Week 32 "Eternity's at Stake"

 

Text: This week we’re covering Luke 16:19-31 dealing with heaven and hell and how it is related to our decision to either “hear” God’s Word or to reject it. It is set in the context of the amazing story of Lazarus and the rich man. This story has much to say about social justice and material stewardship, but it is so much more. Let’s look a little closer.

 

Other passages to read: The “Parable” of the Rich man and Lazarus is unique to the Gospel of Luke, however concepts it contains can be found in other passages, such as:

·           Hardened Luxury: James 5:5-6; Matthew 25:31-46; Job 21:13-15

·           Death of the Unprepared: Matthew 24:44-51

·           Hades & Abraham’s side: Luke 12:8-9; Matthew 8:10-12

·           Father Abraham: John 8:39-47

·           Warnings in the Word: Ezekiel 33:11; John 5:45-47; Acts 26:19-23

·           Unbelief despite resurrection: Matthew 28:11-15; John 11:38-53; 12:9-11; Acts 28:23-28

Pastor Randy's Sermon Notes: Eternity is at Stake

Read Luke 16:19-31

· Is hell for real?

· Is hell eternal?

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46)

· Is hell necessary?

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41)

o for civic virtue

o final justice

o for the benefit of impenitent sinners

o for the glory of God

 

Two Things to think about:

    1.The “Lazarus” outside our gate
“But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17)

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” (I Timothy 6:17-18)

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

     2. Our own mortality
“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27)

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” (John 3:36)

Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:

·        How is this parable connected to the parable of the Parable of the Dishonest Manager which precedes it in 16:1-9? (Hint: this connection will be an interpretive key for us.

·        What did Dives (the Latin word for “rich” and often considered the personal name of the rich man in this story) do to be condemned to hell?

·        Once in “torment” did Dives (the rich man) repent of his sin? What evidence is there either for or against?

·        What did it mean to “hear Moses and the Prophets”? What does it mean for us today to “hear”?

·         What are a few “sure” lessons about the after-life that we can glean from this “parable” without too much speculation?

·         What is the stealth message in this story? Read it carefully again! Journaling blog may give a hint as well.

We try to answer these questions on the Jesus4Everyone blog in the next week’s post. 

Questions to ask ourselves: The following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus…

·       Building on last week’s lesson about stewardship as key to our witness in the world, how should we be different from the rich man in this story?

·       Where is it that we are intent upon seeking our “good things”? (v. 25)

·       Does it matter then how we treat our neighbor in need? How do we respond to the good gifts and suffering in the lives of others around us?

·       In what ways are we sensitive and kind to those in need around us at all levels of relationship: In our family, our congregation, our community, our world? What can we change this week?

·       Are we ready to meet Jesus? On what basis do we have confidence?

“The story seems to be saying: Life is unfair. But, never mind, God will `even things up' in the next life. Lazarus had a hard time here and as a result, he will enjoy good times in heaven. The rich man had a good life on earth and will therefore automatically spend eternity in hell. Put bluntly, the parable would then mean, If you are comfortable here, hell awaits you. If you are homeless here, heaven is guaranteed. Indeed, there are stories like this from before and shortly after the time of Jesus,' but did Jesus endorse them? If so, most of the rest of the New Testament must be discarded. How then can this parable be viewed? What is it saying, and what is it not saying?” (Kenneth E. Bailey. Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels (Downers Grove, IVP Academic, 2008). 378.

Amos 5:12, 15 "For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate...Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph."

Quotes & Commentary:
Kenneth Bailey sees the following literary outline in this story…

                    The Story

1.            Rich Man (In Life: banquets)         A                   

2.                  Lazarus In Life: pain)                      B      

3.                   Lazarus (In Death: a banquet)          B’      

4.                  Rich Man (In Death: pain)        A’            

                    The Dialogue

5.            Rich Man (1)                                  A

6.                  Abraham (1)                                   B

7.            Rich Man (2)                                  A’

8.                  Abraham (2)                                   B’

9.            Rich Man (3)                                  A”

10.                Abraham (3)                                   B”

 

Bailey also writes that this is the 3^rd in a trilogy of parables detailing the wasting of possessions.

