Jesus was traveling through Jericho on His way to Jerusalem.  It was early in the day on Palm Sunday.    A rumor had sprung up among the crowds following Him that when He got there He was going to establish His Kingdom and defeat all their enemies.  He told them this parable as a way of clarifying how things would happen.

By the way, you’ll notice some scholars saying that this is just another version of the Parable of the Talents.  But while the two stories are generally similar there are too many material differences to make them two versions of the same event.  Let’s read it.

He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ (Luke 19:12-13)

As will become clear the man of noble birth represents Jesus who after His resurrection went to Heaven  to be made King of the whole Earth.  And the servants represent His followers.  In the monetary system of the day, a drachma was about one day’s wage.  It took 100 drachmas to equal one mina, and 60 minas to equal 1 talent. Note that each servant was given an equal amount (one mina), a much smaller sum than even the least of the three servants in the Parable of the Talents.  And remember, a parable is a heavenly truth put into an earthly context, so everything is symbolic of something else. Therefore, the mina represents something as valuable to the Lord as about 3 months wages would be to us.

When we reviewed the Parable of the Talents we saw that the money there represented His Word, the Lord’s most prized possession.  Psalm 138:2 says He values His word even above His name.  It’s reasonable to assume it’s the same here, especially since history tells us that the one thing the Lord left His followers with was the Gospel, His Word.

According to E.W. Bullinger’s “Number In Scripture” the number 10 denotes a completeness of order.  It implies that nothing is wanting; that the number and order are perfect; that the whole cycle is complete. The 10 servants and 10 minas indicate that before the Lord left He gave everyone necessary everything they needed to spread His Word through out the world.

“But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ (Luke 19:14)

Here’s another difference between the two parables.  No such impression is conveyed in the Parable of the Talents.  There the man was simply going on a journey.  Here he’s going off to be made King and some people don’t like it.  30 years previously a similar event had actually taken place.  When Herod Archelaus went to Rome to be made King as his father’s successor, a delegation of 50 Jews followed him from Israel where they petitioned Caesar to give them a Roman governor instead of Archelaus.  According to Josephus over 8,000 Jews who lived in Rome gathered in the palace to support them as they presented their case against Archelaus.

Needless to say Archelaus was not pleased, and after he was appointed in spite of their pleas he made his displeasure known to his subjects.  It may be that Jesus used  the incident to remind them (and us) of the dangers in rejecting a duly appointed King. If so, the warning fell mostly on deaf ears.  A short time later Israel rejected its King and since then untold millions of Gentiles have done the same thing.

“He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. (Luke 19:15)

There was never any doubt that Jesus would be our King.  With His blood He redeemed the entire creation from its bondage to decay (Romans 8:21) and since then all that remains is for Him to take possession of that which He has purchased. That day is coming soon, and when it does there will be loud voices in Heaven saying:

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” (Rev. 11:15)

Two verses later, in Rev. 11:17, God is described as “the one who is and who was.”  No more “and who is to come.”  From Heaven’s perspective, His reign will have already begun even though on Earth the Great Tribulation is still to come.  Satan and his followers may see the Great Tribulation as a war to determine who will control Earth, but the Lord sees it as a judgment where Israel will be purified and the nations will be completely destroyed. (Jeremiah 30:8-11)   Satan is merely being used to help Him accomplish this. (Rev. 17:17)  There’s never been any doubt as to the outcome.

When He returns, The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. (Zechariah 14:9)

Since the King will have already returned at this point in the parable, we’re talking about the time after the 2nd Coming.  Also we’ll soon see that the King’s servants and His subjects are two different groups.  The first order of business is to receive a report from the servants.  How have they invested His most precious commodity?

“The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’

” ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’

“The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’

“His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ (Luke 19:16-19)

Getting a 1000% or even a 500% return on a small investment is commendable.  But it’s unlikely to qualify someone to govern 5 or 10 cities.  Remember, this is a parable.  Everything is symbolic of something else.  The lesson here is that faithfulness in small matters will always bring disproportionate rewards where the Lord’s work is concerned. And even though the timing is the second coming, the lesson is universal.  For example, our willingness to share the Gospel with even one person could result in a thousand souls saved over time.

“Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’

“His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ (Luke 19:20-23)

The King was not agreeing with the third servant’s assessment of his character.  Rather, he was saying, “If you think that’s the kind of person I am, reaping what I didn’t sow, then you should have made sure  that my money would at least earn me some interest.” The contradiction between his words and his actions was obvious and became the basis for the king’s judgment against him.

“Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

” ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’

“He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.” (Luke 19:20-26)

Just as each servant was given the same amount of money, we’ve all been given the same basic truth of the gospel and can say as Paul said,

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Cor. 15:3-4)

Jesus died for our sins, and the proof that His death was sufficient to save us is found in the Resurrection.  The Old Testament foretold this, and the New Testament confirms it.  It’s the Gospel in its simplest form.  The more we share it with others the more we’ll gain. In addition to saving another soul, teaching someone else the Gospel results in a deeper understanding for us.

By his own admission, the third servant proved he didn’t know his master.  His perception of the man was all wrong, and while he called himself a servant, he  didn’t do even the minimum that was asked of Him. He represents the “in name only” Christian who really has nothing, and will be surprised to find even that being taken away.

After the Lord comes back He’ll conduct a series of judgments where those who have survived the Great Tribulation will have to give account for themselves.  At issue will be whether they’ve shown that they want Him as their King or not.  Those who have will be welcomed into the Kingdom. Those who haven’t will be banished to the place prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matt. 25:41)

By this parable the Lord was showing that He wouldn’t be setting up His Kingdom in the way the people expected, but would be leaving soon to be made King.  When He returns He’ll reward His followers, punish His enemies, and then He’ll establish His Kingdom.  Selah 08-08-09

On one occasion an expert in the Law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law,” Jesus replied, “How do you read it?” He answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind [Deut. 6:5] and love your neighbor as yourself [Lev 19:18].” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied, “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself and so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25-29).

