself seated at the very side of the blessed friend of God and the Father of Israel, Abraham! Lazarus becomes part of the inner circle who dwelt and dined with Abraham at his very side. The rich man also died and he received a burial. Surely, all the important people were there so the 'rich man' had a long and elaborate funeral. However, while the crowd attended his funeral the rich man sat ironically 'suffering in isolation in hell’. (16:22-24)

The story speaks of a 'great reversal’ after death in which Lazarus is comforted at Abraham’s side and the formerly rich man is in agony in hell. In his torment he could look up and see Abraham far away, with Lazarus by Abraham’s side. Note that Abraham was a wealthy man so let’s not think that having material comforts in this life necessarily means curse in the life to come. At the same time having material comforts in this life does not mean that one is living and will die under the favor of God either. 

The rich man calls to Abraham to pity him and send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool his tongue for he was in agony in fire. Curiously, the man in hell does not humbly ask Lazarus in brokenness and contrition to pity him and help him. Rather he wants Abraham to tell Lazarus to help him. The rich man had passed by Lazarus almost everyday. Sure he knew Lazarus' name, but had grown accustom to regularly ignoring Lazarus in his suffering. Ironically, now the man wants Lazarus to come and comfort him in his agony which is exactly what he refused to do for Lazarus in their earthly lives. Abraham tells the man that he had received good things in his lifetime, while Lazarus had received bad things. However, now things were reversed and Lazarus was comforted and the rich man was in agony.  The man was free to and could have helped Lazarus at anytime he wanted to in life. But now in the afterlife there was a fixed chasm between them which no one could crossover and Lazarus couldn't help him. (16:22-26)

We should remember that 'sin in the heart' seeks to live independently from God. Moreover, we’ve all sinned and our sins separate us from God (Gen.3:5, Isa.59:2, Rom.3:23). Hell is God letting us go our own way and giving us what we want. God will withdraws all His goodness from us if we persist in choosing to live independently from God. The Bible says that in hell there is weeping (Matt 8:12), gnashing of teeth (Matt 13:50), torment (Luke 16:23), flames (Luke 16:24), and darkness (Matt 25:30). The man holds a conscious discussion so this is not literal fire, (dark fire?) but it is conscious torment.

In hell, the formerly rich man who refused to comfort Lazarus now wants Lazarus to come and comfort him. He had no time for the pitiful and unclean Lazarus, with his open sores that were licked by the dogs. Now, however, he wants Lazarus to dip his finger in water and to cool his tongue with the water from his Lazarus’ finger. He wants the transformed and made new Lazarus to cool him off because he is suffering in fire. (16:23-24) Abraham addressed the man respectfully as a son, but reminded him that in his lifetime he had received good things (a fine home, fine foods and clothing) while Lazarus had received bad things.  Abraham talks of a great fixed chasm between where Abraham was and where the man was in torment or agony and that no one could cross over from the one to the other.  

This formerly rich man still sees Lazarus as an inferior who ought to be sent to serve him.  Then he wants Lazarus to be sent back from the dead to warn his five brothers so they would avoid the place of torment. Abraham’s response was that they had Moses and the Prophets so they should listen to them. But even in hell the rich man corrects Abraham implying that the testimony of Moses and the Prophets was inadequate. He tells Abraham that his brothers would repent, but only if someone from the dead came back and warned them to avoid the future agony to which they were headed. In other words, he is claiming that they were given inadequate evidence regarding the severity of the judgment after death. He corrects Abraham and claims that if they experienced a miraculous testimony of someone back from the dead then they would repent.   The man implies that God had given inadequate testimony of himself and that they would repent (Luke 13:1-5, 15:7, 10) if they were given sufficient evidence. According to the man in hell Abraham was wrong and Moses and the Prophets were inadequate. Jesus makes the point from the parable that the word of God is sufficient to lead one to repentance. Moreover, Moses and the Prophets testify to the coming Messiah, that is Jesus himself, so to believe Moses and the Prophets is to trust in Jesus to whom Moses and the Prophets testify (Luke 16:25-31, See Luke 24:27). 

"The Shrewd Unjust Manager!"