1. A prodigal wasted his father’s possessions
2. A dishonest steward wastes his master’s possessions
3. A rich man wastes his own possessions

I will put my comments and other quotes inside Bailey’s literary outline:

1.            Rich Man (In Life: banquets)

v. 19 Purple: very expensive to own purple garments; Linen: the finest Egyptian cotton underwear; Every day: his habit of feasting all the time seems to indicate that he didn’t keep the Sabbath; Sumptuously= wastefully feasting. There would have been more than a few crumbs leftover.

“He is not said to have committed any grave sin, but he lived only for himself. That was his condemnation.” (Leon Morris, Luke) 276.

            2 . Lazarus (In Life: pain)
v.20-21 Lazarus= His name is the Greek form of the Hebrew name El’azar=“the one whom God helps”…ironically it didn’t look like God was helping; Dogs: dogs were considered unclean and would have been half-wild guard dogs on the rich man’s estate. Licked: By their licking, were hurting or helping? Much has been said about this over the years on both sides, however it seems to be a contrast that Luke has in mind. The “civilized" rich man refused to help while his wild guard dogs did what they could to ease Lazarus’ suffering…the dogs were better than their master.

           3. Lazarus (In Death: a banquet)

v. 22 There is no mention of the poor man having a funeral and burial, but he is attended by angels who take him to the banquet at Abraham’s side or as the King James says, “Abraham’s Bosom”. This implies that he is reclining at the banquet in Paradise.

4. Rich Man (In Death: pain)

v. 22-23 The rich man, though buried is in torment. We learn something new about the rich man…he seems to have known who Lazarus was, since he was able to recognize him, from “far off”. . . doing what the rich man had done in life. Does the rich man apologize? Does he ask forgiveness?

In Hades: Lazarus was in Hades also for both Paradise (Abraham's bosom) and Gehenna are in the unseen world beyond the grave. In torments (en basanoi). The touchstone by which gold and other metals were tested, then the rack for torturing people. Old word, but in the N.T. only here, Luke 16:28; Matthew 4:24. Sees: The Jews believed that Gehenna and Paradise were close together. This detail in the parable does not demand that we believe it. The picture calls for it. (Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament, Vol. 2) 222.

The Dialogue

5. Rich Man (1)

v. 24 The rich man still seems to treat Lazarus with contempt, like a servant, as though he was still below himself in status despite the fact that Lazarus was with Abraham. “Send Lazarus to dip his finger…”
"Amazingly, the wealthy man has not been humbled by his new and undoubtedly startling circumstances. Instead, he assumes that Abraham is still his 'father' and that Lazarus, whom he knows by name but has never helped, is present with Abraham in order to carry out errands on behalf of a wealthy man like himself. Those who legitimately refer to Abraham as 'father,' however, are those whose lives reflect their repentance, their orientation towards God's redemptive aim (3:8)." (Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke, Eerdmans, 608.)

6. Abraham (1)

v. 25-26 Son (Greek teknon) = this is the identical term on the lips of the Prodigal’s father in Ch.15. It would seem to convey the compassion God shows even to those who spurn Him; Remember= this was a common message of the OT prophets
“In life, the rich man had had his good things. The adjective your is significant. He had had what he chose. He could have spent time with the things of God and delighted in the word of God. he could have engaged in almsgiving (Lazarus had been close enough!). For him, good things had been purple and fine linen, daily merriment, and feasting. He had chosen what he wanted and now he must abide by his choice. Lazarus had received evil things. In this case, there is no ‘his’. Lazarus had not been responsible for the evils he had suffered.” (Leon Morris, Luke) 277.

7. Rich Man (2)

v. 27 The rich man’s request really implies that he himself had not had a proper warning. “What about my brothers? I don’t want them to come here!”; Send him= he was still wanting to interrupt Lazarus’ banquet and have him sent back to those who had not cared for him; Warn =(Greek diamarturetai)= a solemn and thorough witness.