In reply to this question, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) the obvious point of which is that our neighbor is anyone in need of our assistance. We all learned this point of the story as children.  But parables are heavenly stories put into an earthly context where every character is symbolic of someone or something else, and the Parable of the Good Samaritan is no exception. Therefore we should also expect to find a glimpse of Heaven contained there in.   The word parable literally means “to place along side” so the obvious “earthly” story has to be accompanied by a hidden “heavenly” one.   Put another way, if the obvious story is the children’s version then the hidden one is the adult version of the story.   Let’s find it.

Who Are The Samaritans?

First, a little background.  The Samaritans were the offspring of marriages between Jewish farmers  the Assyrians left behind when they conquered the Northern Kingdom in 721 BC and the pagans they re-located there.  Mixing up the conquered populations was standard procedure for the Assyrians  because it reduced the threat of organized rebellion.   The Samaritans were despised by the Jews because of these mixed marriages and because they had incorporated pagan rituals into their worship of God (both were forbidden by Jewish law.)  A generation or so before the time of Jesus, a son of the Jewish High Priest had run off and married the daughter of the King of Samaria, built a replica of the Temple on Mt. Gerizim and instituted a rival worship system which caused a huge scandal.  In her encounter with Jesus (John 4:4-42) the Samaritan “woman at the well” makes reference to this (vs. 19).

The region called Samaria was named after the capital city of the former Northern Kingdom and is located in what’s known today as the West Bank. Because their laws prohibit marrying outside their own, the Samaritan population has dwindled to a point where only about 700 exist today. They’re not Palestinians, but they’re not regarded as Jews either and keep pretty much to themselves. Some have equated the Jews’ treatment of Samaritans during the time of Jesus with the southern whites’ treatment of blacks in the 19th century in the US, so to have a Samaritan as the hero of this story must have gotten the attention of the Lord’s audience right away. By the way, the ruins of the Samaritan Temple were discovered about 10 years ago and are being excavated for public display.

The old Jericho Road was a steep narrow passage along one wall of a deep canyon.  In the 17 miles from Jerusalem to Jericho, it dropped 3200 vertical feet through a rough wilderness area fraught with danger from attacks by wild animals in the best of times.  In the Lord’s day there was also the threat of being attacked by robbers lurking in the rocks.  The Temple renovation was nearly complete and many workers had been laid off.  Having lost their source of income, some turned to stealing to provide for their families.  The people were all too familiar with reports of violence there, and had nicknamed this road Adumim, the Pass of Blood.  The area where the canyon opens up at the bottom, near Jericho, is traditionally known as the valley of the Shadow of Death, from Psalm 23.

And Now, Back To Our Story

You know how the story goes. A man traveling along the old Jericho Road is beset by robbers who strip him of his clothes, beat him and leave him half dead. First a priest and then a Levite pass by, but simply cross to the other side and ignore him. Then a Samaritan comes along. He comes to where the man is, binds up his wounds applying oil and wine, and places him upon his own donkey. He takes the man to a nearby inn and cares for him. The next day he pays the man’s present and future bill asking the innkeeper to look after him and promising to pay any balance due when he returns. The two silver coins he gave the innkeeper would have paid a man’s hotel bill for up to 2 months in those days.

So, understanding that there’s supposed to be a glimpse of Heaven here and that everyone in the parable is symbolic of someone else let’s look for the hidden meaning.

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.”(Luke 10:30)

The man was an ordinary person who represents you and me on the road of life.  Who it is that would attack us, strip us of our clothing and leave us for dead? We know that our spiritual covering is often referred to in terms of clothing. “All our righteous works are as filthy rags,” says Isaiah 64:6 whereas the Lord clothes us with “garments of salvation” and “robes of righteousness” (Isa. 61:10).  So who would strip us of our covering of righteousness and leave us spiritually dead? Only Satan, the stealer of our soul.

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. (Luke 10:31-32)

The priest and the Levite represent organized religion that in and of itself is powerless to restore spiritual life and leaves us just as dead as when it found us. The Lord had Isaiah say, “These people come near to me with their mouth  and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” (Isaiah 29:13) Jesus didn’t come to start another religion.  He came so that God could be reconciled to His creation, to restore peace between the two.  But sadly, in some parts of the Church, the rules of men still carry more weight than the Word of God.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. (Luke 10:33)

And that leaves the Good Samaritan. Though despised and rejected by His countrymen, He comes to where we are after we’ve been attacked and beaten by our enemy, stripped of all our righteousness and left hopelessly dead in our sins, beyond the ability of all our religious works to restore us to God’s favor.

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. (Luke 10:34)

He binds up our wounds (Isaiah 61:1), pours on oil and wine, and carries us to a place of spiritual comfort where He personally cares for us. Oil was used to aid in healing because of its  soothing and relaxing properties.  Applying it to the skin brings comfort. It represents the Holy Spirit, our Comforter.   Wine was an antiseptic, a cleansing agent.  It symbolizes His blood, shed for the remission of sin.  At the moment of salvation we receive the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance and are washed clean in the  Blood of the Lamb.   He has taken up our infirmities and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4) and will bring us to a place of comfort.   In Matt. 11:28 He said, “Come to me, you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ (Luke 10:35)

Before He left this earth He paid the debt of sin we owe to God (represented by the innkeeper), entrusting us to His care.  Silver was the coin of redemption (Exod. 30:12-15) .  Please notice that He also accepted responsibility for all of our future sins.  We weren’t just redeemed up to the time we became believers, but for all of our lives. (Col. 2:13-14)

So  the  Good Samaritan could only be the Lord Jesus,  our Savior and our Redeemer.

And what did the man do to deserve all of this? Nothing.  He neither earned his rescue nor provided any contribution to his restoration.   It was a gift, a manifestation of the grace in the Good Samaritan’s heart.   And so it is with us.  For 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. (Titus 3:4-7)

And now you know the adult version. 07-11-09

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
” ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

“Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
“But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour (Matt. 25:1-13)

What’s That All About?