Luke 16:1-15  

This is a great, but troubling story. Jesus statements about being faithful with little, being trustworthy with money, and faithful with what belongs to others are challenging and helpful. In addition we are told that we can’t serve two masters. We can have only one ultimate allegiance and we can’t serve both God and money. We are cautioned as Jesus refutes the Pharisees’ love of money and how they sought to justify themselves and their own action in the eyes of men; but God knew their hearts. (16:10-15)

However, this ‘unjust manager’ is commended even though he does not come across as either likable or worthy of praise. That the ‘unjust manager’ is used as an example and that he is commended is troubling. Jesus tells his disciples of a rich man who decided to terminate his manager for misusing his resources. The master called the manager to give an account of his management. Surely the master would not have let the manager go so easily if he was being a ‘good steward’ with the master’s assets. The manager realizes he is being sacked, but as he says he can’t dig and is ashamed to beg. He gets an idea so he calls his master’s debtors and reduces their debts considerably (20 months wages). The manager does this in order to be welcomed into homes once he losses his job. He was clever in looking out for his own interest, but it seems difficult to commend him since he had mismanaging things and he is described as 'unjust’. (16:1-9)

Curiously, the master commends the ‘unjust manager’ for acting shrewdly. This is surprising because the manager reduces the amount that the master’s debtors owed the master. But the master commends the manager for acting shrewdly in the manager’s own interest and to the master’s disadvantage. Some commentators say that the master was likely using an underhanded way of charging his debtors an overage or usury (see Exodus 22:25). If the manager removed the extra ‘interest’ or ‘usury’ than the master could not hold the manager responsible for the reduction without admitting his own wrongdoing. If so than the master may have seen the manager as acting shrewdly in the manager’s own interest and in the interest of the masters’ debtors. The master must have admired the way the manager used the situation in order to win friends that would feel obligated to help the manager once he was out of work.

Oddly, Jesus uses the example of an ‘unjust manager’ to teach his followers something about discipleship. So what can we learn from the ‘unjust manager’. This manager knew he was losing his job. He also knew that he couldn’t dig and that he was ashamed to beg. He called in the master’s debtors and reduced their debts. The masters’ debtors whose debts the manager reduced would be obligated to show the unemployed manager hospitality. Luke tells us that the children of this world are ‘more shrewd’ in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light. Jesus isn’t commending the manager’s dishonesty or the way he acted contrary to the interest of his employer. Jesus commends the manager’s shrewdness in winning friends that would welcome him into their homes. The manager was shrewd in using his position to meet his need to receive temporal hospitality.  

Jesus seems to be exhorting his disciples to use their wealth and influence in the interest of the kingdom and for the good of others. The previous parables would indicate that Jesus was thinking of ‘the lost’ (Luke 15) and ‘the marginalized and outcasts’ who were unable to return favors (14:13-24, 21). Jesus here encourages his disciples, including us, to use wealth in the interest of the kingdom of God. When we invest our resources in people for their good and for God’s glory we are acting ‘shrewdly’ and will receive eternal benefits. (16:8-9)

So the story concludes with appeals to be faithful and trustworthy stewards. What do we learn about being faithful with little things, with other people’s things and with true riches? The master commended the manager for his shrewdness in using his position to influence the debtors to show him favor because he had reduced their debts. Jesus wants us to use our position and our possessions to make friends for ourselves so that we may be received into eternal dwellings and eternal rewards. (Luke 16:8–9) Those unfaithful with little will be unfaithful with much. Those untrustworthy with money cannot be trusted with true riches. Also those who cannot be trustworthy with other people’s things cannot be trusted with their own property. (Luke 16:10–12)

Jesus makes it clear that we cannot serve two masters. You will love and be devoted to one and hate or despise the other or in other. We can only have one ultimate master and we cannot serve both ‘God and Money’. This was not popular talk among the Pharisees because we are told by the narrator (Luke) that the Pharisees’ loved money. So we leave the story with the Pharisees sneering at Jesus and the episode began with the Pharisees grumbling about Jesus associating with ‘tax-collectors and sinners’ (15:1-2). Jesus concludes by confronting these religious leaders for seeking to ‘justify themselves’ in the eyes of men. However, he assures them that God see right through them and knows their hearts and motives are not right. What they valued was looking good in the eyes of people, but the Jesus this was detestable before God!  (16:13-15)

 

The TWO Lost Sons!

LUKE 15:11-32 

Jesus disciples had recognized him as God’s Messiah and so Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem where he would fulfill God’s purpose through his death and resurrection. So Jesus determined to go to Jerusalem and on the way he is imparting his ‘kingdom vision’ to his disciples who would carry on his ‘mission’ after his departure (Luke 9:31, 51). Jesus had gathered a ‘new twelve’ around himself, but there was also a growing opposition among the ‘religious leaders’. Jesus’ claimed authority to forgive sins, he disregarded their 'Sabbath interpretations’ and he associated with ‘tax-collectors and sinners’. These became part of a growing division between Jesus and the ‘religious authorities of his day’.

