DBG - November 1 - Luke 14-16

In this chapter Christ teaches against the Pharisees.

vs. 1-6 – Christ is again presented a trap set by the Pharisees.  He is invited to dine with a chief Pharisee on the Sabbath, who had planted a man with dropsy (the modern term is edema).  Christ of course heals the man and points to the lack of compassion of the Pharisees.  This is the fifth time Christ healed someone on the Sabbath.

vs. 7-14 – This is still the same meal as in the previous verses.  There were many customs surrounding seating of more honorable individuals.  The places of highest honor would be next to the host.  The most honorable, judged by religion, were the most aged and holy.  The lesson is to not seek honor but let it come to you.  It would be better to invite the poor to receive a meal than to hold a dinner to gain man’s recognition.

vs. 15-24 – Still at the same meal, Christ gives the Parable of the Great Supper in response to Christ to someone’s attempt at changing the subject.  A man holds a great feast and sends his servants to retrieve the guests.  Two make ridiculous claims about buying land and oxen that they did not know anything about.  The third actually makes a decent excuse but it was not something that would have prevented him attending.  With all things ready for the feast, the man sends his servants to gather anyone and everyone they can find.  There is still room and they are sent out again to find more.  Those that gave excuses picture those that are too busy to have time for God.  Even though some reject God’s call, it does not mean that others will not heed it.  The Pharisees were the type to be too busy in their self-righteousness to respond to God’s call.

vs. 25-27 – Christ speaks to the multitudes about the cost of discipleship.  The term “hate” used here is illustrating by comparison how much our love for Christ should be compared to all others.  It is used similarly in Matthew 6:24 and Romans 9:13.  A clearer explanation is found in Matthew 10:37.  Christ compares discipleship to carrying a cross.  Note that not one person present except for Christ knows the magnitude of this statement, because not one of them understood that Christ would be crucified.  This alludes to the Roman custom of humiliating condemned criminals by making them carry their own cross to their place of execution.

vs. 28-30 – The Parable of the Tower shows that true discipleship finishes what it starts.  It is a lesson in faithfulness and determination.

vs. 31-33 – The Parable of the King at War shows that disciples requires the wisdom of understanding what lies ahead in it and determining to follow through.

vs. 34-35 - Christ used this same illustration a couple of times (Matthew 5:13 and Mark 9:50)

In this chapter Christ gives parables against the Pharisees.

vs. 1-7 – Be careful to note the setting as it is the foundation for what follows in this chapter.  Christ is condemned by the Pharisees for welcoming sinners, and by extension shunning them.  Christ gives parables to show why He was so determined to reach out to the lost.  The Parable of the Lost Sheep is also found in Matthew 18:11-4 with a different emphasis.  Here it is the determination of the Good Shepherd to not be satisfied with those who are saved but to seek and save that which was lost.

vs. 8-10 – The Parable of the Lost Coin carries on the theme of seeking that which is lost.  The reason why the woman had ten coins is unknown.  It is her determination to find the lost coin that is important here.  The coin used here is the Greek drachma, which is similar to the Roman denarius.

vs. 11-32 – The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most familiar of Christ’s parables, and sometimes its meaning is lost in its familiarity.  Today, the word prodigal means someone who has drifted away from family and faith.  This parable has redefined that word.  The original meaning of prodigal is someone who is wasteful in their extravagance.  One thing that is usually not mentioned here that Jewish inheritance laws have the eldest son receiving a double portion (see Deuteronomy 21:17).  Therefore, in this story, the eldest son would stand to receive 2/3 of his father’s estate while the younger 1/3.  There is also a societal taboo lost to most here when the son asks for his inheritance.  He was in a sense saying he wished his father was dead.  The young man is so humbled in his circumstances that the takes the degrading job of tending to swine, unclean to the Jews and unpopular to everyone else.  He finally resolves to return home, even if it means becoming a servant to his father.  The father responds in an unexpected way, welcoming him back and celebrating his return to the family with a great feast.  Many stop this story here, but the true point of the story is what follows.  Remember the setting of these parables from the beginning of the chapter.  The main point of the story is revealing the elder son’s hateful heart.  He refuses to rejoice in his brother’s return. He pouts until the father seeks him out.  He has to be reminded that his place is secure and that his brother’s return did not affect this or his inheritance.  He is reminded that it is good and proper to celebrate his brother’s return.  This is a pointed sermon at the Pharisees.  They were, in a sense, safe in their place with God.  However, they held hatred in their hearts for the repentance and return of the sinners around them.  This did not affect their standing at all, but they believed they deserved the attention more than the sinners coming home to God.