This parable is often incorrectly described as having to do with the church, especially by those who cling to the post-tribulation rapture viewpoint. Let’s apply some standard rules of interpretation to see what it really means.

As for the timing of the event, there’s little debate since it’s clearly disclosed. The opening phrase “At that time” refers to several earlier references in the Olivet Discourse all pointing to Matthew 24:29 which says, “Immediately after the distress (tribulation) of those days…”

This verse of course refers to the Great Tribulation, a 3 1/2 year long sequence of judgments begun by the appearance of the “abomination that causes desolation, standing in the Holy Place,” commonly thought to be the anti-christ standing in the newly rebuilt Jewish Temple in Israel proclaiming himself to be god as prophesied by Paul in 2 Thes. 2:4.

So the timing of the parable is just after the end of the Great Tribulation, when what’s left of the world awaits the appearance of Messiah, the King. But notice, they’ve been waiting a long time, implying that the story actually began much earlier, and is now concluding.

The parable centers around 10 virgins, or bridesmaids depending on which translation you prefer, awaiting the appearance of a bridegroom. The Greek word is parthenos, which always describes someone who has never had sexual intercourse. The use of the word bridesmaid comes from an attempt by translators to adhere to the context of the story. But in any case, here’s where some knowledge of 1st century Jewish wedding traditions comes in handy.

Can I Marry Her?

In those days when a man took a fancy to a young woman, he approached her father to ask for her hand in marriage. A brief negotiation followed where the price he was required to pay as compensation for the family’s loss of their daughter was determined. It was called the bride price. If acceptable, and if the daughter agreed to become the man’s wife, they were officially betrothed and he went away to build a home for them next to his father’s house. This could take some time, and the couple rarely met again until the father of the groom pronounced the newly built home fit for habitation. Only then was the date set, and the man given permission by his father to go collect his bride for the wedding.

During this time the young woman was to watch and wait. She and her bridesmaids were to maintain a constant state of preparedness, since the wedding date would not be known to her until the bridegroom actually appeared. For his part, the groom would usually try to show up unexpectedly to surprise her, carrying her off suddenly “like a thief in the night” when no one would see them. When the bridesmaids discovered the bride had been “snatched away” there would be a great torch-lit procession, announcing to the whole town that the wedding banquet was about to begin. This was typically a seven day celebration during which the bride and groom were hidden away in their private rooms while the whole town made merry. The father of the groom picked up the tab for the festivities.

I Can See Clearly Now

Against the backdrop of this tradition, the meaning becomes clear when we insert the actual characters that those in the parable represent. To do this, we’ll rely on the principle of expositional constancy, from which we learn that symbolism in scripture tends to be consistent. For example, whenever yeast is used symbolically it always refers to sin, while symbolic use of the word rock always refers to the Lord, etc.

All through the scriptures, whenever the term bridegroom is used symbolically, it always refers to the Lord. And no one argues that the Bride of Christ is uniquely descriptive of the church. Obviously, the bridesmaids are not the Bride so they can’t represent the church. In fact, the Bride is never mentioned anywhere in the parable. She was obviously spirited away earlier while the bridesmaids slept. The bridesmaids represent people on Earth during the Great Tribulation after the church has gone.

Got Oil?

Now it’s time for the wedding banquet but some bridesmaids lack sufficient oil to light the way. Asking to borrow some from their friends they’re refused, since there might not be enough to go around, and sent off to buy some for themselves. By the time they return, the banquet has already begun, the door is closed and they’re refused admission, the bridegroom claiming that he doesn’t even know them.

Checking on the symbolic use of oil, we find it refers to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a gift uniquely given to believers at the moment of salvation (Ephe. 1:13). You can’t get it for others nor can they give any of theirs to you. Each of us has to receive it by ourselves and for ourselves.

During the Church Age the Holy Spirit is sealed within believers as a guarantee of our inheritance. But no such guarantee is mentioned for Tribulation believers. In fact Rev. 16:15 specifically warns them to stay awake and maintain their righteousness, symbolized by keeping their clothes with them. (Clothing is often used to represent righteousness, as in Isaiah 61:10). Rev. 16:15 implies that Tribulation believers are responsible for remaining steadfast in their faith to avoid losing their salvation. Matt. 25:8 agrees, telling us that all 10 virgins had oil in their lamps at the beginning, but the five foolish ones didn’t have enough to carry them through.

All 10 bridesmaids fell asleep and their lamps were in danger of going out. Only 5 had the ability to replenish their lamps with oil they had brought, and they refused to lend any to the others.

The 5 bridesmaids with oil represent those who will have given their hearts to the Lord during the tribulation period after the Church has gone and stayed faithful, while those without it symbolize others who haven’t. Only those who’ve remained faithful will be invited in.

What’s That Supposed To Mean?

So what does the parable mean? First of all, I’m convinced it’s not trying to hint at the timing of the Rapture. I believe it’s sole purpose is to serve as one of the clearest warnings the Lord ever gave to those He would find still on Earth when He returns, and that’s to make sure they remain faithful and ready to receive Him no matter how long they have to wait.

When the Lord comes back at the End of the Age, He’ll find both believers and unbelievers present on Earth. Having previously spirited His bride (the church) away, He’ll now decide who among the Tribulation survivors should be allowed to participate in the blessings of His Kingdom, using the presence of the Holy Spirit in each one’s life as the determining factor. Those in whom the Spirit resides when He returns are invited in but those without it will be excluded.

Because just as importantly, the parable teaches that His return signals the deadline after which even the request to be saved and receive the Holy Spirit will be denied. (The foolish virgins, as the story calls them, were on their way to replenish their oil when the bridegroom arrived.) The door will be closed, and the Lord will deny ever knowing those who’ve come too late.

