LUKE 16

 Jesus told a parable of the corrupt rich man and his wicked servant. 

A rich man had a steward who was wasting his goods; therefore, the man was going to fire him. The steward knew he was not willing to do any labor, and he was ashamed to beg. However, he was not abashed to steal from his master. 

In order to have somewhere else to go after he was fired, he visited the debtors of his master and asked  how much they owed. One owed 100 measures of oil and one owed 100 measures of wheat. He told them to rewrite the bills for 50 and 80 respectfully. Then the rich man commended his steward for being crafty. The moral was that most unbelievers are wiser in the ways of the world than some believers are towards the things of God.

Jesus explained that the corrupt steward used his master's money to make friends, whereas believers should use God's money to build friendships in heaven. Invest in the gospel to bring unbelievers to Christ. The point is that worldly people know how to protect themselves against evil and difficulty in the world. Believers should be even more so shrewd for dealing with heavenly matters.

Then Jesus talked about money, explaining that man cannot serve both money and God. He cannot have two masters or he will hate one and love the other. 

Of course, the Pharisees, being lovers of money, hated Jesus for His words. He told them they only cared about what people thought of them, but God knew their hearts. What man esteems on earth is an abomination against God. 

The Law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached and everyone is pressing into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail. 

Jesus spoke about divorce and said that any man who divorces his wife and marries another, he commits adultery; and if a man marries a divorced woman, that is also adultery.

Then Jesus told the parable of the rich man and a poor man. A poor man named Lazarus sat at the gate of a rich man. Both of the men died. Lazarus was carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham, but the rich man was tormented in Hades. While there was an abyss between the two places, the rich man begged Abraham to give him relief from the flames, but Abraham could not help him. He reminded him that he had his time of pleasure -- his best life -- while Lazarus suffered. Now it was Lazarus time to be comforted while he (the rich man) suffered. 

The man asked Abraham to at least send Lazarus back from the dead to his five brothers to tell them of the time of torment being true, that they would repent and be saved. But Abraham told him they would not believe because they did not believe moses or the prophets. So, no. 

COMMENTARY

Again, the rich man and his steward in the above parable are worldly men. Jesus doesn't always use stories about good men. Worldly men hate believers because they hate God. Remember, Jesus said: "If the world hates you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:18-19). 

The steward lived by the "law of life," and the first commandment of the world is self-preservation. When the steward found out that he had been caught misappropriating his master's funds, he worked immediately to preserve himself by making connections with other worldly people when he was out of work. He did not repent of his wickedness, and he was too good to do labor and too proud to beg. So he cut a few deals with those who owed money to his master. And in the end, even the worldly rich man approved of his steward's evil dealings. 

How does this apply to believers? We are stewards of God's blessings and we should operate even more shrewdly than worldly men for earthly things. We should pray for God to help us to be wise and willing to use His blessings, be they wealth or ability or time or talents, to invest in the things of heaven, especially in the gospel and bringing more people to salvation. 

ABOUT DIVORCE

This is pretty clear about divorce and adultery; however, one should cross reference this with Matthew 19 and 1 Corinthians 7. Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, at this time, and they were under the Law, making it greater than God's Law. 

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS

McGee pointed out that the lost go directly to a place of conscious torment, where they are aware of their identities and people they know. The word hell is in the Greek word hadēs, which means "the unseen world." Hell is not occupied, yet, and its first occupants will be the Antichrist and the false prophet. 

Death means separation, not extinction. When man sinned, he began to die, which is a separation from God. People are spiritually dead while they physically live. That is why we are dead in our traspasses and sins. The second death is a spiritual death, and it means eternal separation from God. When people die, there is a physical death of the body and it is buried; while the spirit leaves the body. 

Hell or Hadēs is divided into two places: in this parable, one is called Paradise or Abraham's Bosom, and the other is a place of unrest and torment. Paradise was emptied when Christ (at His ascension) took Old Testament believers who had died already (see Eph. 4:8-10) to be with Him. The place of torment will deliver up the lost for judgment at the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15). The Lost will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death. 

When the rich man died, his spirit went to the place of torment and Lazarus went to the place called Paradise (Abraham's Bosom). Now the rich man became the beggar and the beggar became a rich man. 

Today when a man dies, according to his heart and relationship with Christ, believers will go to be with Christ (2 Cor 5:8), but unbelievers will go to the place of torment to await their final judgment (Eph 4:8-10). After His crucifiction, Jesus descended into Hadēs, He entered Paradise, emptied it, and took everyone there (all those who believed in God's promise/OT saints) into God's presence. There is no one in that section anymore because their spirits are all with Jesus. Only the section of torment is occupied with unbelievers awaiting judgment. 

And finally, the rich man was concerned for his brothers because he knew they would end up in the same place of torment and he wished to warn them, but Abraham knew they would still not believe a dead man if they did not believe the prophets of old. 

Lazarus and the Rich Man, 11th c. 

