Luke 18:35-47 – A son of honor

This account on the healing of the blind man is also recorded in the Gospel of Mark 10:46-52. Mark's account reveals that his name is Bartimaeus. Interestingly, this name means son of honour. Luke tells us that Jesus was approaching Jericho, where this blind man was begging. As usual where Jesus went, a crowd would be gathered. This time, it was no different. A crowd was also gathering. Though Bartimaeus could not see, he could hear. On hearing the commotion, he inquired of them, asking what was happening. On learning that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, he cried out loudly, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Some people sternly told him to shut up.  But unmoved, he kept crying for mercy. We are told in verse 40, that Jesus stopped and commanded that Bartimaeus be brought to Him. Nobody, regardless of status, was insignificant to Him. The Lord of life would not pass over any one who turns to Him for help. He still hears our cries for mercy today. He will not pass us by.

What's puzzling is in the question Jesus asked Bartimaeus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Isn't that a strange question? Couldn't Jesus see his obvious need? Sight, of course! The question wasn't redundant. There were and still are many who would rather remain in their handicapped situation. At least they could wallow in self-pity and continue to have the attention of others. It was not likely that He didn't know his need, but He wanted him to express his desire. The Lord would do for us what we desire. So Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately, his sight was restored to him. The obvious result took place: he followed Jesus and kept giving God the glory. And through Him others were also led to praise God.

The Lord is just as compassionate today. He still wants to meet our needs in life. The question is: what would we do when our needs are met by Him? Encountering Jesus always results in a changed life. Bartimaeus was no longer blind. And he no longer needed to beg. He just followed Jesus and would not stop speaking His praise. He finally found his name to be true - Bartimaeus, son of honor.

How do we see ourselves each day? Having invited Jesus into our lives, each one of us is a true Bartimaeus, a son of honor.  Our lives must of necessity reflect the Heavenly Father Who alone deserves the honor. Let us live our lives to His honor as He has given us the honor to know and experience Him!

Luke 18:31-34 – Jesus told of His impending suffering and death

In Luke 18:31-34, Jesus again mentioned to His disciples His impending suffering and death. Here Jesus used the term “Son of Man” on Himself. There is a gross misunderstanding that this title refers to His humanity, when in reality it’s a term referring to His divinity. This title is derived from the book of Daniel. It was the prophet’s vision in Daniel 7:13-14 concerning a sweep of world history. Here the prophet described a series of beasts eventually judged by the Ancient of Day, Who is God the Father Himself.    

Whatever the case, Jesus here made known to His disciples what was coming to Him at Jerusalem, that the Son of Man must first go through a time of suffering. This was an event already foretold by the prophets in their writings. He told them of the impending intense time of shame. He revealed that He would be seized by the Gentiles. And they would mock Him and scorn Him shamelessly. They would spit, scourge and kill Him. But death could not hold Him in the grave, for on the third day He would come back from death. Even though He told His disciples explicitly that what he would go through was long disclosed in Scriptures, His disciples totally missed it.

Here in Luke, we see that Jesus emphasized it three times in verse 34: “The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.” Just imagine, they were with Him day and night for three whole years, even at this point when the Passion Week was looming large, yet they did not understand what was going to happen. In their minds there was probably no room for the suffering, dying Messiah. Theologically they were ignorant concerning what Christ had to endure for them. We are privileged today to see everything so clearly. Through history and the spirit of revelation in Christ, we understand everything clearly. What a great privilege!  

Despite knowing what His mission would entail, He saw it through. Here we see a strong display of our Lord’s resolution. Will we ever have the same unyielding resolve as Him as we seek to live for Him? He invites us to follow Him, to deny ourselves, and take up our individual cross daily and follow Him. For we know that yielding our all in sweet abandon and total surrender to Him, is the only appropriate response to all that He had done for us. Let's give Him our heart, our all!

Luke 18:18-30 - Wealth and Eternal Life

Eternal life and the Kingdom of God are synonymous. Here Jesus had just spoken about entering it with the simplicity of a child. Here in Luke 18:18-30, a man sought Him out to find out more on how to enter in. He was not only rich but also young. And he was a ruler, meaning he could be in a position of influence. Some people think that this indicates that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling Jewish council. From the account, we deduced that this man also knew the law and had realized its inadequacy to fulfil his deeper longing. The adjective he used to call Jesus was the word 'good'. Truly speaking, the only person that is qualified to be described as good is God alone. Perhaps this man saw in Jesus something more than just a mere man. By referring to Jesus as good, he had unwittingly placed Him on par with God. And truly, He is God.

This man also knew the law. So Jesus referred him to the part of the Ten Commandments that stipulated the need to love his fellow man. This man very quickly replied by saying that he had kept them since young. He did not take the time to reflect more. Isn't this true of man? He had sincerity but he lacked moral awareness. Jesus then showed him where his thinking was skewed. If he had truly loved his neighbour as himself, he would have met the needs of the poor with his riches. In fact he had hoarded so much of the riches that it had become his god. So Jesus challenged Him. He showed him why he was not serious in his seeking for eternal life. He had allowed his riches to come in the way. If he had truly loved his neighbour and sincere about wanting eternal life, he would have been willing to give up all to help them and to follow Jesus.