By not remaining faithful, they will have disqualified themselves and once He returns there’ll be no opportunity to change their minds. For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith (Ephe 2:8) and faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see (Hebr. 11:1). Selah 3-21-04

Table of contents for Shrewd Manager

1. The Parable of the Shrewd Manager … Part 1
2. The Parable Of The Shrewd Manager… Part 2, Money

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”  declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8)

God and man are at odds over a lot of things, especially in matters of drive and direction. Man seeks power and position, God desires submission. Man demands his rights and freedoms, God asks him to accept responsibility for his behavior. Man’s chief aim is self gain, God wants him to consider the needs of others. Man seeks immediate fulfillment, God is more interested in lasting achievement. Man covets the praise of men where God wants man to desire His approval. Man wants to be served, God wants him to serve others. Man strives to push ahead, God counsels patience. Man wants to lead other men, God wants man to follow Him. Man thrives on competition, God seeks cooperation. Man is after self glorification, God created man to glorify Him. The list goes on.

Perhaps the most dramatic way in which our motives differ from God’s is in the area of money. Man’s purpose in acquiring money is four-fold; to provide security, establish independence, create power and influence, and most of all to guarantee freedom.

God’s four-fold purpose is for provision (to sustain man), direction (to nudge him along the path God has ordained for him), to promote the fellowship of believers (keeping man focused on Him), and to illustrate His power (showing man He’s dependable).

It is God who grants man the ability to acquire wealth (Deut. 8:18). He does it to fulfill His purpose, but man with his free agency nearly always uses the wealth he’s given to fulfill his own purpose instead, and when he does he discovers he never has enough.

What Religion Are You?

It’s been said that we become like the God we worship. Actions taken solely in the pursuit of money usually create habits of greed, stinginess, and situational ethics and morality. For example, I’ve watched businessmen who routinely make millions in a year decline employee requests for raises of 25 cents an hour because “times are tough.” 25 cents an hour amounts to $500 in a year, 1/2 of which the employer gets back in the form of reduced taxes.

Is It Worth It?

How long do you suppose it will take for a disgruntled employee to cost his boss $500 in reduced productivity or waste or even theft? How much more motivated would an employee be if he or she knew that the likelihood of gaining even a small reward for going the extra mile was great? Would a company full of energized, motivated employees help change tough times into good times? Even generate enough extra income to more than cover their raises? A greedy, stingy boss creates lazy, resentful employees and the tough times get worse.

I’ve also watched men who already have all the money they can ever use steal nickels and dimes from their customers, their vendors, their employees, and their government, all in the name of profit, just because they can. The cumulative effect of this “nickel and diming” nets them hundreds of thousands but because each individual theft is so small they don’t count it as sin. “And besides,” they say, “Everybody does it. Its business.”

The Joy Of Giving

Man’s greed is the main reason God instituted the principle of tithing. In the first place, having given man the ability to earn wealth, God reserves for Himself the first fruits, 1/10th of the return. But tithing is the antidote for greed as well. Giving away the Lord’s portion of our wealth brings feelings of generosity. “You’ll be made rich in every way so you can be generous on every occasion,” He told us. (2 Cor. 9:11)

Tithing is also a test of faith. It’s the only area in Scripture where God says, “Test Me,” encouraging us to make Him prove Himself to us. And finally tithing is the solution for all our financial problems. “Give me my due,” He says, “And see if I don’t pour out so much blessing that you will not have room for it.” (Malachi 3:10

Faith Builders

So much of what God taught us through His people was designed to increase our faith. “Let your land lie fallow one year in seven,” He said, “And I will make the land yield enough in the sixth year to carry you through the next three.” (Lev.25:1-7, 20-22) “In the seventh year, forgive all debts and release all indentured servants.” (Deut 15:1-2, 12-15) “Once every fifty years, release all the slaves you’ve acquired and return all the land you’ve gained control over to its original owner.” (Lev.25:1-13) Following these faith building principles would have had the additional benefit of eliminating the motivation for most wars in the world, and preventing the oppressive poverty so many endure, by making futile all attempts at empire building.

Through all his instructions to us He says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6).

Remember His advice in the Parable of the Shrewd Manager. “Use the wealth and position you’ve been given to gain favorable attention in Heaven. If you can’t be trusted with worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” (Luke 16: 9-11)

Who’re You Calling Rich?

Many of you reading this are wealthy by world standards. If you’re an average person living in the USA you’re wealthy beyond the wildest dreams of the average non-American. So don’t think the Lord’s only talking to Bill Gates, Baron von Rothschild or the Sultan of Brunei about these things. He’s talking to you and me as well. Use whatever wealth and position He’s given you to earn honorable mention at the seat of His Throne. It will bring you eternal riches.

But you don’t even have to wait that long. Man says, “I’m giving all I can afford.” God says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38) He will never be in your debt, so you can’t out give Him. Repeat after me, “With the measure I use, it will be measured to me.”

Enough Is Enough

Now with all the poverty in the world, how can you ever say you’ve done enough? Well, the Lord has an answer for this, too.

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.” (1 John 3:17-22)

If we obey His commands and do what pleases Him with the money He’s given us, one of our rewards, in addition to more money, is a sense of peace about our giving. Because most of the world has rejected God’s ways there will always be more need than we can meet, and unless we’re clearly called to do so even giving away everything we have will not begin to alleviate it. But if we’re paying our tithing and sharing our windfall blessings with Him, we’re doing all that’s expected, and the peace we feel in our hearts will tell us so.

Abundance Or Scarcity?

God is a great believer in the abundance mentality, that there’s more than enough to go around. (Don’t forget, He controls the riches of the Universe.) In contrast, many humans subscribe to the scarcity mentality, that in order for one person to get a bigger share, another has to accept a smaller one.

Obviously, our mentality affects our giving. Man says, “I only have so much, and if I give too much of it away, I won’t have enough left for myself.” God says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap,” and, “You will be made rich in every way so you can be generous on every occasion.”

