40 Days of Jesus ~ Day 32 (Luke 16)

by Roseanna White | Mar 17, 2016 | Bible Study

Luke 16

He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So
he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an
account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’
3 “Then
the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is
taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’
5 “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred measures[a] of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures[b] of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 So
the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.
For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the
sons of light.
9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail,[c] they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?
13 “No
servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love
the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.”

I don’t recall ever being baffled by this one before, so maybe it’s just that I’m reading it before my morning coffee, LOL, but . . . this passage is confusing me this morning. He tells us to make friends with unrighteous mammon (I’m assuming that’s money?) and be faithful with it so that we’ll be trusted with true riches.

I had to actually read a commentary on this, which I generally avoid, but I’m glad I did here. The word for “unrighteous mammon” is a Syriac term, not a Greek or Hebrew term, referring to a god worshiped as wealth personified, often gained through dishonest means. Said commentator says the “by” is better translated as “with,” as in using. Make friends using ill-got means–i.e., do good with it, use it to serve others rather than yourself, and when it fails (some Greek texts read “when you fail” others “when it fails.” I think “it” makes much more sense here!) you will find a better reward.

The Law, the Prophets, and the Kingdom

14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, “You
are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.
For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of
God.
16 “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.
18 “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell[d] from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 “Then
he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus
that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I
am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But
Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your
good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted
and you are tormented. 26 And
besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so
that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from
there pass to us.’
27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead. The Pharisees have the Law, but though they’ve read the letter and added their own letter over the year, they’ve missed the spirit of it. They’ve missed that they should first and foremost love God and serve Him. So if they have deafened their ears to that truth, they won’t hear Jesus either, even though he rises from the dead.

40 Days of Jesus ~ Day 31 (Luke 15)

by Roseanna White | Mar 16, 2016 | Bible Study

Luke 15

Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4 “What
man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not
leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is
lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I
say to you that likewise there will be more Joy in heaven over one
sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no
repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins,[a] if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is Joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Lost Son

11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And
not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed
to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But
when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired
servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
20 “And
he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off,
his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and
kissed him. 21 And
the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your
sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring[b] out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And
he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him
safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his
father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never
transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a
young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”

I didn’t really expect anything new to jump out at me in the prodigal son story–I mean really, how many times have I read/heard this??–but it did!

First was that he came to himself when the wayward son is feeding the pigs. That he knew this all along. The truth was buried deep inside. He knew the way. He knew the good. He knew what he ought  to do. He’d just been ignoring it. Now, obviously this wouldn’t have been true had he not been a son of the house. Had he not already known his father, his father’s love and mercy, how graciously he treated even his servants. So as a parable go, it really does apply more to those who grow up hearing about God than to those are introduced to him later in life.

But what jumped out at me next is about the son who stayed. He refused to go in to the banquet. He was standing there, looking at the reward, looking at the celebration, and he refused to go in because it had never been offered for him.

I get pride. This makes perfect sense for me. I mean, there I am toiling and working for the man, and then my pipsqueak, stupid brother shows back up after having wasted years and dollars, and he gets a party? Yeah, angry pride is easy to understand here.

But . . . but why did he want a goat? To make merry with his friends. He doesn’t even refer to his brother as his brother, but as “this son of yours.” This dude may be the heir of all that’s left, but he doesn’t have the same heart that his father does, right? Where is his gladness that his brother’s alive? Where is his love? Where is his graciousness? Where is his mercy?

Yes, I get pride–and I know it’s a failure. Because as long as it fills your heart, it keeps you standing outside, looking in at all that God has in store for you.

40 Days of Jesus ~ Day 28 (Luke 12)

by Roseanna White | Mar 12, 2016 | Bible Study

Luke 12

In
the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered
together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His
disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore
whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and
what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the
housetops.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God

4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But
I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has
killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!
6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?[a] And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men

8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
10 “And
anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven
him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be
forgiven.
11 “Now
when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities,
do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should
say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness,[b] for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But
God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you;
then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Is Jesus peeking into 21st century America here, or what? So much of our attention is on providing for ourselves. Our retirement plans and insurance, mortgages and home equity loans so we can build a new garage or add on to our house or put in a swimming pool. We have set our bar by the presidential promise of “a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage” instead of in Jesus’s warning–that prosperity will gain you nothing. that, in fact . . . 

Do Not Worry

22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider
the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither
storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you
than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider
the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to
you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things[c] shall be added to you.
32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell
what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not
grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief
approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Did you catch that duplication of the word treasure? In verse 21, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” and here in 34, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Where is our treasure? Oh, we know the right answer. But is it a true one?

I nearly didn’t interject this here though, because I don’t think the section should be separated from the next part. To my mind, this answers the question of how we keep our focus, our treasure where it needs to be–we serve God, wait on Him, and do His work:

The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant

35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 and
you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will
return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to
him immediately. 37 Blessed are
those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.
Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down
to eat, and will come and serve them. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and[d] not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 But
if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’
and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink
and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But
he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall
be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much
will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will
ask the more.

Christ Brings Division

49 “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! 51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father
will be divided against son and son against father, mother against
daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her
daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Discern the Time

54 Then He also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. 55 And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. 56 Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?

Make Peace with Your Adversary

57 “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? 58 When
you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along
the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge
deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”