On hearing that, his countenance fell and he went away disappointed. Riches had become his stumbling block, because it was all he cared for in life. We all have our stumbling block in life. We need to know that Jesus was not referring to riches per se. For some, money may not be the issue. But for this particular man, his riches was the thing that prevented him from reaching God. Knowing that his wealth was his god, Jesus used a hyperbole in verses 24-25 to address his issue. “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” This is an exaggeration to prove a point. Riches is one of man's greatest stumbling block. If it is the sole focus of one's life, it would be impossible to see and realize one's need for God.

Wealth has a way to make us feel that we can live independently from God. It eradicates our sense of need for God. Remember what Jesus said to the church in Revelation 3:17, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” In verse 26 some who heard it, then asked, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus' reply tells us that with God, all things are possible. The point is this, salvation is God's miracle. The wealthy and poor alike can only experience it through Christ.

We can never be poor when we give our all to Jesus. This is the point Jesus was telling Peter in verses 29-30. When we give our all to Jesus, the return blessings would be astounding. More importantly, we shall inherit eternal life.

Two things we can do.

• Divest of any dependence on wealth. Don't make it our god. Depend on God instead and know that it is He who has given us the power to acquire wealth.

• Invest our wealth. Give and sow them in the cause of God. Prayerfully choose a lifestyle that will not create the need to depend on wealth.

What can we take away from this passage? Wealth is not necessarily bad. But it's the focus on wealth that can be dangerous. We can be so attached to wealth that we forget what is eternally important. Being fixated with wealth increase our tendency to pervert our value. How we handle wealth will determine our spiritual health. Therefore, handle wealth wisely!

Luke 18:15-17 – Faith as a child

The song “Everything is Beautiful," starts with these words:

Jesus loves the little children,

All the children of the world.

Red and yellow, black and white,

All are precious in His sight,

Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Yes, Jesus does! We see it explicitly in Luke 18:15-17.  Hence in verse 15, we read that parents were bringing even their babies for Him to lay His hand and bless them. Any sensible parent would do so. There is nothing better than introducing a child, regardless of age, to the Lord. Those parents were doing a smart thing. And the Lord was just as pleased to receive them. But the same cannot be said of the disciples. They were annoyed by their disruption so they rebuked the parents.

Having traveled long, the disciples were probably tired and looking forward to some peace and quietness. The unscheduled intrusion disturbed their peace. However, the Lord responded differently. Despite His heavy schedule and commitment, He would receive anyone who come to Him, especially children. Seeing the situation, Jesus seized the moment to bring a lesson on developing childlike faith. The Lord called for those children to come to Him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Remember Jesus had just told a parable prior to this. In that parable we saw how the Publican entered into the Kingdom of God by casting himself on God's mercy. Whereas the Pharisee, by his self-proclaimed righteousness, was disqualified. Taking the children, Jesus showed us two things. Firstly, that the Kingdom of God must be entered in as a child. And secondly, that the Kingdom of God must be received as a child. In other words, to experience the Kingdom of God, we must come as a child and receive it as a child.

The first thing about children is their helplessness. Hence a child depends totally on the parents for its needs. The second thing about children is their innocence and guileless simplicity. A child trusts completely and accepts everything without question. If we are to experience the Kingdom of God in its entirety, we must come to Jesus with childlike dependence, as well as simple childlike faith and trust.

Have our journey with God become complicated? How often have we been confused by so many theological thoughts and jargons till faith in God becomes riddled and cluttered? Childlikeness is not childishness. Jesus is not asking us to be childish but to be childlike. Like children, we must be guileless, trustful, and completely open to Him. And we should. If not, how else can we experience all that He has purposed and planned for us? 

Luke 18:9-14- Attitude to avoid in prayer

In the parable on the persistent widow we are shown that our willingness to persist in prayer reflects our view of God. When we understand God to be good and gracious, we will persist in coming to Him. Now, in the parable recorded in Luke 18:9-14, we learn that the content of a person's prayer reflects how he sees himself. Here we see an attitude of one who thinks that God owes it to him to answer his prayer. This parable tells of two persons in prayer. One's a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector, commonly known as a publican. One's a respectable person who was deemed to be well acquainted with the law and the other a despised outcast. They both came to the temple to pray.

Notice in verse 11 that the Pharisee was praying to himself. In fact he was praying about himself to himself. His attitude was repulsive. It was perfectly right and good to thank God which he did at the onset of his prayer. But what he did and said afterward were disturbing. He strategically positioned himself where he could be seen. And he prayed loudly where he could be heard. Then he self-righteously announced all the bad things he did not do. As if this was not enough, he used the tax-collector to elevate himself.

In contrast, the tax-collector inconspicuously stationed himself at a distance afar off and honestly confessed his flaws to God. With a broken heart, he acknowledged his sins before God. He did not do it for the people around to hear. In a spirit of contrition, he recognized that he was a sinner needing God's mercy and forgiveness. Whose prayer was heard? Who did God respond to? Jesus gave His verdict in verse 14. The tax-collector, He said, went away justified but not the Pharisee. Then The Lord rounded up by revealing the way to approach God. We must come humbly to God. He said, "The truly humble will be exalted in due time whereas the proud will be brought low."