Now let’s not confuse this with the “give to get” heresy, where we’re admonished to give in order to receive. “If you need a thousand dollars,” the TV evangelist says, “Send me a hundred, and the Lord will bless your gift tenfold.” That’s the opposite of God’s way because it makes greed the motive for giving.

No, the Lord loves a cheerful giver, someone who gives because he already has received, and who knows there’s plenty more where that came from. The cheerful giver’s motive is one of gratitude, not greed. He remembers the promise from Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Paul was reminding the men of Philippi that God would bless them because of their past generosity toward him. Their “attitude of gratitude” was opening the purse-strings of Heaven as the One Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills repaid their generosity with some of His own. Why would He do less for us? Selah 3-14-04

Table of contents for Shrewd Manager

1. The Parable of the Shrewd Manager … Part 1
2. The Parable Of The Shrewd Manager… Part 2, Money

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg– I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

” ‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’

“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’

” ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight. (Luke 16:1-15)

A Little Background, Please

A manager is being fired by his master. Told to bring the books into balance before turning them over for a final accounting, he faces a serious situation. He’s too old for manual labor and too proud for welfare, so he asks his master’s debtors to come in and review their accounts with him. In private meetings he has the debtors write down their accounts to a more favorable amount. In so doing he earns points with both the debtors and his master. How could this be?

It was against Mosaic Law for Israelites to charge one another interest on credit extended (Deut. 23:19), but many merchants got around this restriction by overcharging for goods and services, taking excess profits in lieu of interest. (You can see a current example in the auto business. That 0% financing you got is really a loan whose interest is paid by the manufacturer out of excess profits added to the price of vehicles specifically for the purpose of funding such incentives.)

The manager had apparently dealt unfairly with the master’s debtors, tacking on excess profits in lieu of interest. From the story, there’s no indication the master either instigated or condoned any over charging. Its discovery may even be one of the reasons for the manager’s sudden loss of position. Perhaps he was using these add-ons to compensate for the losses of which he was being accused.

Pretty Shrewd, Isn’t He?

Since the master commended the manager’s shrewdness in writing down the accounts, it’s hard to imagine he was being cheated in these dealings even though the Lord calls the manager dishonest. More likely, in settling with the debtors the manager was deducting the excess profits he himself had tacked onto their accounts, earning the gratitude of the debtors and the admiration of the master.

If so, his efforts resemble those of today’s Orthodox Jews during the 10 Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, frantically going around to right all the wrongs they’ve committed against others in the preceding 12 months. They’re working to retain their place in the Book of Life before it’s closed for another year, simultaneously reconciling themselves to their friends and neighbors while getting back into God’s Good Graces.

Christians don’t need to work to get back into God’s Good Graces. Our names cannot be blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life. But our willingness to ask forgiveness of someone we’ve wronged is more than an attempt at reconciliation. It’s an indication of the contrition in our hearts, a measure of our repentance for the sins we’ve committed.

Remember the Context

Don’t forget, this parable was given right on the heels of the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Prodigal (Lost) Son. In each one the point is the rejoicing that occurs when a sinner repents and asks forgiveness. It pleases the Lord and earns us the Master’s commendation.

And the Lord’s commentary following this parable sheds even more light. Non-believers are more shrewd in dealing with each other than believers are, He said. They know how to use their position and authority to gain influence so they’ll have something to fall back on if they get into a jam. If they do this to help themselves in a worldly context, how much more should we work to gain influence in an eternal one?

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not talking about trying to influence the Lord concerning our salvation. That’s a gift, free for the asking, and we’ve already received it. But just as the shrewd manager worked to gain favor with his master’s debtors so they would be more likely to help him out later, there are things we can do to gain influence with other believers, who may then intercede for us in difficult times. Asking their forgiveness is one.

Of course the Lord Jesus is our ultimate intercessor, (Romans 8:34) but it’s comforting to know that friends on Earth would plead our case in Heaven if it ever came to that.

Let’s Talk Money

And speaking of pleading our case in Heaven, He also recommends that we use whatever worldly wealth we’re given to gain favorable attention there by how we use it here. As one friend of mine has said, “You can’t take it with you, but you can send it up ahead.”

He was talking about using our wealth in a way that impresses the Lord. Wealth is a gift from God, we’re told (Deut. 8:18). Lots of people are smart, well educated and work hard, but the Lord blesses relatively few with wealth. If you’re one of them, are you properly thankful? Are you using your wealth to earn honorable mention in the one place where it really counts, Heaven? Remember, He says, if you can’t be trusted with a little (earthly riches) how will you ever be trusted with a lot (eternal riches)? You can’t serve two masters, after all. The money will take you in one direction, but God may have another direction in mind. Which will you follow?

The fact that He was looking right at the Pharisees when He said that shows they hadn’t gotten it right where money’s concerned. Next time we’ll look at the differences between man’s typical use of wealth and the Lord’s desire for its use, so you can see if you have. Stay tuned. Selah 3-05-04

It was one of those edgy discussions between the Priests and the Lord. They were questioning His authority again, and since they were unwilling to answer His question about the origin of John’s baptism, He refused to answer their question about His authority.

Then He told them these two parables.

The Parable of the Two Sons

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

“The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ” ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. (Matt 21:28-46)

I Think They’ve Got It

These two parables are so obvious in their meaning, no wonder they got it. John’s Baptism was one of repentance. By the way, let’s correct the meaning of that word. Repent means to change your opinion about your behavior, not change your behavior. When John said, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near,” he wasn’t warning people to clean up their act so they’d be qualified for the Kingdom. He knew that was impossible. He was telling them to change their opinion about needing a Savior before it was too late. His water baptism was a ceremonial cleansing from their sins, symbolizing salvation by faith following a confession of their need for a Savior.

The Lord’s point was that those who realized their hopeless condition and received their cleansing by faith would enter the Kingdom ahead of those who felt no need for a cleansing and relied on their behavior instead. Way ahead.