 

Mark 10

 Jesus went to Judea where the Pharisees questioned him about divorce, hoping to trap Him, but He answered them with a question: "What did Moses command you?" They replied that Moses permitted divorce. 

Jesus explained that it was because of the hardness of their hearts that Moses permitted divorce, but truly, from the beginning of creation, 

God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.

Later the disciples asked Him about divorce, and Jesus explained that whoever divorces and marries another commits adultery. 

Next, people brought their children to Jesus to bless them, and His disciples tried to turn them away. However, Jesus taught them that the kingdom of God is like this, and those who are like children receive the kingdom. Therefore, He held the children and blessed them. 

Then a rich young ruler ran to Jesus, calling Him good, and knelt before Him, asking how he may inherit eternal life. Jesus asked why he called Him good when only God is good. He questioned him about the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, or lie, honor your parents. The young man said he had kept them from his youth. 

Jesus loved him (with empathy) and told him then to give all he had to the poor and he would have treasure in heaven; take up the cross and follow Him. But the young man became sad and went away because he had "great possessions."

Jesus told His disciples that it is difficult to have wealth and enter the kingdom of God. How difficult it is to trust in wealth. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. The disciples pondered: "Who then can be saved?" And Jesus replied: 

With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

Peter, always the spokesmen of the disciples, noted that they had done what He had told the young ruler to do. Jesus responded that there is eternal reward for those who leave their earthly desires, suffer persecution, and follow Him. 

As they were going up to Jerusalem, Jesus told them again of His betrayal, suffering, death and resurrection, and they were afraid. Then James and John asked that Jesus would permit them to sit on either side of Him in glory, but Jesus told them that they did not know what they asked or if they were able to drink the cup that He was about to drink. He told them that where they are in glory is not His to give, but whomever is, he is being prepared now. 

Of course, the other disciples were annoyed with James and John, but Jesus assured them that whoever wants to be first must be a servant or slave of all and give his life a ransom for many. 

Finally, in this chapter, Jesus healed Bartimaeus, and he got up and followed Jesus.  

COMMENTARY

MARRIAGE

When the Pharisees asked Jesus about divorce, Jesus flipped their focus onto marriage. God created marriage. Any violation of marriage is sin, in God's eyes. He never intended for divorce. However, He permits divorce for unfaithfulness or sexual immorality or fornication; yet, He still hates divorce. And furthermore, even if people get divorced, for any reason, they can still be forgiven of that sin.

The problem actually regarding marriage is that people do not take marriage seriously and should not get married in the first place. If couples solemnly understood marriage, they would let God arrange their marriage for them, when and with whom. 

DEITY OF JESUS

When the rich young ruler referred to Jesus as good, Jesus asked him why he called Him good when only God is good. He wanted him to think about what he had said because he was correct. Jesus is God and He is good. 

He also gave him an opportunity to give up what he was trusting in most: his earthly riches. The young man went away sad because he did not want to give his wealth up for Jesus. All of us need to examine ourselves to see what earthly things are we are trusting in more or clinging to more than Jesus. That is what keeps us from following Jesus completely and fully. 

credit: lifeway 

 

John 8

Again, in the temple, Jesus was teaching the people, when the Scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Him and accused her of being caught in the very act of adultery. (Notice they did not bring the second party, the man!) According to Moses, this woman should be stoned. They wanted to know what Jesus thought, that they may accuse Him of offending the Law. But Jesus ignored them. They pressed Him more. Then He told them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." 

I guess they all were in sin (probably even adultery) themselves, because they were "convicted by their conscience," and they all left, one by one. Jesus then told the woman that He did not condemn her either (BUT) to "go and sin no more."

Again, Jesus told the people that He was the Light of the World. "He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." The Pharisees sought to argue and contradict Him, but He continued:

Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, My judgement is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. 

They did not know the Father, whom they said they did. But Jesus told them that if they had known Jesus, they would have known the Father. He told them that their father is of this world, the devil. And He warned them that they will die in their sins. 

He also told the Jews who did believe Him that "if they abide in His word, they are His disciples; and they shall know the truth, and the truth shall make them free." But the unbelievers challenged Him, saying, "How can You say You will be made free?" (They believed they were free.) But Jesus assured them that anyone who sins is already a slave of sin. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

The Pharisees were confused and did not understand Jesus' words. They could not understand because they did not want to know Him or the Father because their hearts were for the desires of the devil, to sin  and to do evil. "He who is of God hears God's words..."

Next they tried to accuse Jesus of having a demon. Jesus explained that if anyone kept His word he shall never see death. This opened a new argument because the Jews wanted to know why Abraham and the prophets died if they were of God. Jesus told them that Abraham "rejoiced to see [Jesus] day, and he saw it and was glad." But they did not understand that Abraham and the prophets taught of the coming day of the Savior, and they live because they believed. 

What really boiled the blood of the unbelievers was when Jesus told them:

Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."

He made Himself EQUAL to God because He is.