How we pray reflects how we see ourselves. So the next time when we attend a prayer meeting or lead in prayer, resist the temptation to pray to the gallery. Focus on God and not on the people around us. Remember to approach God with a contrite heart. Be conscious that it is His righteous blood that cleanses. We can come into His presence because of what Christ has accomplished for us, or as the song says:  

Into Thy presence we come

Not by the works we have done

But by Thy grace, and Thy grace alone

Into Thy presence we come.

Luke 18:1-8 - Persist in Prayer

Prayer is perhaps the most central but a most neglected spiritual discipline in Christian living. William Carey said this, "Prayer - secret fervent prayer, believing prayer - lies at the root of all personal godliness." Some people pray because the matter is important. Others pray because it is their cultivated habit. And Jesus' parable on prayer in Luke 18:1-8 gives us one very good and impelling reason why we should persist in prayer. That is: God always hears and answers prayers. He said that we should never give up, no matter how bleak a situation may seem to be. We are to persist in prayer.  

The story tells of a defenceless widow in need of protection. One person whom she could go to was the judge of that particular city. Unfortunately for her, this judge had no fear for God and he had no concern for man. But this widow refused to sit still and do nothing, despite this disadvantage. She knew her rights and she kept coming to him for protection. Although this judge was at first unresponsive to her need, but finally did so because of her persistency. In verses 5-6, the unjust judge rationalized to himself. He concluded that she would wear him down with her persistency if he did not grant her the request. Logically, the only way to end what seems like an irritation is to grant her the request. And He did. Verses 7-8 is critical to our understanding. We need to know that this is a parable of contrast. Jesus is saying that God is unlike this judge. What he is, God is not. For he is unrighteous, whereas God is righteous. He is uncaring, whereas God is caring. He needed to be coerced into granting a request, whereas God would willingly answer our needs. The crux is this: If an unrighteous judge could be moved with persistency to right a matter, how much more would our God, the willing Judge. He would vindicate us and would also do so quickly.

In the light of His earlier teaching on His return, He then asked in verse 8, "...However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” The question the Lord asks us today is that same question. Will He find in us the same kind of persistent faith when He returns? How often do we pray? More specifically, how long do we stay in prayer? Have we tarry long enough, even when the answer seems long coming? Paul urges us to pray continually and to do so without ceasing. We have a caring Father so let's come to Him. For He knows our names. He knows our every thought. He sees each tear that falls. And He’ll hears us when we call

Luke 17:22-37 – Be ready and stay ready

In addressing the Pharisees' question on the Kingdom of God, Jesus had established that the Kingdom of God is already in our midst. This Kingdom is a certainty for those who have acknowledged Jesus as their King. So in Luke 17:22-37, Jesus turned to address His disciples. He told them that there would be a period of His physical absence on earth. During those times, His people would long for the day when He would be present with them. But that day would seem long in coming.

The period of His physical absence would be marked by many speculations. There will be varied proclamations that the Messiah had come. His followers must not be taken in by running everywhere after all kinds of speculations. Why? For His reappearance will be evident. Just as the lightning would light up a night sky, so will Jesus' reappearance be, just as visible. It will be sudden. It will be universal. It will also be seen by all at the same time regardless of where they may be.

In verse 25, Jesus again reminded His disciples of His impending suffering and rejection which must first take place. Then in verses 26-30, He described what the state of the world would be in before His coming. He said that prior to His coming, the condition of the world would be like that which was experienced in Noah's and Lot's days. People would also be engaged in very ordinary activities such as, eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting and building. They would be oblivious to what was coming. Just as the disasters happened suddenly on the people in Noah's and Lot's days, so also would His reappearance be to us.

Believers are warned however, not to be like the people who were indifferent to the signs of the time. While engaging in normal duties, believers must stay alert to the spiritual signs. The call to remember Lot's wife is a call not to be engrossed in the mundane and worldly things. Lot's wife yearned for the things of the past, her heart was so reverted to Sodom that she looked back and came under divine judgement. In verses 34-36, Jesus further said that there would be a separation between the saved and the unsaved at His coming. This is a timely reminder to keep faith with Christ. Then the disciples wanted to know where the event would be taking place. The Lord's answer in verse 37 is enigmatic. He could be referring to the impending Roman’s massacre. It is possible that the Lord was talking about the Roman insignia which is an eagle, referred to here as a vulture. However, suffice to say that His appearance will be sudden and unexpected. But before that there will be destruction.

Let's think about our own readiness. Would we be ready to join the Lord at a moment's notice? Don't be entangled so steeply in the affairs of the world that we fail to look out for that critical moment! Look up, for it won't be long! Be ready, stay alert, keep watching and praying! Keep flourishing for the Lord!    

Luke 17:20-21 - The Kingdom of God

Jesus came proclaiming the Kingdom of God. From other passages of the Bible, we know that it was John the Baptist who came to prepare the people for this Kingdom. It was John who had pointed out Jesus as the Messiah. And as the Messiah and King, Jesus was offering this Kingdom to the people. The Pharisees knew this well. What Jesus was offering was nothing new. The Old Testament prophets had prophesied about it. Jesus only came as a fulfilment of their proclamation.