8. Abraham (2)

v. 29 Abraham basically says, “They have the OT! Let them pay attention to it.”

9. Rich Man (3)

v. 30 He persisted, “They would believe a resurrection!” But he was wrong.

v. 30 They will repent: (metanohsousin). The Rich Man had failed to do this and he now sees that it is the one thing lacking. It is not wealth, not poverty, not alms, not influence, but repentance that is needed. He had thought repentance was for others, not for all. (Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament, Vol. 2) 224.

10. Abraham (3)

v. 31 Irony. If anyone thought that they heard Moses and the prophets it was the Pharisees.
So we see that the main theme of this story is not really an issue of money, but one of response to the Word of God.

“The door to hell is locked on the inside.” Dr. Paul Louis Metzger

Don’t forget that we are continuing to provide devotional journaling posts from Luke (http://b4lukejournal.blogspot.com).

Previously on Ponderables: In your study this last week, you might have been thinking about one of these questions:

·         How is this parable connected to the parable of the Lost Son which immediately precedes it in Ch. 15? The younger son wasted the father’s goodsàthe steward wastes the master’s goods. The older son refused to enter into the celebration of the Father’s love for his returned sonà the steward banks on the character of the master but doesn’t enter into it relationally. The father uses his wealth to show his careà the steward uses the master’s wealth to win friends.

·         Why doesn’t the master in the parable annul the illegal transactions that defraud him? Because the steward knew something about the character of the master…that he was gracious and cared about his people. Why would the master go back to the town, now singing his praises and reverse the adjustments? Why would he not rather be defrauded and keep the resulting good-will of his people?

·         Why does the master commend the dishonest manager? He comes up with a plan to use fleeting riches to provide friends that will take him in once he loses his position. It is a shrewd plan that counts on the generous nature of the master. Followers of Jesus need to count on the generous character of the Lord and make a plan to use what is God’s to make friends for eternity…for the kingdom of God. Will there be people there to welcome us who have benefitted from the way we invested in the Kingdom mission?

·         How do we see the justice and mercy of God demonstrated in this parable? The man is held accountable for his mismanagement but by not reversing the discounted transactions he did not take away the joy that must have been ringing in that village at their “tax breaks.”

·         In this passage, we see several pairs of contrasting terms. What are they and how do they define each other? Faithfulàdishonest; faithfulànot faithful; littleàmuch; dishonest wealthà true riches. “Hence, ‘faithful in a very little’ is correlated with faithfulness with regard to ‘dishonest wealth,’ and the meaning of both expressions is grounded in the practices recommended in v. 9. Faithfulness, then, is evidenced in the cancellation of debts and in almsgiving on behalf of the poor. These behaviors grow out of dispositions shaped by an orientation to the new kingdom age …and are rooted in a commitment towards solidarity across social lines. Lack of faithfulness, on the other hand, is related to dishonest practices—that is practices that reflect a fundamental commitment to the present [age] (v. 8).” (Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke, 595)

·         How do the themes in verse 15 relate to the rest of chapters 14-16? Self-justification alienates us from God. Repentance draws us near to God. It was the ones who thought they were worthy that looked down at the sinners that repented. They didn’t recognize that their idolatry of money prevented them from loving God. As a result, they didn’t share the message of God’s love with those who so desperately needed and wanted it. This, in turn, resulted in their rejection of their relationship with God and God’s subsequent rejection of them as “stewards.”

·         Why is this apparently random verse about divorce (v.18) included here? It may have been the point of the law which they were breaking that Jesus wanted to point out as an example of the result of their self-focus. However, more likely in my opinion, is the application of the “can’t serve two masters” principle and at the same time an allusion to a repeated prophetic theme. Their hearts were not turned towards God in love and as a result, they pursued their own desires, and in so doing they despised God and were spiritually adulterers. This makes the placement of this divorce verse very appropriate.