The Pharisees worked hard to maintain the outward appearance of keeping the law but failed miserably in their hearts, what with their pride and feelings of superiority. The “sinners” on the other hand admitted they hadn’t been able to please God with their behavior and came in faith alone with broken and contrite hearts. The Lord’s preference for that attitude had been documented in their Scriptures for nearly 1000 years. (Psalm 51:16-17)

The Parable Of The Tenants

As for the parable of the tenants, only the naming of names could have made this a clearer summary of their history. The Landowner was the Lord, the vineyard His Kingdom on Earth, the workers were the Israelites, His servants represented the prophets He regularly sent to Israel, and of course His son was Jesus. And when they answered the question about what should be done, they gave as pure a prophetic utterance as has ever come from the mouths of men. “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

The Lord agreed. “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

Here then are the only two options available. Fall on the stone (the Stone the builders rejected) and be broken, be humble and contrite, be born again and live by faith. Or keep going your own way till someday when you least expect it the Stone falls on you, and be called to account for your behavior, be crushed and die in your sins.

So What’s The Big Mystery Here?

They knew He was talking about them, yet their response was contention not contrition. Their hearts had become so hardened, they could no longer consider the possibility they might be mistaken. They had to shut Him up because they couldn’t risk having to re-think things.

Back then they had people who disagreed with them arrested. (Today we’re much more subtle, we just re-interpret the meaning of what He said.) But they understood that He was threatening to take the Kingdom away from them and give to others who would produce its fruit.

Now don’t let anyone try to tell you that the vineyard is the Land of Israel. The land was given to them unconditionally. But beyond that, Israel was chosen by God to accomplish four things; to transmit His word (Isa. 42:9), be a witness for Him (Isa. 43:10), show forth His blessing (Isa. 49:3) and be the channel for the Messiah (Isa. 49:5).

They did such a remarkable job in transmitting His word that today hardly any of the Old Testament varies from the way God originally spoke it. And as a showcase for His blessing, the reigns of David and Solomon were unparalleled in previewing life in the Kingdom. Of course it goes without saying that Israel was the channel for the Messiah. It was in the second area, being a witness for God, where they had failed.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are,” Jesus accused them. (Matt23:15)

On the Temple Mount, the Court of the Gentiles was as close as non-Jews could get to the Holy of Holies, and the only place they could legally worship the Lord. Any attempt to get closer was a crime punishable by death. At the time of Jesus it had been turned into an open air market (it’s the place from which Jesus drove the money changers and sellers of animals) making it impossible for gentiles to worship there. In short the Lord promised He would be their God and they had refused to share Him with anyone else.

Go Ye Into All The World

And so the Great Commission was given to the disciples, and through them the church. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” Jesus told them. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:18-20)

Pretty soon now, we’ll find out if we’ve done any better. Selah 2-22-04.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ ”
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1-8)

Let’s Put This In Context

The background for this parable is found in chapter 17. “When will the Kingdom come?” some had asked. In response the Lord told them that one day soon they would long to see one of His days (days like this one when He was with them) but would not see it. First He had to suffer and die. Then there would be a succession of false Messiahs and still it wouldn’t be time. But when He finally did come it would be suddenly and it would catch many people off guard. They would have given up and stopped praying.

Then He told His disciples the story of the persistent widow. His point was that if even a corrupt judge could eventually be persuaded by the persistence of a widow, someone without standing or influence in their day, how much more likely would the Lord be to respond to the persistent prayers of His followers?

It Wasn’t the First Time

“Pray without ceasing,” Paul wrote in 1 Thes. 5:17. Good advice. Earlier the Lord had given us similar instruction.

“Ask and it will be given to you;” He said, “Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matt; 7:7-11)

In both cases the lesson is the same. If even those who are evil can be moved by persistence, how much more so the Lord? It’s funny in a way, how the Lord longs for our participation in His plan. His return is a foregone conclusion, the decision made before the foundations of the world were laid. Yet He encourages us to keep praying for it, and to never give up till the day it happens. It’s almost as if He’s saying our prayers could influence the timing.

It wouldn’t be the only time. Through His disciples He told the Jews in Jerusalem that as the time for the Great Tribulation draws near, to pray that it not begin on a Sabbath or in the winter (Matt. 24:20). What’s that all about? Would He alter the start date of the worst period of judgment ever to befall humanity to accommodate the needs of what will surely be a religious minority? Does prayer really have that kind of power?

To drive home the point He began in the widow’s story, the Lord closed with a question. “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Though His return is certain, will there be anyone left with the persistence to still be praying for it when He comes?

Prayer Power

The prayers of righteous people are powerful and effective, the Bible tells us (James 5:16), sufficient to save the soul, heal the sick, raise the dead. And, if the above examples are any indication, influence the timing of God’s Plan. If so, why don’t we see more evidence of the miraculous today? If the Age of Miracles really is over, as some would have us believe, is it just because we’ve stopped praying for them?

The widow hounded the judge to a point where he thought her obnoxious, and he answered her request just to get her off his back. In another case, the Lord told of a man who had unexpected guests arrive late at night, and him with no food in the pantry. Hurrying to his neighbor’s house, he pounded on the door asking for three loaves of bread. The neighbor was already in bed. The Lord explained that it wasn’t the neighbor’s friendship that got him out of bed to give the man what he needed, but his boldness in asking (Luke 11:5-8). (The word translated boldness also implies persistence.)

Ask and it will be given to you. Pray without ceasing. Be bold and persistent, especially when praying for His return. Let the Lord know that at least in your heart, there’s still faith on Earth. Maybe if enough of us persist in this, we can hasten the day of His coming.
Selah 2-15-04

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. “About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. “He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
” ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

“The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
“But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matt.20: 1-16)

What’s That All About?

I’ve been a management consultant most of my life and before I became a believer I thought the Lord had violated all kinds of motivational principles, not to mention the theory of fair compensation, with this story. Seemed to me like the landowner in the parable was training his workers to show up late. They’d still get paid for the full day.