COMMENTARY

The Jewish religious rulers were right about the Law of Moses. The woman should have been stoned. Jesus showed them to be hypocrites because for one, they did not bring the man. Also, when Jesus caused them to examine their conscience, that is, to see if there was any sin in them, He gave the requirements for being a judge. We do have the right to judge others, but are we sinless? Probably we should not be so quick to throw stones at others.

OK, the woman is guilty of sin. Now what? Jesus was not "reversing" the Mosaic law, but He put His cross in place of her sin. Jesus will take the place for her adultery. He did not come to condemn the world but to be the Savior. 

And not only did He come to redeem sinful man, but also to reveal God to man. When He said He was the Light of the World, He gave three supporting evidences for His claim:

1. He knows where He came from (the Father).

2. He judges no man after the flesh, but the judgement that comes from God. 

3. God the Father bore witness to Him (His baptism).

"We become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, but Jesus is God's Son because of His position in the Trinity. He is God the Son, and He addresses God the Father. If you are going to know God the Father, you must come through Jesus Christ."

The religious rulers thought Jesus was going to kill Himself because He said He was going where they could not go; but they did not understand that He was giving Himself as a ransom to be the propitiation for many. People who die in their sins, die the natural consequence for iniquity. 

When Jesus told them that the truth shall make them free, He was talking about their spiritual bondage. When we go to Jesus because we believe in Him, we no longer worry about if our good deeds will save us from our wickedness. We know they cannot. We rest knowing that Jesus paid all our debts instead.

Finally, Jesus committed (in the eyes of the religious rulers) blasphemy because He used the same expression that God did when He said He was I AM. This was another reason they took up stones to kill Him. They did not like being put into the situation where they either had to believe God or believe themselves. All this time they had been doing things their way, and now, Jesus brought the Light to shine on their deeds and make them decide. Whom did they want to serve? 

Ezekiel 16

This is a longer than usual chapter.

God came to Ezekiel and said, "...cause Jerusalem to know her abominations..."

And God reviewed His relationship with Jerusalem: It has roots in the land of Canaan - father was an Amorite and mother was a Hittite. On the day of her birth, no one was there to wash away the blood or cut the cord or wrap her in swaddling cloths. No one had compassion on her, and she was thrown out into the open and loathed. 

When God looked upon her and saw her struggles, He told her to live, and He caused her to thrive and grow and mature. She became beautiful, but she was naked and bare. 

When God looked upon her again, it was a time of love, and He covered her nakedness with His wing, and swore an oath to her and entered into a covenant (as in marriage) with her. She became the Lord's. 

He washed her and anointed her with oil and clothed her in fine linen and gave her sandals and adorned her with ornaments, bracelets, necklaces, nose rings, earrings, and a beautiful crown, and He  adorned her with gold and silver. He nourished her with good food to eat. She was exceedingly beautiful and succeeded to royalty. Hee fame went out among the nations "because of [her] beauty for it was perfect through [His] splendor which [He] had bestowed on [her]." 

BUT...

(eventually) the Israelites trusted in their own beauty and played the harlot because of their fame. They committed idolatry and adultery by making high places and adorning their altars for themselves. They made images with the gold and silver. They sacrificed the oil and food to their idols and shrines.

Furthermore, they sacrificed their children to other gods and made them pass through the fire. They played the harlot with the Assyrians, the Egyptians, and the Chaldeans. Therefore, the Lord stretched out His hand and diminished their allotments and turned them over to those who hated them. 

The Lord accused them of being worse than a harlot; they were an adulterous wife, who took strangers instead of a husband; and instead of receiving payment for their harlotry, they hired others to be their lovers and made payment to them. 

Now God has turned his back on them and will uncover their nakedness and permit their surrounding enemies to abuse Israel. God called them more wicked than Samaria and Sodom.

However...

because God made an everlasting covenant with Israel (and because He keeps His promises), He will not forget. Someday they will remember and be ashamed. God will establish His covenant with Israel again, and they will know that He is the Lord. One day He will provide for them an atonement for all they have done. (And that atonement is Jesus Christ.)

COMMENTARY

According to McGee, chapter 16 presents Jerusalem as an abandoned, dirty and filthy, little child. This is not the origin of the nation, but of the history of Jerusalem, a Hittite city. God adopted the city and made it His child. 

God reviewed what He did to make the city great: He told her to live. (Like all believers, we first must be born again. We are given new life.) God washed the city and cleansed her. (All new believers are renewed through the blood of Jesus Christ.) And God anointed the city with oil. (Believers are anointed with the Holy Spirit.) And God gave her new garments of fine linen and silk. (Believers are covered with the righteousness of Christ.) Then the city grew and matured and became beautiful. 

BUT...

believing all of her beauty and power was of her own strength, she turned her back on God and practiced  harlotry, or adultery. As explained above, they committed heinous offenses against the Lord. 

And yet...

God is going to make good His covenants with the nation Israel. The sin of these people, their rebellion, their constant departure from Him, their backsliding, will not annul, abrogate, or destroy God's covenant with them. 

One day, He will make a new covenant with them, that His wrath be "pacified" toward them.