Remember that in Luke 15 "tax collectors and sinners” are gathering to hear Jesus, while the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were muttering, “this man welcomes sinners and eats with them (15:1-2).” So Jesus tells a parable of a shepherd who searches for his one lost sheep and gathers his friends to celebrate when he finds it. This is followed by a parable of a woman who loses one of her ten coins. She searches her house and when she finds the lost coin she gathers her friends to celebrate. Both stories conclude with comments about heaven rejoicing over 'repentant sinner’ (15:3-10). Again, among his original audience we find these ‘scribes and Pharisees’ who are actually angry that ‘sinners’ were drawing near to hear Jesus.

So Jesus tells a story of a man with two sons (15:11-32). The younger son asks for his share of the estate. Evidently, he was more interested in his father’s wealth than being with his father and enjoying fellowship with his father. Surprisingly, the father divides the estate between his sons. The younger son gathers all his things and leaves for a distant country. There he wastes his wealth on wild living and a famine strikes that land. He takes the lowly and ‘unclean’ work of feeding pigs and even longs to eat the pods the pigs were eating. He decides to return to his father. His plan is to acknowledge his sin against heaven and against his father and he hopes to become like one of his father’s workers.

While he was still a long way off his father sees him with eyes of compassion and runs to his wayward son and embraces him. Having received his father’s kiss, the son confesses his sin and says how he is not worthy to be called the father’s son. The father has the best robe put on his son, a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. They kill the fatten calf and the Father throws a big party to celebrate the return of his lost son. The father had given his disrespectful son what he wanted and he had left his father and wasted his wealth. Yet, when that son returned his father had been waiting and watching for his lost son. The father runs and embraces his son and will hear nothing of being a ‘hired worker’ and reinstates his son and celebrates his return.

The older son returns from the field and hears singing and dancing. When he finds out that his father had killed the fattened calf to celebrate his brother’s return the older son becomes angry and refused to celebration. The father comes out and pleads with the older brother to come in and join the celebration. But the older brother claims to have slaved for his father for years and to have never disobeyed his father’s orders. He had ‘slaved for his father’ and ‘never disobeyed his father’s orders’, but hadn’t received even a young goat to celebrate with his friends. On the other hand, the ‘wayward and wasteful’ son was receiving a feast with a ‘fattened calf’ and the older son was anger and refused to come in (15:25-30).

The Father says that the older son was always with him and that everything he had belonged to the older son, but they had to celebrate because the brother was dead and was now alive, he was lost and was now found. The older brother sees himself as ‘faithful’ as if that put the father in debt to the older son. But, the older son lacks genuine loving devotion with his father. For him working with his father was 'slavery' and 'obeying orders’.

In reality, both sons were void of any real love and devotion to their father. They didn’t want relationship with the father. What they wanted was the father’s estate. They just had two different methods of getting what they wanted. The younger said, ‘give me my share and I’m out of here’. The older son said, ‘I’ve been your slave and have obeyed your orders so you owe me what I want’. The younger son came to his senses, returned to his father and saw himself as unworthy and undeserving. So the question is will the older son see the errors of his ways? Will the older son repent of his ‘works righteousness’ and his ‘demanding spirit’?

The bottom-line for Jesus’ original audience was will the ‘scribes and Pharisees’ repent and celebrate that the ‘sinners’ are coming to Jesus. For us today, we can easily seek to be, as Tim Keller says, seeking to be our own ‘Lord and Savior’. We can do this by running away from God and doing our own thing, or we can do it by being ‘very religious’ and doing good things for the wrong reasons. The later method leads to a ‘self-righteousness’ that can become very self-deceptive. We can be good in an attempt to put God in our debt. We can seek God’s favor without having to repent and without any real loving relationship with God Himself.  

Uncompromising Commitment!