In Luke 17:20, the Pharisees asked Him when this Kingdom would come. They didn't ask because they wanted to know. Their intention was plain. They asked to challenge Him. The Pharisees wanted Him to prove the existence of the Kingdom if He was truly the Messiah. They wanted to put Him on the spot, because they couldn't see a literal physical Kingdom. And they wanted to know when this Kingdom would come.

In response to their question, Jesus said that unlike any earthly ones, the Kingdom of God would not be physically visible. It would not be something that they could observe with their physical eye. This statement had confused many. For the whole nation understood that when Christ comes He would establish the Kingdom. In fact this was also how the early disciples saw it too.  That was why in Acts 1:6 their question to Him was, "When will you restore the Kingdom to Israel?" But in these two verses, the Lord reveals that the Kingdom is already in our midst. What did He mean by that?

There is the notion that a Kingdom always implies a territory or the domain that a king rules. What Jesus is saying is this: the Kingdom of God is not so much about territory as it is about the King that rules. Since He, the King is here, the Kingdom in reality is already in our midst. Just like the early disciples, we also need to know that the Kingdom of God is not so much about the domain. It is about King Jesus, ruling and reigning in the hearts of men and women. He is already in our midst and reigning in our hearts and reigning through His new community, the Church.

The pertinent questions then are: Is He reigning in our hearts and lives, individually? If He is, then what would be the implication? A Kingdom rule is quite different from a Democratic Republic. In Kingdom rule, the King owns everything and His word is final. In a Democratic Republic, the people have the final say. We can understand now why Jesus asked, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you?"

We are called to obey the King. How can we obey unless we know His Word? We must seek to discover what He is saying to us. So we must study the Word of God, get to know His instructions, then act upon it obediently. And we will surely please our King, for He is already here among us! 

Luke 17:11-19 – Thanks-living

Being grateful and thankful ought to be the hall mark of a Christian. And the story of ten healed lepers recorded in Luke 17:11-19, shows that only one out of the ten has such an attitude. In these verses, Jesus was still on His way toward Jerusalem. We are told that He took the common route that most Jews would take: the border franking Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, ten lepers stood at a distance calling out to Him for mercy. They did not come near because the law required them to stay away from people. And they should be crying, "Unclean! Unclean!" so that people would stay away from them.

Jesus’ reputation would have preceded Him. And so here He was confronted by ten people in need of healing. Jesus responded to their cries by instructing them to go and show themselves to the priest. He told them to go and have the priest certified the healing because He was sure that they were already healed. In their day, the priest was assigned the task of affirming whether a person was healed of leprosy. Of the ten that started on their journey to see the priest, only one turned back to thank Jesus.  Many people can only thank the Lord when their blessings are affirmed. But this healed man willingly returned to thank the Lord before his blessing was affirmed. He not only  demonstrates his faith in Christ’s words but also His gratitude to Him. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen." He acted before he was declared clean. No wonder Jesus declared, "...  your faith has made you well."

Notice how he showed his gratitude. He glorified God in a loud voice because He is the source of all healings. Then he threw himself prostrate at the feet of Jesus and openly expressed his thankfulness. Luke tells us that he was a Samaritan, a foreigner. This seems to imply that the other nine were Jews. This being the case, it showed how unappreciative His own race was toward Him. Thanksgiving is an act of the will. Regardless of circumstances, congenial or uncongenial, we should learn to live a life of thankfulness. Expressions of thanks demonstrates one’s gratitude. Let us develop an attitude of gratitude. To put it more precisely, let us cultivate a life of thanks-living. For we are commanded to give thanks in everything. Paul said, "For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (us)." The words of a song aptly show hoe we ought to respond to all that Christ has done for us:

Tell me is it any wonder that I should love Him?

Is it any wonder that I should praise His name?

Tell me, is it any wonder that I should want to do His will?

When Jesus freely gave His life for me.

Luke 17:1-10 –Faith, forgiveness and obedience

As Jesus travelled with His disciples, He seized every teaching moment to instruct them. Luke 17:1-10 is one of those teaching moments, so He gave some instructions on faith, forgiveness and obedience. In verses 1-3, He dealt with being sensitive to others. As His followers we must be more responsible in our deeds and words. Like it or not, we are being watched every moment. How we behave and what we teach must not become a stumbling block to others - believers or otherwise. The Lord wants us to be accountable for every deed and word. We must ensure that we do not cause others to sin. While not causing others to fall is important, equally important is the need to help others when they fall. So in verse 4, the Lord urged us to be alert and forgiving. When a mistake is identified, deal with it. Rebuke when necessary, but do so firmly and gently, with the view to restore. When repentance is evident, forgive. Don’t hold a grudge, even with recalcitrant.

Verses 5-6 deal with the issue of faith and forgiveness. Jesus was responding to the Apostle’s request to increase their faith. The request they made must be seen in connection with the Lord's instruction to forgive. How could one ever forgive a recalcitrant limitlessly without faith? In His illustration, Jesus was not asking His disciples to uproot trees and deplete the forest. He wanted them, as well as us, to know there is no deep rooted problem that faith in Him cannot deal with. Whether with one's ability to forgive or one's ability to repent, with faith it can be done. If we find it hard to forgive or see that an errant one is unrepentant, we need to ask the Lord, "Increase our faith!"