Week 31 "Faithful In A Little"

There is no video this week...but we do have more coming!

Text: This week we’re covering Luke 16:1-18 dealing with one of Jesus’ most misunderstood parables and related teachings about faithfulness, divided love, and money. Try to look for the thematic unity that ties these different elements of this passage together.

Other passages to read: We encourage you to read "horizontally" in these passages that are parallel or provide background information to our text from Luke:

·           Parable of the Dishonest Manager: Unique to Luke. Re-read Luke 12:42-48; See also 1 Cor. 9:17-18; 1 Chronicles 29:14 & 16 for stewardship concepts.

·           Faithful in a little: Matthew 25:21,23; Luke 19:17; Psalm 33:4; Proverbs 14:21-23

·           Two Masters: Matthew 6:19-24; 1 Timothy 6:6-10; Deut. 6:4-7.

·           Divorce: Matthew 5:31-32; 19:9-12; Mark 10:2-11; Malachi 2:15-17; 1 Cor. 7:11-14

·           Law & the Kingdom of God: Matthew 11:12-13; 5:17-20; 1 Chr. 28:9; Deut. 4:28-30; Psalm 105:3-5.

Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:

·         How is this parable connected to the parable of the Lost Son which immediately precedes it in 15:

·         Why doesn’t the master in the parable annul the illegal transactions that defraud him?

·         Why does the master commend the dishonest manager?

·         How do we see the justice and mercy of God demonstrated in this parable?

·         In this passage we see a several pairs of contrasting terms. What are they and how do they define each other?

·         How do the themes in verse 15 relate to the rest of chapters 14-16?

·         Why is this apparently random verse about divorce (v.18) included here?

We try to answer these questions on the Jesus4Everyone blog in the next week’s post.

Questions to ask ourselves: The following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus…

• When you think about what you have, is your default setting to think of it as your or as God’s?
• In what ways do you use the assets entrusted to you to invest in others?
• List at least seven things we know to be true about God’s character (especially as revealed in Christ Jesus) that we have seen since we began this series.
• Should our knowledge of the character of God effect how we use his resources? If so, how?
• Do we have a willingness to act on our deepest beliefs about God’s character? If so, how will we do so this week? Write down at least one way specifically.

Pastor Randy’s Sermon Notes: The Shrewd Steward Who Acted Swiftly(16:1-16)

Stewardship = God is the owner of everything that I have and all that I am.

·   We need to realize the only money we have is the Master's money.

·    One day our money will be gone, and we’ll be gone from our money, so invest it wisely.

 

1. Your best investment is in people that you’ll see in Heaven (v. 9)

2. Faithfulness is revealed in the little things – because trustworthiness has to start somewhere. (v.10)

 

3. There is a correlation between how you handle money and how you handle people. (v.11-12)

 

4. You can worship your money or worship with your money? (v. 13-16)

Quotes & Commentary:

“From a parable about money, Luke moves us to actual teaching about money; the chapter will end with another parable in which money is both part of the story and part of the point. This passage contains some of Jesus’ strongest and most explicit warnings about the dangers of wealth, and experience suggests that neither the church nor the world has taken these warnings sufficiently to heart. Somewhere along the line serious repentance, and a renewed determination to hear and obey Jesus’ clear teaching, seems called for.” (N.T. Wright, Luke for Everyone, 196)

v. 7 The steward knew the gracious character of the Master, yet chose to serve money.  In context, what does this say about the Pharisees (v.14)?

v.8 Jesus means to say that he cites this example of shrewdness because it illustrates the point. "This is the moral of the whole parable. Men of the world in their dealings with men like themselves are more prudent than the children of light in their intercourse with one another" (Plummer). We all know how stupid Christians can be in their cooperative work in the kingdom of God, to go no further. (Robertson's WPNT)

Superficially, the parable appears to present a story of a steward who cheats his master and is commended by Jesus for being a liar and a thief. (Bailey, JTMEE, p. 333)