Luke 14:25-35

So large crowds are following Jesus. Jesus turns to them and tells the crowd that to be his disciple they have to hate father, mother, spouse, children, brothers and sisters and life itself. He adds that unless a person will carry their cross and follow Jesus they cannot be his disciple. How can Jesus say we have to hate our close relatives and our own lives to be his disciple? Elsewhere Jesus tells us to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. He even calls us to love our enemies (Luke 6:27, 10:27).  Clearly we are to love others as ourselves, but even more so we are to love God with all that we have and with all that are within us. Jesus also says that to serve two masters is to hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other (Luke 16:13). Evidently, Jesus is calling his disciples to follow him with the same level of devotion reserved for God Himself. Jesus is calling his disciples to love him as they love God and he will have no rivals. Matthew helps us to bring this all together? Matthew says that ‘whoever loves father or mother more than Jesus is not worthy of Jesus, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Jesus is not worthy of Jesus (Matthew 10:37).

This total allegiance to which Jesus is calling his disciples requires that we ‘count the cost’ of following him. After all we don’t want to water down our commitment so that we become poor examples, rather than a positive witness. So Jesus gives two scenarios in which potential followers are to sit and evaluate the cost of entering into a serious venture. In the first scenario you sit down and determine if you have the resources to build a tower. If the foundation is laid but the job is not completed due to a lack of funds, then those seeing the unfinished structure will mock and ridicule you (14:28-30). In the second scenario a king about to go to war sits to consider whether he is able to oppose the one coming against him with twice the number of troops. If not, he’ll send a delegation and ask for terms of peace. This followed by Jesus exhorts to his audience that they must give up everything to be Jesus’ disciple (14:31-33).

Again, we find Jesus calling followings to the highest level of commitment. All other relationships by comparison are like hate by contrast to the loyalty Jesus requires. He even calls us to be willing to die for him (14:26-27). Discipleship means allegiance to Jesus above all other claims. Disciples must be prepared to deny themselves and count the cost to avoid being like the foolish builder who runs out of funds or the army commander fails to evaluate the strength of the army opposing him. This section ends with words about salt being good, but when it loses its saltiness it isn’t even good enough for the soil or the manure pile. To start only to abandon the cause in tough times is like salt which has lost its taste and cannot be made useful again.

Why would anyone seeking followers for new movement make such extreme demands upon potential followers? Do you want to follow Jesus? You’ll have to put Jesus above family, give up your possessions, and pick up the implement of our own execution and follow Jesus! While Jesus is not denying the importance of family, he is saying that everything else must be put at risk for the sake of the kingdom. Followers of Jesus may be called to give up everything for the cause in order to overcome the opposition. The two pictures, the tower and the battle, both paint vivid pictures of the commitment needed.

Note that Israel was to be salt of the earth. They were to be the people through whom God’s world was to be kept wholesome and life was to be desirable and tasty. First century Israel was given this all-or-nothing challenge to either be the ‘salt of the earth’ or face their own ruin in devastating battle (A.D.70). This was true of first century Israel, but it is also a call to all the ‘followers of Jesus’ from any age to give Jesus our total allegiance. Our relationship with Jesus must be foremost and this is why the story ends with Jesus’ exhortation that if we don’t renounce all that we have we cannot be his disciple. (Luke 14:33)

'The Feast and the Full House'

Luke 14:1–24 

Jesus went for a Sabbath meal at the home of a leading Pharisee. The guests were watching Jesus, and right before Jesus was a man whose body was swollen.

Why would this prominent Pharisee invite Jesus to his house for meal on the Sabbath? Was he a sincere seeking or was this a set up? Jesus was being carefully watched and he found himself before a man whose body or limbs were abnormally swollen. Jesus knows that everyone is watching him and remember that a synagogue ruler had recently become indignant when Jesus healed a woman on the Sabbath (13:14). Jesus asks the scribes and Pharisees if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, but they say nothing. So Jesus heals the man, sends him on his way and then says, “Which of you, if your child or animal fell into a well, wouldn’t pull him out immediately, whether or not it was the Sabbath?”  Again they have nothing to say. (14:1-6)

Next we find Jesus assessing the situation at the dinner table. The guests are taking the places of honor at the table. Jesus tells them a story in which they are not to take the places of honor at the table or the host may give their seat to someone more important; which would be culturally humiliating. Instead, one should take the least desirable seat. Then the host may say, ‘Friend, take a better seat’ and you’ll be honored.  The Jesus quotes a prominent concept found throughout scripture, ‘the humble will be exalted and the exalted will be humbled’ (Ezekiel 21:26, James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6).