In this chapter Christ continues giving parables against the Pharisees.

vs. 1-13 – The Parable of the Unjust Steward was spoken to His disciples but still aimed at the greed of the Pharisees.  A man is accused by his master of wasting the master’s wealth.  Before he can be called to account for this, he works to gain the goodwill of others.  To one that owed his master 100 baths (about 900 gallons) of olive oil, he reduces the debt to 50 baths (450 gallons).  To one that owed his master 100 cors (about 600 bushels) of wheat, he reduces the debt to 80 cors (about 500 bushels).  The master is pleased by the man’s ingenuity, perhaps seeing potential in him after doubting him.  It is a strange parable that I do not know if it has a hero.  The overarching idea is to use our wealth and resources wisely in this life, especially with investing in Heaven.  Money is amoral.  It is a tool that can be used for good, used for evil, or simply wasted.  The Bible never teaches that money is evil, but that the “love of money” is (I Timothy 6:10).  The question we must ask ourselves: do we control our money or does our money control us?

vs. 14-18 – The Pharisees and many of the religious elite of this time were enamored with wealth.  They were convicted by the previous parable.  Christ continues to speak against their actions.  They wanted man to see and praise them more than they did God.  In verse 16 there is commonly misinterpreted point.  It does not say that John the Baptist was part of the Old Testament Law and Prophets, rather that John ushered in the era of the Gospel of grace.  Jesus never condemns the Law itself, but the how men abused it or added to it.  Christ speaks of the surety of God’s Word in verse 17.  A title is the small horn-like mark that distinguishes between the Hebrew letters bet and kaph.  Christ makes a passing comment on the Pharisee’s abuse of divorce in verse 18.  For a larger treatment of the subject by Christ, see Matthew 19:3-12 and Mark 10:2-12.

vs. 19-31 – Most regard the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus as a parable.  If it is, it is the only parable to have a proper name in it.  All others just speak generally of people, but this one specifically identifies the beggar as Lazarus.  This leads me to conclude this is a true story.  Sometimes the rich man is named Dives, from the Latin word for a wealthy man, but this is a later invention from tradition and not in the Bible.  Christ tells of a rich man who dies and enters God’s eternal judgment.  This is contrasted with a poor beggar named Lazarus (“whom God helps”), who dies and enters God’s eternal reward.  One was righteous and saved, the other sinful and lost.  The details of their fates need some explanation.  This is not exactly the same as the division of Heaven and Hell that we speak of today.  The best explanation I have found is that there is one place where the souls of all dead before Christ’s resurrection, and this one place is divided into two sections.  The place is called many names in the Bible, including the grave or hell (Hebrew sheol and Greek hades).  One section, identified as Paradise or Abraham’s bosom, is for the righteous.  They wait in peace and comfort until death is defeated by Christ at His resurrection, when they are taken to Heaven (Ephesians 4:8-10).  The other section is a place of torment for the lost and wicked.  This is what we would call hell.  It is a temporary holding place until the unsaved are judged before the Great White Throne in Revelation 20 and condemned to eternity in the Lake of Fire.  One of the most interesting aspects of this story is the interaction that seems possible between the saved and lost.  I think this possibility ended with the resurrection of Christ, but at this time the rich man can speak to Lazarus and Abraham.  Our fates are sealed at death based on our faith in God.  There is no possibility of relief or comfort for those in torment.  The rich man begs for a someone to be sent to warn his brothers.  Abraham’s response reveals the depths of rebellion in the human heart.  Even if someone rose from the dead to tell people what was to come, they would not listen.  They had the Word of God, which they refused listen to.  They rejected the truth, not the medium it was delivered in.

It is tempting to our selfish nature to seek gratification in this world.  We yearn for man’s praise and burn for greater possessions that we already possess.  The teaching of Scripture is not that we should forsake all worldly goods and live as hermits.  Rather, it is to wisely use the resources at hand for Heaven’s sake and not our own ambitions.  A man may be so enamored by this world that Christ’s forgiveness is lost in the merriment.  A Christian may be so take by the world that they lose their effectiveness to serve or glorify God, like the salt that lost its savor.  We are in the world, but we do not have to be of the world.

Our hymn today is “A Worldling, Wretched, Vile and Base,” written around 1850 by Paul Henkel.

A Worldling, wretched, vile and base,
Not subject to restraining grace;
But yielded to his lusts and pride,
And set all fear of God aside.

Though he had riches laid in store,
Yet no compassion on the poor!
A beggar in a helpless state,
Found no assistance at his gate.

The worldling spent his precious days,
In Luxuries, in sports and plays--
While the poor beggar lay distress'd,
With poverty and sores oppress'd.

But to them both it proved strange,
To meet with such a sudden change;
The worldling sent to endless pain,
The beggar plac'd with Christ to reign.

This is the sinners awful case:
They who neglect the time of grace;
They cry for help, but O too late!
When once they share their lot and fate.

The worldling pray'd to get relief,
To mitigate his pain and grief;
But father Abr'am could not grant
that cooling drop which he did want.

If we seek heaven here on earth,
We loose the heav'n of greater worth;
To bear the Cross with Jesus here,
Intitles us to glory there.

Dear Saviour, make us truly wise,
All sinful pleasures to despise--
The greatest evil we can do:
That is to choose our heav'n below.