This parable needs to be examined in light of what precedes it. Bailey is convinced that this parable continues to discuss theological themes that appear in the parable of the prodigal son. The subject is God, sin, grace, and salvation—not honesty in dealing with money. (T.W. Manson, writes, “[It] may almost be regarded as an appendix to the parable of the Prodigal Son.”) Bailey p. 332            

v. 10-13 Several lessons here: 1) No servant can serve two masters. (Possessions press for mastery. Seeks to usurp God’s place in human life.); 2) If you have not been faithful in unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the truth to you? ; and 3) If you are not faithful in what is another’s, then who will give you what is your own?

Make sure to read the related devotional journaling (SOAP) post at http://b4lukejournal.blogspot.com.

 

Previously on Ponderables:

·         To whom are these parables spoken? There are at least two audiences. The first audience seems to be the Pharisees and scribes. These stories are told to them. The second audience is made up of tax collectors and sinners they get to listen in on the confrontation as Jesus answers the Pharisees in parables. There is also a potential third audience though they are not mentioned…Jesus’ disciples.  How does that shade our interpretation? We need to put ourselves into their sandals. How would a Pharisee have heard these parables? Like the older brother in 15:25-32. But we should not lose sight of the other audience

·         If we read these parables from a Trinitarian perspective, where do we find the Trinity and what can we learn about God—as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? We might see Jesus the Good Shepherd seeking the lost sheep, rejoicing over it, and carrying it back to the flock; the illuminating and cleansing Holy Spirit in the parable of the coin; the loving Heavenly Father in the parable of the Lost Son. God seeks the lost, he celebrates over sinners that repent and he welcomes us by lavish grace into honored fellowship with Him.

·         How right is it to leave the 99 sheep to go and find the one lost sheep? Is there an ethical challenge in this parable? Not really. There are two factors in play here. First, with a flock this size there would be other shepherds to watch over the sheep left behind. Secondly, If we look carefully at the text the sheep were left “in the open country” (v.4) where they would be safe from lurking predators, hidden thieves, and dangerous falls.

·         Remember, as we study the Bible, the question we should ask is always what does the Bible say? What did the author intend it to say to the original audience in its original context? This is what it means. The question is not, “What does it mean to you?” So, what is the clear, simple, challenging message of each of these parables? God rejoices over repentant sinners…will we enter into his celebration? To the second audience, “Will we come to our senses, repent, stop wasting our lives as slaves and return to the Father as sons?” As the third audience, will we seek the lost as long as it takes, with whatever effort is required and fully accept the repentant sinner into the family?

·         What does “prodigal” mean and what are two ways it could be used in the parable of the Lost Sons? It means someone who spends recklessly or wastefully. In this parable the younger son does this with his inheritance. But what we don’t see is the Father’s prodigal love and grace! He crosses the line of cultural acceptability at least three times: when he gives the son his inheritance, when he runs to meet the returning son and fully restores him, and when he goes out to entreat the older son to enter into his joy!

 

Week 30 "Coming Home"

We are back to our series Jesus for Everyone from the Gospel of Luke, however we do not have a video for this week.

Text: This week we’re covering Luke 15:1-32 dealing with Jesus’ three famous lost and found parables. This is a very familiar section of the Bible, yet sometimes it is the most familiar parts that have the most to teach us…if we take time to listen.

Other passages to read: We encourage you to read "horizontally" in these passages that are parallel or provide background information to our text from Luke:

·         Pharisee’s attitude towards Jesus eating with “sinners”: Luke 5:30; 7:34; 19:7; Matthew 9:11; Mark 2:16-17;

·         The Lost Sheep: The Good Shepherd parable is considered by many to be best understood as a retelling of Psalm 23. Ezekiel 34:6, 11-12; Isaiah 40:11; Micah 5:1-5; Matthew 18:12-14; John 10:1-21

·         The Lost Coin: Unique but actions similar to preparations for feast of unleavened bread.