Jesus is not concerned about dinner etiquette. Nor is Jesus presenting a more wise way to gain respect at a social function. This is not an alternative way to get recognition. Jesus is concerned about the Kingdom of God. He is denouncing an attitude of superiority. He is opposed to thinking of oneself as better or superior to others and the desire to be exalted in the eyes of others. For Jesus those who exalt themselves will be humbled and humble will be exalted; this is taught throughout scripture. (14:7-11)

Then Jesus addresses the one hosting the meal. Jesus tells him not to invite his friends, family and rich neighbors to dinner because they will simply return the favor. Instead Jesus says to invite the poor, the disabled and the disadvantaged who cannot return the favor.  They cannot return the favor, so the reward will come at the ‘resurrection of the righteous’. (14:12-14) This would have been as foreign back then, as it seems to us today. For Jesus, the ‘Kingdom of God’ is not about trying to obligate others and to get invited to parties or being seated in prominent seats. Such behavior is merely exchange and as a lifestyle it’s an empty pursuit.  Jesus’ point is that inviting those who can never repay reflects God’s other-centered love. No matter what our status, we are to identify with the disabled and disadvantaged because we are no better than them. Even if we have good health and economically privilege we are all spiritually impoverish. God’s people must know and demonstrate that all people are in need of the ‘grace of God’. Of course this takes faith; if we do this we will only be repaid—at the resurrection of dead!  

Then a guest said, “Blessed are those who will eat at the feast in God’s kingdom!” So Jesus tells a story of a man who invites many guests to dinner party. He sends his servant to the invited guests, saying, ‘Come, all is ready.’ But those invited make excuses. The first has bought property and needs to see it. Another has bought five teams of oxen, and needs to check them out. Still another has just been married and can’t come. The master is outraged and tells the servant to go gather the disadvantaged and the disabled. The servant says that this has been done and there was still room. The master tells the servant to go out compel them to come because the master wants his house full and says that those invited will not get even a taste of his banquet. In the parable those originally invited rudely snub the invitation to a splendid party, but the host is determined to have guests at his table. With the original guests disqualifying themselves, others are invited and coxed in to taking their places. (14:15-14)

Remember that Jesus has been going around Galilee summoning people to God’s great supper. Israel had been invited and they were waiting for the coming kingdom. And yet, most of them refused Jesus’ kingdom. However, others were delighted to be included. The poor, the disadvantaged, the disabled have responded to Jesus and have been celebrating with Jesus. The invited guests were the Jews, but most of them turned away when the time had come. The majority of the nation turned down Jesus’ invitation, so he gathered the poor, the outcasts, the misfits, the disadvantaged and he disabled. God’s messengers are sent out into all kinds of places in order to round up the unexpected people to join in the party—people with every possible cultural, social, ethnic and ethical background.  If people wanted to be included in Jesus’ movement, this is the sort of thing they were joining.

Since those invited were distracted and didn’t make the kingdom a priority. The host turns to the city streets and the back roads to bring in the disadvantaged, the marginalized and the disabled. The insiders are out and the outsider and outcasts are in. This is the challenge that comes to us today. Christians today are called to celebrate God’s kingdom in ways that the people at the bottom economically and socially find the invitation to be good news. The party guests are expected to become like the party host and invite the outsiders and outcasts and to compel them to come in!

 

 

The Door and the City (Luke 13:22-35)

Jesus is teaching in the towns and villages as he heads to Jerusalem. When someone asks Jesus if only a few people would be saved, Jesus tells them, "make every effort to enter through the narrow door". So Jesus essentially tells them not to worry about that, but to make every effort to enter through the narrow door. They are to make every effort to enter because the owner at some point will get up and close the door. Then some of his hearers stand knocking and pleading only to hear the owner say, "I don’t know you or where you’re from”. They say they ate and drank with the owner, and that he had taught in our streets. However, the owner says, ‘I don’t know you… away from me, you evildoers!’ (13:22-27)

So Jesus is determined to reach Jerusalem (13:22, 13:33). On his way he is on a teaching through the towns and villages. Someone asks if only a few people will be saved (13:23). Jesus answers saying essentially, ‘Don’t worry about how many will be included, rather make every effort to be included because one has to enter through a narrow door and at the last day many will be unable to enter (13:24–30). They claim to have shared table fellowship with him and to have heard his teachings. However, this was superficial at best because the owner will say, "away from me, I never knew you". There is no relationship there, no real knowledge and he refers to them as evildoers. Few in Jesus’ day would end up following the ‘suffering servant’ as Messiah. However, we have to realize that in the end a vast multitude gather which no one can measure gather around the Lord (Revelation 7:9-10).