In verses 7-10, The Lord gave a mini parable by asking three questions. The first and final questions presupposed a ‘no’ for an answer, while the second, a ‘yes’. Let's put it in a way that we can see clearly. Question one: "Which of you, having a slave ploughing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’?" The answer: no. Question two: "Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink"? The answer: yes. Question three: "He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he?" The answer: no. In verse 10 the Lord gave His conclusion. As His followers, acting responsibly toward others, rebuking and forgiving wrongs, are just basic expectations a servant must do. They are nothing extra-ordinary. These are ways Christians should live. However, know that we are people of worth in His eye.

The Lord does not expect us to denigrate ourselves. In saying that we are unprofitable servants has nothing to do with self-worth. He is saying that this is the way every one of us is expected to act and behave. He owes us nothing and we cannot credit any debt to Him. Hence, we can never credit any debt to God for the services we render. Whatever service we offer to Him is due Him. So as we render them, we must do so with an attitude of gratitude to Him, without expecting a reward. 

Luke 16:19-31 - Money, Life and Destiny

In the parable about the shrewd steward, Jesus’ instruction was on how money ought to be used. In this parable in Luke 16:19-31, His instruction is on how money could be abused. This story centres on the lives and destinies of two men.

There was a rich man who lived luxuriously. It was his daily lifestyle. His apparels were made of the purple material that only the rich could afford. Even his undergarments were fine linen. It’s a way of saying his dressing were made of branded stuff. His daily meal was sumptuous. In today’s term, he would be eating shark fins, abalones, bird’s nest and the likes, daily. To wipe his hand, he could even use a slice of bread to do it and then tossed it out for his dogs to eat. He did not just live in a bungalow, his was a huge estate. Or else Jesus would not have called the entrance to his house a gate. The adjectives that would rightly describe him are: proud, wasteful, extravagant, selfish, heartless, careless and uncaring.

The other man was named Lazarus. Although his name means "God is my help," his circumstances tell us that it was far from so. Not only was he poor but his body was also covered with weeping, ulcerating sores. Everyday Lazarus would be carried to the gate of the rich man and tossed there. He wasn't even able to go there on his own, he had to be carried there. He must have thought that at the gate of the rich man he could survive from the crumbs that would fall from the rich man's table. Even that he had to compete with the wild dogs who probably had the same reason for being there. Lazarus had no mercy from the rich man who obviously had plenty to last another life time. In fact the dogs were more merciful. We are told that those dogs took pity on Lazarus and would compassionately lick his ulcerating sores.

Then both the rich man and Lazarus died. The rich man probably had an opulent elaborated funeral and was decently buried. Lazarus was very likely just chucked in the valley of Hinnom among the heap of trash. The difference is this: Lazarus, his soul and spirit, was carried into the bosom of Abraham and had a heavenly fellowship with him there. Whereas the rich man was found in the burning fire of Hades. And from there he carried a conversation with Abraham. He obviously could recognize Lazarus. On earth, their paths must have crossed many times. However, from where he was, his attitude still had not changed. He still displayed a rich man’s attitude. As always, he saw Lazarus as an instrument to be used. So he asked for Lazarus to dip his fingers in water and go to where he was in Hades and cool his burning and parched lips. Abraham told him that it was not possible. For between where they were, there was an unbridgeable gap.

Suddenly the rich man realized that his five brothers who were still alive, were probably living like he did. He requested that Lazarus be sent to warn them. Abraham’s response was that that they had Moses and the prophets to warn them. Meaning they already had the Old Testament to warn them. And if they would not comply with the teaching of the Old Testament, they would never listen, even if one resurrected from the dead would go to them. In this, the Lord was hinting about His impending death and resurrection.

This story is not just about the reversal of roles in the afterlife. There are many lessons that could be gleaned from this story. Here are some key lessons:

1.  Our riches are God's gifts, and it is to be wisely expanded in preparation for the life beyond.

2.   It is sheer foolishness to squander the wealth we have, lavishly on ourselves, living with no thoughts for others or tomorrow.

3.    The wealth we possess must be wisely used to help the needy to experience the reality of the eternal Kingdom.

4.    Heaven and hell are real places and there is an unbridgeable gulf between them.

5.    While heaven is restful and full of bliss, hell is tormenting and full of agonies.

6.   But what’s more tormenting is the ability to see heaven from hell and yet not able to reach it.

7.     Any preparation for heaven must be done on this side of earth, for once our earthly life is over our destiny is sealed.

What should we do with ourselves and our wealth in the present? Remember the wealth we have is God's. We are merely steward of His resources. Not only do we need to handle it wisely, we also must not abuse it. Like the rich man, how we use our money regarding the needs of our neighbours will also reflect our spiritual state. The Apostle John rightly said, "But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?" Let us do all that we can, with all the wealth we have, to reach all the souls that God has placed within our sphere of influence. We are accountable for them!

Luke 16:14-18 - Be Congruent

On hearing Jesus' teaching about money, the Pharisees sneered at Him. They did not say a thing but the Lord could see the obvious sign of disdain on their faces. Here Luke tells us that they were lovers of money. These Pharisees thought that money was an indication of God's blessings. They felt that they have observed the law, hence God was blessing them. They were cynical about what Jesus had taught about money. For they saw Jesus merely as a poor Rabbi with poor disciples. And that's the reason He was against people with money and speaking against it.