·         The Lost Son(s): Unique but with many similarities with the narrative in Genesis 27:1-36:8.

 

Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:

·         To whom are these parables spoken? How does that shade our interpretation?

·         If we read these parables from a Trinitarian perspective, where do we find the Trinity and what can we learn about God—as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

·         How right is it to leave the 99 sheep to go and find the one lost sheep? Is there an ethical challenge in this parable?

·         Remember, as we study the Bible, the question we should ask is always what does the Bible say? What did the author intend it to say to the original audience in its original context? This is what it means. The question is not, “What does it mean to you?” So, what is the clear, simple, challenging message of each of these parables?

·         What does “prodigal” mean and what are two ways it could be used in the parable of the Lost Sons?

[Look for last week's answers at the end of this post!]

Questions to ask ourselves: The following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus…

• Do we look down on others who we consider to be worse sinners than us?
• Do we rejoice when we hear of a sinner repenting or do we respond somewhat cynically, saving our most enthusiastic expressions of joy for sports?
• How long do we look for what is lost before we give up?
• Out of the five characters in the parable of the lost sons, to which do we most resemble?
• What are three areas in which, or three people to whom, I need to respond more like a Citizen of heaven this week?

Pastor Randy’s Sermon Notes: "Coming Home"

“Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable.” (Luke 15:1-3)

When we lose something…if it doesn’t matter we won’t look for it, but if value or sentiment is attached to it we will look. The essence of these three parables is that something was lost, it was sought after, found, restored and celebrated in community.

1.       Home is where we know the constant embrace of God in our lives. (Read v. 11-16)

• Sin is the lie that there is a better life apart from God.
• Every day I have two options:
• To live at home in fellowship with the Father
• To strike out on my own…away from God, in the “freedom” of self-direction, but the party always comes to an end.

2.       There is always a way back home–Repentance (Read v. 17-21)

• Coming to your senses may happen in the pig pen.
• Repentance is going home to the Father.
• He thought he would be less than a son…but the Father ran to him in love.

3.    When you come home again—God welcomes you (Read v. 22-24)

• The gospel cannot erase the consequences of sin, but it can erase the guilt, shame and condemnation.
•  “Our Father in heaven is looking … He won’t demand from them a love that is not from the heart, but when they come home they are welcomed.”
• If you have lost all, come home and start living for eternity (live for heaven).
• For parents: 

1) God is a perfect father and has lost children – no condemnation.

2) Be the kind of parent that they can come home to – no hopelessness.

4.  Don’t miss the house party (Luke 15:25-31)

• Don’t ever resent with those who come back home, rejoice and be glad…share in God’s joy!
• We tend to determine someone’s value to God according to his or her value to us.
• This story redefines our mission – to get people back home to the Father’s love!

Conclusion: Titus 3:3-8

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”

Commentary & Quotes

“Besides their subject-matter, these three Parables have some other points in common. Two things are here of chief interest. They all proceed on the view that the work of the Father and of Christ, as regards 'the Kingdom,' is the same; that Christ was doing the work of the Father, and that they who know Christ know the Father also. That work was the restoration of the lost; Christ had come to do it, and it was the longing of the Father to welcome the lost home again. Further, and this is only second in importance, the lost was still God's property; and he who had wandered farthest was a child of the Father, and considered as such.” (Edersheim, Life & times of Jesus the Messiah)         

v. 1 Jewish teaching concerning repentance was quite other than, nay, contrary to, that of Christ. Theirs was not a Gospel to the lost: they had nothing to say to sinners… He not only received them when they sought Him, but He sought them, so as to bring them to Him; not, indeed, that they might remain 'sinners,' but that, by seeking and finding them, they might be restored to the Kingdom, and there might be joy in heaven over them.” (Edersheim, LTJM) 