Then I was born again, and learned that the Lord’s objective in teaching through parables was to enlighten His followers on the ways of the Kingdom, while confusing everyone else. (Matt. 13: 11-13) It had sure worked with me.

I learned that a parable is a heavenly story put into an earthly perspective, and that all the characters represent someone or something else. This one was no different. As usual the landowner represents the Lord, the workers His followers, and the vineyard, His Kingdom. The pay stands for the rewards of salvation. The work is what His followers do to deserve the reward, and the day is the length of time they’re given to do it, normally their lifespan. This parable wasn’t meant to be a management seminar. It was given to illuminate three critical principles having to do with the Kingdom of Heaven.

Three Principles

First, no matter when in your life you decide to join His Kingdom, you are entitled to all the rights and benefits pertaining thereto the moment you do. (Ephe 1:13-14) The last ones hired got the same pay as the first.

Second, you have to sign up before the end of the day. (Hebr. 4:7) No one was hired after the end of the day and as I said, the day represents our lifetime.

Third, if you think you deserve more in the Kingdom because you worked longer or harder or lived a better life than someone else, then you’ve forgotten how you got in. You weren’t saved because of your merit or worthiness, but because of His mercy and grace. Thinking He owes you something extra is a sin that if left unconfessed won’t get you thrown out, (remember every worker is a believer) but it could put a strain on your relationship with the Lord during your life and will certainly diminish your joy at having been accepted into the Kingdom.

Is Your Work All Done?

So what about the work that everyone, whether first or last, had to do to earn their pay? I thought salvation was free, and couldn’t be earned. Earlier, the people had asked the Jesus, “What is the work God requires of us?”
“The work of God is this,” He replied. “Believe in the One He has sent.” (John 6:28-29)

What a perfect opportunity to point out all the things required of us; the 10 Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, or some new list that combined them both and added regular church attendance, tithing, with maybe some missionary work thrown in. No. “Believe in the One He has sent.” Period. End of Story.

The workers who worked all day represent those who have believed in the One He has sent, but then for the rest of their lives have labored long and hard for the Kingdom. Nothing wrong with all their hard work, and it has probably achieved much good, but at the end of the age, if they think they’ll be in for some extra credit, their true motives will be exposed. The jealousy they feel when a terrible sinner makes a last minute confession and is saved without any good works to his credit shows they haven’t been working to express their gratitude to the Lord for what they’ve already been promised, but to earn something more for themselves. (1 Cor. 4:5)

And The First Shall Be Last

When the Lord said, “The last will be first, and the first will be last,” He was describing the spiritual equivalent of being sent to the end of the line. Something like that actually happened to me once. I arrived early for a popular seminar, found a good parking space, took my place near the head of the line that was already forming, and began mentally selecting the great seat I’d head for when the doors opened. As the line quickly got longer and longer, I began gloating over the fact that I wasn’t going to be one of those losers who always arrive at the last minute and get terrible parking and worse seats. No sir, not me.

Finally the doors did open and to my shock I discovered I’d been standing in the wrong place. The first ones there had been misinformed and had started the line in front of the wrong door. The real entrance was at a different door and suddenly I was nearer the end of the line than the beginning. Bummer! I had been feeling so smug and superior, and now I was the loser. I mentally missed the first 15 minutes of the seminar trying to calm down, and never did get over the fact that I had waited all that time to get preferred seating and now my seat was no better than anyone else’s. Going from first to last stole my joy that day, and my superior attitude made it all the worse.

Take Home Pay

If you’re one of those believers the Lord could accuse of being jealous over what someone else is getting, confess and do it now. Don’t let another day go by, estranged from Him by your jealousy.

And here’s one way the parable is different from life. Everyone knew the workday was 12 hours long, so all could predict its end. But who among us can predict the end of our lives? If you’re someone who hasn’t yet fully committed to becoming one of His followers please heed the advice from Hebrews 4:7, “Today if you hear His voice, don’t harden your heart” and from 2 Cor. 6:2 “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” Join Him now, the wages are great and they pay eternal dividends. Selah 2-7-04

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” (Luke 15:3-32)

The Prophetic Perspective

Last time we looked at this parable from a personal point of view, but there’s also a prophetic angle, wherein the father represents God, the older son Gentile Christianity and the younger son the Jews. (Remember, if Abraham is the father of the Jews then technically everyone was a gentile before him, making the gentiles older than the Jews.)

A quick read of Israel’s history shows how the life of the nation parallels that of the younger son. Having been given a rich and generous inheritance, Israel abandoned the Lord and squandered it on false gods to a point where the nation nearly ceased to exist, and in fact as far as the rest of the world was concerned was no more.

Meanwhile just like the older son, the Gentile Church stayed “close to home” and while working for God appropriated Israel’s blessing and inheritance and assumed the role of God’s heir on earth, calling itself “spiritual Israel.” It’s known as Replacement Theology.

The Prodigal Returns

When the advent of Zionism in the later part of the 19th century resulted in the Balfour Declaration after WW 1 and the reappearance of Israel in 1948, no one seemed less thrilled than the World Council of Churches, an international alliance of Protestant denominations that to this day is decidedly pro-Arab in its political outlook, and sees no need for the existence of Israel in the End Times. This attitude will become more pronounced as the end of the age draws nearer.

Can’t you just hear mainline Protestantism in the voice of the older son? “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!”

The church has fielded missionaries, founded schools, formed congregations without number, with buildings and programs to meet every need, and in many other ways worked long and hard for the Lord, without ever receiving any of its promised reward.
During this time Israel consorted with pagan gods including that one most blasphemous, secular humanism. Now after a nearly 2000 year absence, dragging the Lord’s name through the mud all the way, is Israel now coming back to reclaim their position in God’s family? Is the Lord going to allow this? It isn’t fair!