Jesus read their thoughts, saw their scheme and retorted them in verse 15. He told them they were justifying themselves before men. They did many things only to impress men. Their actions only gave a form of piety. They were merely a hollow pretention of holiness. They failed to see that God could see every motive and intention of the hearts. What they highly esteemed was an abomination in God's sight. God values genuineness. Hence, our actions and faith must tally. We must be congruent, genuine people. There is nothing more disturbing than being pretentious before men. God abhors outward show of piety to impress men.

Upholding the Old Testament and the Law, Jesus showed that John the Baptist's ministry only signalled the beginning of the Gospel era. With the herald of the Kingdom of God by John, many had gathered and hastened to enter in. However, Jesus showed here that this new era does not nullify the Law and the teachings of the Old Testament. Verse 17 emphasized that every bit of the Old Testament would be fulfilled.

Verse 18 about divorce and remarrying seems unconnected to what Jesus had said earlier. It could well be the Lord's way of giving an example of how man had distorted God’s law. God's original intention had never been for man to divorce. And God's moral law still stands, although man had twisted it by legalizing divorce. God expects us to be people whose belief and actions are congruent. We cannot believe in Him and yet cherish actions that are inconsistent with the Word. Let's search the Word, know its implications and act to please God. Don't put up a show just to impress men. It's repulsive not just to fellow man, more importantly, it's repulsive to God.

Luke 16:1-13 - Wise Stewardship

The Pharisee’s concept concerning wealth and money was greatly skewed. To them, wealth was a sure sign of God's favour. They thought that those whom God loves, He makes rich. As a result they would go after wealth to show that God had accepted and approved of them. Unfortunately, this is also a prevailing thought in our day. One's riches is often seen as an indication of God's blessing. So some would pursue wealth relentlessly with unscrupulous means. Aware that there was this prevailing misconception, Jesus set out to correct the wrong idea about wealth and possessions, through a parable recorded in Luke 16:1-13. The purpose of this story is to help us cultivate a right attitude concerning wealth. And also on how we can be wise stewards of our possessions.

The parable is about a steward who handled his master's estate irresponsibly. When the master had news of this, he called the steward in for accounting. That steward then engaged in a serious reflection, and came up with a plan for his own future. He knew that he couldn't do hard labour but to beg is unthinkable. So he devised a scheme that would win him friends when his service with the master came to an end. He called the master's debtors and had their bills reduced. So now those debtors became his friends and were indebted and beholden to him. So whenever he made his rounds, he was always welcomed by them.

At this point, the disciples would have expected Jesus to tell them how the master uncovered the scheme, and dealt a serious blow to that irresponsible steward. But to their bewilderment, the shrewd steward was praised. Of course Jesus didn't commend his shrewdness but his foresight and astute-ness. Jesus said the sons of this earth are smarter than the sons of light in this sense: they had foresight. They saw what was coming in their future and acted to secure it for their comfort. But we, the children of light, standing at the brink of eternity, lack the foresight and the will to do something about it, especially on our relationship with others.

There are a few things we can see from this parable. Firstly, we are called to be generous, we should use worldly wealth wisely with the future in mind and not just for the present. Secondly, we are to be faithful in the stewardship regardless of how small the task may seem to be. Thirdly, in verse 13, Jesus said that we are either slaves to money or slaves to God, we cannot be slaves to both at the same time. We are stewards and not owners of our possessions. God is the real owner. The way we handle them will clearly show whether we have a right perspective. Let's cultivate a right attitude as we seek to advance the cause of God.  Let's be found wise, faithful and diligent.  

Luke 15:11-32 - The generous father and his two prodigal sons

The story in Luke 15:11-32 is the last parable in a series of three, concerning lost and found. The first is about a lost sheep that was found, and the second is about a lost coin that was found. Now this third one is about a lost son that was found. In this parable, the youngest son, who came to the father to request for his inheritance, is always the focus. He is seen to be the one that is being referred to as the prodigal son. However, the word prodigal has different shades of meaning. It means extravagant, careless and it also means generous.

When the word prodigal is used on the father, we see one who is generous and magnanimous and gives freely. When used on the younger son, we see a self-indulgent man who squandered his life on riotous living. He is one who loves the father’s goods but not the father. But the elder brother was also a prodigal in that he was self-righteous and self-absorbed. He couldn’t see anything but himself. So in a sense, we see three prodigals in this parable: the generous father, the self-indulgent younger son and the self-righteous elder brother.  

The magnanimous and forgiving father is like God. His compassion never ceases. In the story, we learn that despite being snubbed by both sons, He loves over and over again. He accepted the self-indulgent son when he returned with contrition. Not a word was spoken, not even an “I-told-you-so” lecture, but just a generous forgiveness and restoration. This repentant son was given new status (robe), a new authority (signet ring), and a new purpose (shoes). All that the father needed to see was his son’s repentance.

With the elder brother who was self-righteous, He also reached out to him. Gently and tenderly, He explained Himself. He invited the elder brother to see from His perspective. All that He had was also at the elder’s son disposal, he could have the freedom and liberty to use it rightly. But our elder brother, Jesus, took the grace of God and sought for us, His younger wayward brothers and sisters, and brought us home to the Father.

