Day #301

Sermon - Audio
Luke 16-17:10 - Reading
Luke 16-17:10 - Audio

Daily Insights - Please Comment

16-17:10

Stewardship and servanthood [ 16:1–17:10 ]. Most of the teaching in this section concerns faithfulness and unfaithfulness in the stewardship of spiritual and material possessions (Jesus also has important things to say about the law, divorce, and forgiveness) and how that relates to one’s eternal destiny. The teaching Jesus gives in chapter 16 is mainly for the money-loving Pharisees (see 16:14). The main point of the parable of the dishonest manager is that rather than being mastered by money, a wise and faithful servant will use material wealth to gain eternal treasure (16:1–13). The rich man who ignored poor Lazarus is a cautionary counterexample: for all the finery and feasting he enjoyed on earth, he still ended up burning in hell (16:19–31). It is doubtful whether many of the things Jesus says here will ever be popular with fallen humanity: no one can serve both God and money; unlawful divorce is sinful adultery; there is an eternal chasm between heaven and hell; forgive people up to seven times a day; to serve God intensely is only to do one’s duty. Pervasive literary forms here include conflict and satire; notice also how subversive Jesus’ rhetoric is.

The manager is the steward in charge of the estate, a trusted servant who exercised the chief responsibility for the management and distribution of the household goods. The manager acted as the agent for his master, and had full authority to transact business on behalf of his master. wasting his possessions. The manager’s dishonesty is a central theme woven throughout the parable. The manager is clearly guilty as charged, because when the master fired him (v. 2), the manager made no attempt to defend himself -ESVSB-

The dishonest manager decided that, in his last few moments as manager, he would seek to ingratiate himself with his master’s debtors so that they would still owe him favors, thus assuring his future well-being (may receive me into their houses). The reduction of both bills would have amounted to about 500 denarii (about 20 months’ wages).

The main point is that the manager had great foresight to anticipate his financial needs after his dismissal, thus using his financial expertise to make friends for himself.

Wealth is a tool to be used for God's purposes.

11 - True riches means spiritual stewardship and responsibility in God’s kingdom, and ultimately heavenly reward as well.

13 - Can not, it doesn't say should not. If a Christian has wealth, it is a gift from God to be used for kingdom purposes.

15 - Are we trying to appear righteous before God or man?

16 - The Law and the Prophets is the old covenant age, now superseded by the kingdom of God. until John. John the Baptist was still part of the old covenant age, so that his ministry served as the culmination of a long history of OT prophecy that looked forward to the coming of the messianic kingdom.

"forces his way into it." - Luke is probably looking back to the decisive action of the desperate man in 16:1–8, or to the radical choice implied in v 13. Everyone who would take advantage of the good news must take vigorous steps to enter the kingdom of God. (bia¿zetai ei˙ß means “enter forcibly into,” or, somewhat weakened, “try hard to enter” [Epictetus 4.7.20–21; Josephus, War 4.323]. Taken as a passive, it could mean “invite pressingly into”, but this would be much less contextually appropriate. The “everyone” is of course not comprehensive; it can refer only to everyone who cares to embrace the good news of the kingdom of God. -WBC-

17 - But suggests that Jesus is seeking to correct a possible misunderstanding of v. 16a, showing that the OT moral law still has validity as the Word of God (see note on Matt. 5:18). Those laws will never become void since they reflect the very person and character of God, who will never pass away.

18 - The examples of marriage and divorce show that the ethical standards of the new era are still faithful to promises made in the presence of God. To contribute to the breakup of a marriage, which involved a vow before God, is to commit adultery. This works whether one gets a divorce or marries a person who is divorced, thus finalizing the breakup of the marriage. Jesus’ point concerns the need for fidelity and ethical integrity in the new era. -NET-

The rich man who was looked upon as great while on earth, is now the lowest of the low. He showed no compassion, and didn't use his wealth/status for kingdom purposes. The poor, sick, and unclean man is welcomed in by the Jewish people's father...Abraham.

27-31

but if someone … from the dead. The rich man believes that if Lazarus returns from the dead he will be a sign confirming what the OT says and therefore his brothers will repent. As seen by the context and the content of the parable, such repentance would need to include a change of heart and a change in behavior, involving the use of the brothers’ wealth and possessions for the care and well-being of those who are destitute and impoverished like Lazarus. But the refusal to repent and the corresponding refusal to believe the gospel is not primarily due to lack of evidence but to a hardened heart. -ESVSB-

17:1 - Temptations will come, but we are not to be people who tempt others. We are to be light, not darkness to the world.

2 - millstone = A round stone used for grinding grain (here probably weighing hundreds of pounds, propelled by a donkey walking in circles on a track).

3-4 = Keep Short Accounts w/Others. We are to rebuke our brothers and sisters, but notice we are to forgive...always doing things in love. While the rest of the world may forgive a couple times, we are called to exceed these expectations as people of the kingdom.

7-10 = Jesus makes it known to his disciples that there is no increasing in faith...but only its presence. If we have even a little faith, remarkable things can happen.

One of the most hardest teachings of Jesus to hear in a "It's all about me" society:

"So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

We must never forget that we are unworthy. We must never forget that we continually respond to the grace that has been given to us.