If you have already read Luke 16 there is a very good chance you felt either confused or put off by the opening parable. I know I did! I spent quite a lot of time researching and re-translating the parable looking for a better understanding. i found some confusing commentaries that didn't help, one commentary that did help, but the scholarship was very faulty and the conclusions were faulty. I mentioned my dilemma to my brother BJ who is in town leading a Walk to Emmaus weekend at the church I pastor and he had a brilliant response. Ready? He said something to this effect - "Jesus tells a parable about a very bad man to teach a very good lesson." In some way, that is really all you need to know about the parable of the shrewd manager. The manager is without redeeming qualities, but he is shrewd in his dealing with a bad business situation. Jesus calls his disciples - you and I included - to be more careful, shrewd if you like, in our approach to Kingdom matters. Now this is not a call to dishonesty or unfair business dealings, it is a call for us to think outside the box when we are making plans for the Kingdom.
Jesus closes the chapter with the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus has lived a life of poverty and finds himself in the bosom of Abraham in the after life. The rich man who has enjoyed the luxuries this world can offer dies and he is in torment. the rich man calls out to Abraham and asks that Lazarus be sent to quench his thirst. This being denied, he changes his request that Lazarus return to the land of the living and warn his brothers. Jesus sends a personal message through the lips of Abraham when he says, "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." Luke 16:31 NRSV. This is a foreshadowing of their unbelief even after Jesus is raised from the dead.
About Me
- Pastor Bill
- I am a committed follower of Jesus Christ, a happy husband, father and grandfather!
3 comments:
Well thanks for clearing that confusing parable up, PB :)
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.” (NKJV)
This verse has had a terrific impact on my life. Once I learned that the "master" didn't have to be a person, but could be an object, material item, a habit or a lifestyle.
I have had to look at the things I felt were important to me and compare them with God's word - and then decide which I was serving.
I still catch myself leaning too far the other way at times, but at least I am catching myself and correcting it :)
The story of Lazarus is a sad one - there are going to be so many people that suffer for eternity because of their actions and priorities in this life.
But for the Grace of God, go I.
Praise God!
Yeah, that was quite the parable that it began with - but somehow I felt like I understood it. The tactics Jesus was describing in the businessman just sounded so familiar...like in this world today, eh?
The ending of that, also - the serving two Gods - is something that has struck my fancy also over the years. You think about that commandment, and it doesn't seem so difficult, until you put it in the context of all the other things that can be worshiped - and how we all fall into worshiping other things so often - instead of keeping our focus in the Lord.
vs 18 - Adultery - guess there's just no getting divorced then. haha That's okay, she's a keeper. :-)
The Lazarus/rich man story is really telling. I think it showcases the fears of anyone who knows about sin. Can you imagine that? It's REALLY scary. Ever had to sit in the corner alone before? for five minutes? How about ETERNITY! whoa. chills just thinking about it.
Jesus does raise himself from the dead, knowing that it's not going to make everyone believe. Thousands of years later, it makes me believe, that's for sure. But he was right - it's never enough for some people. He knew that also from the miracles he had already performed - he'd feed 5-20 thousand people and they'd still be hungry for more miracles. Oh well, My Jesus is pretty incredible - and I want to keep praising him and sharing his word so I'm not wasting away for eternity saying "why didn't I..."
God bless,
MARSH
The Shrewd Manager parable was one of the first I preached on here in Franklin Lakes. I indeed like you had to read a lot of stuff before I basically came to the same conclusion - Jesus advices us to be a bit shrewd about the kingdom, to make the best of what we've got when we've screwed up what we've been given. A strange parable indeed.
Preaching about the rich man and lazarus in very affluent Franklin Lakes was an interesting experience...
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