Which of the two brothers are we like? The self-indulgent or the self-righteous one!? Let’s remember that we have a generous and forgiving Father in God. He is always looking out for us. He only has the very best intention for us. When we return to Him with a contrite heart, He will not despise us. He has a generous plan for each one of us. He only wants us to realize His heart, and to move in tandem with His plan and purpose for our lives. Can we not see His tender and loving heart?

Luke 15:8-10 – Keeping your relationship complete

The story of the lost coin is the second parable in the series of three parables, recorded in Luke 15. In a similar vein as the first on the lost sheep, this story recounts how a woman lost one of her ten silver coins. The ten silver coins represented her cherished dowry. They were strung together like a belt. It was something that a woman would wear around her forehead on her wedding day. Each coin was worth a day's wage.

This woman in the story lost one of the coins. So she lit a lamp and combed through the floor from corner to corner. She left no dust unturned and searched everywhere for her lost coin. She would not spare any effort till that coin was found. We all can identify with this woman's helplessness and frantic search for something that had been misplaced. Isn't it? We can also identify with her "eureka" moment when she found it.

“I found it!” This was her triumphant exclamation. Such a joy is hard to contain. Immediately, she invited all her friends to rejoice with her in a celebration. Jesus said, similar joy would be found among the angels of God in heaven over one sinner who repents.

To have lost one of those coins would be reckoned as being unfaithful. Like that woman, we should also exercise the same diligence in our faithfulness toward God. Do make room in our lives for the Holy Spirit to search through our hearts.  We need to make amend in areas where we have been unfaithful in our relationship with Him. Be sure to let the searchlight of the Holy Spirit light up in your life!

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way. 

Luke 15:1-7 - Every soul counts

Many of those who followed Jesus were sinners and tax-collectors, the highly despised people. And more and more were following Him and His popularity kept climbing. This really irked the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. In Jesus' willingness to accept these sinners and tax-collectors, they found an excuse to malign Him. So in verse 2, we read that they were murmuring and grumbling against Him, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” This is the backdrop of the several parables that Jesus taught after that. In verses 3-7, we see the first parable on the lost sheep and the searching shepherd.

The lost sheep suggests that this was something that even the Pharisees themselves would do. When a Pharisee who has a sheep that wandered from his fold and got lost, he would also leave the rest, the ninety-nine in the care of a faithful servant and go looking for that lost sheep. Regardless of how long and tiring that search might be, the shepherd would look for the lost sheep till it was found. Once found, the sheep would be carried on his shoulder. He would not chide nor punish that sheep. In fact, he would even gently carry the sheep over his shoulder and came home rejoicing. When he had returned home he would even organize a party and invite his friends for a rejoicing meal. Joy is the response when a lost sheep is found.

Quite obviously, the lost sheep refers to a sinner. However, Jesus’ idea ran contrary to the Pharisees' belief. To them, God hates sinners and would only rejoice in their death. They refused to believe that God would restore a sinner. They believed that God would only condemn a sinner.

The truth is: God loves sinners although He hates sins. That love would constrain Him to search for sinners. And when they are found and respond to His love, He would greatly rejoice. In fact the whole of heaven would rejoice. But this was not in keeping with the Pharisees' belief.  From this parable we learned that God loves everyone. No one is beyond the help of God, and there is none too sinful or terrible that He would not love. The only criterion is for us to admit our sin and repent from it.

Taking care of the physical needs is necessary but it should not replace the importance of caring for the soul. Let us complete the mission of the Lord to seek and save the lost.

When one loses money, he has lost something,

When one loses a friend, he has lost even more.

But when one loses his soul, he has lost everything.

Luke 14:25-35 – As Jesus’ disciples, we must count the cost

As followers of the Lord Jesus, we all like His words that bring comfort. Two examples are "Peace I give to you..." and "I will give you rest...." What about hearing some uncomfortable words of Jesus? Luke 14:25-35 give us a few of them. Here, His impending crucifixion and death was looming near. It's always fun to follow Him when He is widely accepted and popular. But at this time, the time for Him to be rejected and ultimately crucified, was drawing nearer. If the people had known this fact would they still be as excited to follow Him?

In this passage, Jesus gave His disciples a reality check, which we must also do from time to time. Jesus made two startling remarks in verses 25-27 - (1) A disciple, it seems, is required to hate one's own family members and even one's own life; (2) A disciple is expected to carry his own cross and follow Him. What does Jesus expect of us, His disciples, in these two statements? We need to know that the word “hate” is not to be taken literally. It is said as a comparison. In essence, Jesus is asking us to give Him our top priority in life and relationship. In comparison to all our earthly relationship, He wants us to put Him at the top of the list. Are we prepared to do that? Secondly, He is asking us to be sacrificial in demonstrating our love for Him. As He has loved us enough to die for us, would we love Him enough to give up self-comfort to follow Him? Discipleship is demanding. We need to give Him top priority and be sacrificial in living for Him.    