v.3 Shepherds while held in high esteem in allegory, were looked down on in practice. Their profession was considered unclean. As Bailey notes, “Moses was accepted as a shepherd…Kings were referred to by Ezekiel as shepherds and God himself was thought of as a shepherd (Ps. 23). Thus the figure of the shepherd was a noble symbol. By contrast, flesh-and-blood shepherds who in the first century wandered around after sheep were clearly…unclean…Thus this beginning can be understood as an indirect and yet very powerful attack on the Pharisaic attitude toward proscribed professions. (Kenneth E. Bailey, Poet and Peasant, 147)

v. 5 “Because sheep are gregarious creatures, a sheep lost from its flock becomes quickly agitated and disoriented and must be carried back to the other sheep; for lengthy journeys this is most easily accomplished by placing the sheep on one’s shoulders.” (Green, NICNT, 573)

v. 6 The repeated invitation in these three interconnected parables is to share as a community in the joy of the triune God at the lost being found.

v.8 These stories of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin are paired as is typical in Luke with the male shepherd in the first and the woman in the second.

A hilarious example of over spiritualization based on this parable of the Lost Coin is found in Grasping God’s Word ,by Duvall & Hays, p. 184-186.

v. 11 In the Parable of 'the Lost Son,' the main interest centers in his restoration. It is not now to the innate tendency of his nature, nor yet to the work and dust in the house that the loss is attributable, but to the personal, free choice of the individual. He does not stray; he does not fall aside - he willfully departs, and under aggravated circumstances.” (Edersheim, LTJM)

v. 16 What perhaps gives additional meaning to this description is the Jewish saying: 'When Israel is reduced to the carob-tree, they become repentant (Edersheim, LTJM)

v. 22 The father's love had anticipated his confession, and rendered its self-spoken sentence of condemnation impossible. 'Perfect love casts out fear,' and the hard thoughts concerning himself and his deserts on the part of the returning sinner were banished by the love of the father. (LTJM)

v. 28 “[The older son] is bitter, envious and angry. He hates his brother’s sin but he also hates his father’s loving forgiveness. Keeping in mind the confession of his brother, listen to his bitter words in verse 29. Literally he says, “I have been slaving many years for you.” Do you see the irony Jesus intended the mixed crowd to see? The prodigal (or “sinner”) returns in repentance and says essentially, “I will be you slave.” The older son (the Pharisee) retorts in bitterness, “I have been a slave all along!” (Michael Card, Luke: Gospel of Amazement, 185)

v. 30 “this son of yours”=he won’t even call him “brother”

“Fundamentally, like all the parables, the three stories in this chapter ask: “Do you really know God?” Or rather, “Are you comfortable with the God who acts with the foolishness of love displayed by the characters in these parables?” (Brendan Byrne, The Hospitality of God, 132)

“This story reveals above all the sheer self-centeredness of the grumbler. The older brother shows, in his bad temper, that he has no more real respect for his father than his brother had had. He lectures him in front of his guests, and refuses his plea to come in. Once more the father is generous, this time to his self-righteous  older son…Jesus wants to reason with the Pharisees and the lawyers, to point out that though God’s generosity is indeed reaching out to people they didn’t expect, this doesn’t mean there isn’t any left for them. If they insist on staying out of the party…that is up to them; but it won’t be because God doesn’t love them as well.” (N.T. Wright, Luke for Everyone, 191.)”

 

Previously on Ponderables

·         Once the man with dropsy is healed he was sent away. Have you ever wondered why he was at the dinner in his condition and why was he sent away? Look closely at the text for clues. There are two explanations. First, there is little indication in the text that the man was actually at the dinner. Jesus may have encountered him on the way to the house. Second, if it was at the meal, his dismissal would certainly have allowed him to go tell his family the great news of his healing and saved him the embarrassment of Jesus pointed teaching directly following.

·         To whom is each of the parables spoken? Who else would have been listening? Does this observation affect how we interpret them or add a level of meaning to this passage? Yes, the original audience should impact our interpretation. #1 to the lawyers and Pharisees (v. 4-5); #2 to those invited to the dinner (v.7-11); #3 to the host (v. 12-14); #4 to the man who spoke up in v. 15 (v. 15-24).

