Luke 16: "The Shrewd Manager" Okay,,, who read this and was totally confused? My hand is up! Was Jesus commending the stealing, cheating manager? Hmmm... I had to dig into this more!
I found this information, which helped me to understand...
"The point Jesus is trying to make is this... We live in a material world surrounded by material resources. While these things are temporal and have limited value, they can be used in a way that produces eternal value. We should first recognize that God is the owner of all, and we are therefore His stewards. He has entrusted His resources to us, not only to provide for our needs and for those of our dependents, but also to allow us the opportunity to invest in eternal things. We should be carefully looking for ways in which we can use temporal, material things to invest in eternity. (This is done by considering ways in which we can impact people--eternal souls--for Christ.) It wasn't the deceit that He was commending, but rather the wisdom and resourcefulness. (In other words, if even worldly, deceitful sinners have enough wisdom to be so resourceful, certainly you, my disciples, can learn a lesson and be resourceful and wise, as well.) Imagine the shame of a Christian who wastes the immense potential that wealth and material things contain--the potential to impact others for good, the potential to effect people in a positive way. If even non-believers understand this principal, how much more should we!"
Okay... I feel better... do you? :-)
The Rich Man and Lazarus... As another parable I do not believe this is a real person, nor a real situation, but a parable to make a point... and the point is...?
Well, there is the lesson that where your heart is there you will be in the end. And, of course, God is justice. My favorite line in this parable is from Abraham... "If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets they won't listen EVEN IF SOMEONE RISES FROM THE DEAD." I put the all caps and wonder why my bible doesn't have at least an exclamation point at the end of that sentence! Can anyone say, "Jesus!"
Chapter 17:
This chapter starts with one of the most healing set of verses for me in the entire bible... as a little one terribly hurt by my stepfather and not ready to forgive (many years ago) I read... it is better for a millstone to be wrapped around his neck and thrown into the sea than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones..(me?). And then God says I am to forgive. Hard fact. Not forgiving to let someone off of their responsibility. Never to say, I forgive you... it was nothing. No, it says to rebuke him, but forgive him. Say... you have hurt me beyond measure, but God is good. He tells me to forgive and I will be forgiven. It is His to judge. He loves me and has taught me not to hold on to unforgiveness. It is not good for me or for those around me. He wants my best and He says to forgive so with my mouth I forgive you, my heart will follow. And it did. Amen!
Faith of a mustard seed... So many people misuse this set of verses! It doesn't say go around and demand God to do things to test Him or to make yourself look better! It doesn't say that if what you ask for does not come to be then you have no faith! What it does say is that you may ask the impossible in His name and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is in His power to do as you requested. And don't look for praise when you ask and it comes to be (like the television head boppers!). It is not about YOU it is about the power of the Lord! Keep the faith folks! I HAVE SEEN MIRACLES HAPPEN IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TOOK TO PRAY A PRAYER! Trust me, God hasn't pulled out of the miracle business! Thank you, Lord!
Next the ten lepers... it is sad to see that 1/10th of them was healed both on the outside and the inside. 9/10th of them missed the bigger miracle...a saving faith in Jesus!
The Coming of the Kingdom... I believe that when Jesus was saying "the kingdom of God is among you" He was saying that as long as believers are here we are experiencing the kingdom of God. You can't see it with your human eyes, it is the Spirit of God in each of His own children. But the time is coming that the Spirit of God will be removed from the earth (we will talk further in this paragraph about that). First the Son of Man (Jesus) will suffer and be rejected. After that Jesus won't be physically with us in body form, but His Spirit will be here and there will be false prophets... (Satan is always ready with a false prophet! He doesn't know when the time will be either!) Be very careful. Jesus said that when He comes again everyone will know it, it won't be talked about and passed on... EVERYONE will know it beyond any doubt! (Still talking about the Second Coming). Then I believe He changes gears and describes the "rapture"... as in Noah's day, and as in Lot's day, be prepared for the gathering to Himself. ("That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken away, and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.") I am not dogmatic about this, but I believe with all my heart that He has shown us mercy in the past (Noah and Lot are examples). I believe He will allow destruction only after His own are removed. Then shifting back into Second Coming mode the Pharisees ask... "When will this (The Second Coming of Jesus) happen?" Jesus' answer... When you see the signs (the rapture) the end is near and no one will miss seeing Jesus at the Second Coming. Again, I am not dogmatic, but this is what I believe the passage to be saying. Hope that makes sense to you.
And Luke 18
I find...
- Persistence pays off! Don't give up praying!
- When He returns how many will he find faithful?
- The Pharisee and the tax collector parable makes me think of the song by Amy Grant... "Better Than A Hallelujah!" (The honest cries of a breaking heart are better than a hallelujah) Getting right with God means having a humble spirit, coming to Him sorrowful for our sins and with reverence to Him in our heart.
- Children coming to Jesus always gets to me! I came to Him as a child. I was being discouraged by the adults in my life not to go to church. Jesus sent a bus ministry to me. The ministering hearts of a loving church brought me to Jesus as a child, that is where my faith blossomed! I will forever be thankful!
- The rich man breaks my heart! He put money over a relationship with Jesus. Jesus knew the need in this man's heart and went straight to the problem. If Jesus looked at someone else He may not have said get rid of the money... remember He knows the heart... He might have said "Get rid of the food", "Get rid of the alcohol", "Get rid of the ..." you name it! Whatever stops full devotion to God is the problem! But verse 25 clarifies... "What is impossible from a human perspective is possible with God"... I hope this means that the rich young man figured it out! :-)
- Jesus predicts His death... and they did not get it! They must not have remembered it even after the crucifixion! Hard to grasp, I know. Seems that would be something to really be watchful for! In this case I say... if we are no better than His disciples we will not be prepared for the rapture! He told us about it. I hope I have the sense to pay heed!
- And lastly Jesus heard the blind beggar and saw his faith. He can hear me and He sees my faith too. That is comforting!
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