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ” Though the brother had called him “your son” the father called him “your brother.”
The church will receive all its promised reward, but God’s promises to Israel never expired and weren’t conditioned on past behavior. In addition, as the End draws near, “They will look upon Me Whom they have pierced” (Zech 12:10) speaking of Israel’s acceptance of the Messiah.

The Promise To Israel

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.

“‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. (Ezek 36:22-28)

Now lest you fall for the interpretation given by some in the church that this passage was fulfilled in the return after the Babylonian captivity, look at the phrases “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean,” and ” I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.” These phrases describe the effect of being born again, and in the context of the passage take place after the re-gathering of Israel in the late 1940s. So while this is ultimately still in the future for us, its fulfillment has begun and continues as you read this.

The Problem With People

To the people of the world, Israel was dead and gone. No nation so defeated and dispersed has ever come back to life again. No language once discarded has ever come back into common use. No land once appropriated has ever been returned. For us in the USA it would be like the American Indians reclaiming their lands, restoring their languages and cultures and becoming a group of independent nations with a voice in world affairs. It’s hard to imagine.

But for God it’s simply keeping a promise. And though the nations conspire against Him in their attempt to bring to naught that which He has ordained, Israel has returned to the land God gave to Abraham, speaks the language Abraham spoke, and is an independent nation again. And no one, not even the Gentile Church can dispute that. And what’s more, they’re here to stay. (Amos 9:14-15)

We in the church who are the true believers look at our leaders and shake our heads in wonder at their resistance to such an obvious fulfillment of God’s promise. If they don’t believe He should fulfill His promises to Israel how can they trust Him to do so for them? Do they believe that the Church has been any more faithful to Him than Israel? More deserving? It’s so human; demanding others be brought to justice, while expecting mercy for themselves.

Sadly, many in the church today share the attitude of their leaders. If you’re one of them remember another promise God made to Abraham. “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.” (Gen. 12:3) And what about the one Jesus made to us? “Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did not do for me.” (Matt. 25:45) Selah 2-1-04

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Lost Son

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ” (Luke 15:3-32)

What’s Going On Here?

The Pharisees and Teachers of the Law were muttering among themselves, criticizing the Lord for fraternizing with sinners. They believed that even acknowledging a sinner’s presence was wrong, and sharing a meal with a one was a sign of acceptance to be avoided at all costs. Guilt by association, they called it. It’s an attitude that’s still around. Go bankrupt, get a divorce, or even lose your job and you’ll soon find out who your friends are. If you’re lucky, one or two will come around. The rest will avoid you like the plague, as if your condition is contagious and they might catch it.

The so-called righteous people of the day placed little or no value on the lives of sinners, believing their behavior had rendered them undeserving of any effort toward reconciliation. So Jesus told them three parables to explain God’s view that sinners were actually of more urgent importance to Him than the righteous.

On one occasion He told them that He had come to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), and on another that it was the sick that needed a doctor, not the healthy. “I have not come to call the righteous,” He said, ” but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32) Now He said, “If you had 100 sheep and one got lost you’d leave the 99 and search for the lost one wouldn’t you? And wouldn’t you be glad when you found it?”

“And suppose you had 10 coins and lost one? Wouldn’t you focus all your efforts on finding it? And when you did wouldn’t you celebrate?”

If they felt that way about material possessions that could easily be replaced, how much more important should a human soul be?

To our Creator each and every life is of infinite value; irreplaceable. He doesn’t desire that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) That’s why there’s more rejoicing in Heaven over redeeming one lost soul than over 99 who never got lost. And that’s why every time a sinner repents and receives the Lord the angels in Heaven sing for joy.

By the way, the Bible only mentions five events that cause the angels to sing. One was when God said, “Let there be light,” and the Earth came to life. Another was when the Lord Jesus was born, and then there’s the arrival of the Church in Heaven, and finally the Lord’s defeat of His enemies at the end of the age. That’s just four other times in all the history of man. But they get plenty of practice, because the fifth one repeats itself every time one of us comes to the Lord. In His view saving a single life ranks right up there with creating and saving the world.

Here’s The Point

But it’s the third parable that must have cut them to the quick, because it highlights the resentment the obedient son felt over the return of the disobedient one.

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in (to the celebration). So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

My guess is that this parable exposed their true motives for ostracizing the sinners among them. They worked hard to keep the Law and took pride in doing a good job. Those who didn’t were being disobedient and deserved to be punished. By shunning them the Pharisees were actually helping the Lord mete out the punishment. This made them feel all the better about themselves. Nothing like being on the Lord’s side to make one feel righteous.

Then comes this itinerant preacher giving these sinners all kinds of attention and actually making them feel good about themselves, giving them hope, and taking away their motivation to clean up their act. It wasn’t fair. The Pharisees worked so hard at being good and these sinners get all the attention. On top of that, the Pharisees labored to earn their ticket to eternity. If the sinners got a free pass, like Jesus seemed to be implying, what kind of example would that set? They were plainly jealous.

And so the Lord softened the blow with the last point in the parable. He had the joyful father say, “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

Rewarding sinners doesn’t penalize the righteous. The Lord doesn’t subscribe to the scarcity mentality that there’s only so much to go around and giving to one means taking from another. For everyone who asks will receive, all who seek will find, and to all who knock the door will be opened (Matt 7:7-8).

And Finally …

It’s easy to spot the Pharisees’ error. They thought salvation was something they could earn, and by attempting to do so they developed a self-righteous attitude that actually placed them further in their debt of sin. The only difference between the Pharisees and the sinners, is that the sinners knew they needed a Savior. But the Lord’s compassion for them, as expressed by the father in the parable to the older son, must have worked. On the Day of Pentecost, the new born church picked up over 3000 members, many of them Pharisees and Teachers of the Law.

The Pharisees were a group from Biblical times, but they’re not all dead yet. There’s still plenty of that self-righteous “holier than thou” attitude around, and most of us harbor some of it. So next time you feel a little jealous when some undeserving sinner repents and is saved, remember … this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And in Heaven the angels rejoice. Selah 1-25-04