Jesus goes on to say that there will be ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ when they see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with all the prophets in the kingdom of God and they are left outside. These superficial acquaintances with Jesus end up excluded from the kingdom and yet people come from east, west, north and south to take their seats at the feast in the kingdom of God. Some who are first will be last and some who are last will be first. This reversal in Luke’s gospel likely means that those last to hear about Jesus are entering first and those invited first, well may not enter at all. The insiders enter last if at all, but the Jewish outcasts, the Samaritans and even Gentiles are entering before those who were originally invited. For example, the ‘devout’ Pharisees knew of a coming Messiah, but they didn’t follow Jesus, the Messiah God actually sent. (13:28-30)

These Pharisees come and tell Jesus to leave because Herod wanted him dead. Evidently, Jesus is still in Herod’s domain and they want Jesus to leave their area. However, Jesus tells them to go back and tell Herod that he would continue to drive out demons and heal people until he reaches his goal.  Jesus is not afraid of Herod or of death, but God’s plan is for Jesus to fulfill God’s purpose in Jerusalem; his exodus! (Luke 9:31, 13:31-33)

Some Pharisees warn Jesus to flee from Herod, but Jesus responds with disdain by calling Herod ‘that fox’ (13:31-32). Herod wants to kill Jesus, but Jesus knows that it is God’s plan for him to fulfill God’s kingdom purpose by his death in Jerusalem. This will be according to God’s will and not that of Herod. Jesus is committed to God’s will, but his heartaches for Jerusalem. He cries out, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing” (13:33-34). Jesus’ tears depict for us his lovely desire to gather Jerusalem’s children, is motherly care which he describes ‘as a hen gathering her chicks under her wings.’

Jesus weeps for Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and who stoned to death those sent to her. Jesus has longed to gather Jerusalem’s children as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. Has been willing all along to gather them, but Jesus says that they were not willing. Jesus came to ‘his own’ but they received him not' and yet those who did receive him, he gave the right to be children of God (John 1:11–12). God sent the Anointed Davidic Messianic King, but they refused him and therefore their house would be left to them desolate. The story ends with Jesus’ claim that they would not see him again until they say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” (13:34-35)

Jesus’ warning here may seem a bit unreasonable. It may seem unfair to us for the householder to shut the door on some people and to protest that he never knew them. Yet, as Jesus goes about his mission, he has been holding open the gate of the kingdom and urging people to enter it. The door isn’t wide and one day the door will be shut, so the message it to be responded to because the door will not be open indefinitely. There will come a time when the door shuts and and then it will be too late. Jesus is the final messenger and if he is refused, there will be no further opportunity. If one fails to respond to Jesus’ call, and thinks because they once shared a meal with Jesus or heard his teaching, then they will be badly mistaken. It is dangerous to linger around the gates to the kingdom of God, only to discover that by not responding one ends up excluded.

Jesus uses the picture of a hen gathering her chicks under her wings to protect them. In a fire a hen will gather and shelter her chicks under her wings at the expense of their own life. After a fire a scorched hen can be found with live chicks sheltered under her wings. She gives her life to save her own. It is a vivid image of what Jesus longed to do for Jerusalem. This picture of the hen and her chicks is the strongest statement so far in Luke of what Jesus death would accomplish. Another threat to the hen and its chicks is the predator, particularly in this case the fox. Herod, the puppet of Rome, is a treat to the people and no king of the Jews. The Pharisees may have been secretly hoping to get rid of Jesus, wanting him out of their territory. But Jesus has a destiny to fulfill, so he will continue his work and bring it to completion according to plan in Jerusalem (9:22, 44; 12:50).

Jesus’ destiny, then, is to go to Jerusalem and die, risking the threats of the fox, and adopting the role of the mother hen who dies to save her little ones. But Jerusalem has a long history of rebelling against God, refusing the way of peace. Would Jerusalem avoid it own pending destruction or would they welcome Jesus as God’s Messiah? The story was an urgent summons to repent and to embrace Messiah Jesus. Jerusalem would reject Jesus, God's king and our savior. Jesus gives himself in our place and on our behalf, and we must enter through this narrow door. While this door remains open we are to do what Jerusalem failed to do. We are to turn in trust to Jesus who conquers sin and death by becoming the 'suffering servant' in the cross in Jerusalem on our behalf.