·         What is it about these three excuses that just don’t make sense? None of them would have been acceptable nor are they honest. No one would have purchased land without knowing everything about it. No one would have purchase teams of oxen without having plowed with them already. And no one would speak of his wife in this way which would have been culturally vulgar.

·         What makes the master mad in this parable? And what does he do when he is mad? The excuses were a thinly veiled attempt to sabotage the feast and insult the master. Also, this is culturally the second invitation. These men are those who have already RSVP-ed and now that the food is ready they refuse to come to the table. How long had Israel waited for a Messiah? They said they would come to the eschatological banquet he was preparing…but now that he was here and they were to come they refused. He will not waste his grace! His anger only prompts the extending of loving grace to those who would have been considered the lowest and least of society. This is “Jesus for Everyone” in action.

·         What word is used more than any other in this passage? What does this tell us about God’s heart? “Invited” is used eleven times. God’s heart is that his house might be filled.

The following graphic is composed of the words of Luke 14:1-24 with the size of the word determined by how many times it is used.

Church Family Picnic Today

We will be gathering at Alpenrose Dairy for a church family picnic today with a worship service at 11:00am featuring guest speaker Andrew Palau. We hope you can join us!

We are looking forward to the fall study in Luke starting next week.

Here is a classic devotional article from bulletins past:

Rest for the Laborer

This first weekend in September, America celebrates Labor Day. It's a long holiday weekend, established to honor working men and women, to reward those who labor long and hard. It's the last summer fling before the kids go back to school and before we dig into the challenges of the Autumn. Yet, for many, an extra day off doesn't provide real relief or rest from the weight and stress of their labors. How can our work be a joy rather than a burden, a blessing rather than a curse, a holy calling rather than a salaried cell? These simple suggestions can help us to stay joyful and productive at whatever task God puts before us.

1.    Make the task set before us a labor of love. It's easy to work when we love what we do, but what if we don't? At that point, we need to love Whom we are doing it for. Decide to make our work an act of love towards the God who first loved us, towards our family, and towards others that God loves...then it will not seem an unbearable weight or an endless hassle (1 Corinthians 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:18-25; Ephesians 2:4-10; 6:5-9; Philippians 2:14-15).

2.      Trust God for acknowledgment and appreciation. We all know how hard it is to maintain our energy and enthusiasm when being chronically unnoticed and under-appreciated. Other people might not notice our labor, but God does. He is aware of everything we do, and our motivation for doing it. Looking only to Christ for affirmation, and the strokes I need, has helped me tremendously. He is the One we serve. Ultimately He gives the lasting reward for our labor (Colossians 3:22-24). If people recognize what we do and express appreciation, then that it just frosting on the cake! Remember that the reward will far outweigh the suffering (Romans 8:18; Hebrews 12:1-2).

3.      See that our labor is purposeful. I recently ran into a college classmate and asked him what he was doing for a living. After a little hesitation, he said that he was in quality control for a commercial air-conditioning manufacturer. I thought, "How did he get into that? Who thinks up jobs like that?" But then I wondered what hot days would be like if nobody did that job. Chances are, we would all be a lot less comfortable in our labors. Remember our labor is purposeful.

·         God has set us right where we are (1 Corinthians 11:8).

·         Every part needs to do its share so that the body can grow (Ephesians 4:16).

·         Wait on the Lord and work in the Strength He provides (Isaiah 40:27-31; Matthew 11:28-30).

·         Help others with their Labors (Galatians 6:2; John 4:36-38; Philippians 2:3-4).

·         God has called us to be His ambassadors to our co-workers (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

4.    Know where the finish line is. The finish line is not 5:00 p.m., it’s not Friday, it’s not the beginning of our vacation, and it’s not retirement. The finish line is faithfulness to our Lord, day-by-day, wherever He places us, unto the end (2 Timothy 4:5-8; Revelation 2:10-11).

Finding renewed rest in my labors,

Pastor Greg