In verses 28-33, the Lord shared two parables. The essence of these two parables is the same. That is: His disciples must follow Him to the very end. He said that no builder would want to start building and then not complete the task he sets out to do. In the same way, a king would only start a war with victory in mind. If he could not triumph, he would rather abort it midway. So in the same way, if we are to become a truly effective disciple, we must persist and stay through to the very end. To do so requires that we count the cost and calculate the risks. Once we start the journey, we must be resilient and follow though. Like salt, if a disciple has lost its flavor, he would lose his function. He no longer can add meaning to himself or the lives of others. He would only be good to be placed under the feet and be trampled upon.

The Lord then challenges us to pursue Him in verse 35. We must seek to know what He is saying and then to follow after Him. What a radical call! Setting priority, making sacrifices, counting the cost, and calculating the risk, are all essential processes if we want to be an effective disciple. When was the last time we paused to evaluate our progress with the Lord? Why don't we schedule some time to do so again? Paying the price to attain the demands of discipleship will definitely make us more effective. There is no easy path, we must organize our life and engage in activities that will help us to do what we cannot now do by direct effort.

Luke 14:16-24 – Invitation to the Kingdom

In Luke 14:16-24, Jesus continued with another parable to correct the Pharisees' wrong concepts concerning the Kingdom. He was responding to the man in verse 15, who said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the Kingdom of God." The Pharisees believed that all Jews would be included in the future Kingdom because of their link to Abraham. In the custom of those days, an invitation to a banquet was usually given well in advance. Guests would then indicate their responses. On the eventual day of the banquet when everything had been finalized and prepared, a servant would again be sent to notify the guests to come to the banquet.

The Kingdom in this parable is represented by a banquet. God is the host. And Jesus the Messiah, is God's final messenger sent to announce the final invitation to the Kingdom. This parable implies that through His prophets, God had already sent out His invitation to the Jewish nation to enter His Kingdom. They had indicated their response to be at the dinner. But when the message from their Messiah had arrived and it was time to come to the banquet, they rejected the invitation. They would not come to the banquet. The host than directed that the invitation to go out to others, the outcast, the socially unaccepted and all others to come. These would be found at the banquet ultimately. The Lord Jesus made it clear that the inclusion to the Kingdom would be by response to the host's invitation. It was not decided by one's physical linage to Abraham.

To the Pharisees, their rejection of the invitation was an opportunity lost. By opting out of the invitation to God's eternal fellowship, they have rejected God's grace. Their absence in the kingdom would be their own making. They had chosen not to attend the banquet although they were the first to receive the invitation. Jesus made it quite clear that no man could enter the kingdom without accepting the invitation to come. And He also made it quite clear that anyone who remains outside, does so by his own obstinate choice of turning down the invitation. While a man may not be able to save himself, he could also choose not to be saved. The Jew's rejection had prepared the way for the invitation to be extended to others. Many of those who would finally be at the banquet were those least expected.

Sadly, we read of the many in the parable who had so many concerns that the Kingdom was not in the list of their priority. They preferred their investments (land), their careers (oxen), and earthly relationship (wife). These had crowded out their love for God.  Just as these had caused them to lose their focus, are they also the things that cause us to lose ours too? God's personal questions to each of us remains, "Do you want to attend my feast?" "Are the mundane things of life more important than Jesus?" These are questions that each one of us will be confronted with, individually and personally. What would be our response?

Luke 14:12-15 - True Hospitality

In the last parable, Jesus taught us what not to do when we attend a dinner. Now in Luke 14:12-15, He wants us to know what to do if we really want to show hospitality. Showing hospitality was a common practice in the time of the New Testament. Hotels were uncommon. Travelers depended much on generous and hospitable people to host them. In verse 12, we see Jesus talking to His host but His message was meant for a wider audience, the Pharisees. They had the motive of inviting people to advance their own cause. Being truly hospitable was farthest from their minds. They only wanted to show hospitality to those who could return their favor. Therefore they would only invite people with the means to do that.  People who truly have needs and who couldn't return the favor would never be invited by them.

So Jesus challenged them to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind, people who couldn't reciprocate their hospitality. These were considered the outcast and the despised. Few, much less the Pharisees, would care for their existence. To Jesus, care ought to be given to these needy people. Care should be given without being concerned about reciprocity. Jesus assured them that, if they considered people with needs and show hospitality with sincerity toward them, God Himself would repay their kindness.  And His repayment would far exceed what the richest man could ever repay them.

In verse 15, we read that 'When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”' The Pharisees believed in the resurrection and the life after. They taught about sitting at the table in the banquet feast in heaven. All Pharisees assumed that they would be found among that distinguished list of guests. What they failed to see was the banquet feast in heaven is the banquet feast of the Lamb. The man to be honored at that feast would be Jesus, whom they were attacking. That Pharisee, who yelled out these words, probably assumed that he would be present at the feast and Jesus would be absent. What pigheaded audacity!

It's common even today to want to fellowship only with people who are influential. Why? They have the capacity to help us climb the social ladder. Even in church, this is a common phenomenon. The question to ask should be "What can I do to meet the needs of others?' not "What can I do to get something in return?" We should learn to view everyone with the eyes of Jesus. For us, who have heard the call of Jesus, to follow Him in serving and meeting the needs of others is no longer an option. It's good to know that the rich have needs and to want to help them meet those needs, but let's not neglect the needs of the poor, the true needy people.