Bible 101 - Luke 14-16

Presented May 8, 2006 by Phyllis Gilbert

Review: Jesus, on his final trip to Jerusalem to meet death and win victory over sin (and death), is busy teaching. We noted that this gospel is in four parts: the Messiah's introduction, his ministry, his rejection and his crucifixion and resurrection. His birth and preparation for ministry, as well as his initial teaching and healing ministries take up approximately the first ten chapters; the final 14 are given over to the continuation of ministry against a background of building hostility. We can see Luke's focus is on the reason Jesus came. In the first ten chapters we see Jesus' power to heal and make people whole - a power he delegated first to his chosen 12 apostles and then to 72 others, and which is available to us today. Luke shows us in living color the lives of people transformed by knowing Jesus; the possibilities of being in such a transforming relationship are as real today as they were then. But healing, casting out demons, forgiving sins, cleansing lepers, were primarily signs of Jesus' identity as the Messiah. His real work, his mission, was to die. Before he hangs on the cross, however, he must finish preparing his disciples/apostles - those who will carry on his ministry. He does much of this teaching in parables.

Luke 14: Once again Jesus is eating with a Pharisee (Luke 7 is the earlier occasion). Do you suppose the Pharisee is secretly a disciple? Or is it an opportunity for one of the religious leaders to observe and question Jesus without a crowd? We know it's the latter since we're told "He was being carefully watched." A man with dropsy was there, and Jesus once again confronts his critics by asking "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" and their silence compels Jesus to heal the man and send him home well. He returns to a question he'd asked before: "wouldn't you rescue a son or ox in trouble on the Sabbath?" Once again silence. He points out that their piety contains no mercy; they have rules but no compassion. Jesus goes further, commenting on the seating arrangement. It was customary for important guests to have the best seats - close to the host. He advises them not to take the places of honor at a wedding feast for they may be asked to move if someone more important comes along. Instead, Jesus says, "be humble and take the lowest seat, not the highest." What were the Pharisees most proud of? Their display of religious ferver and obedience to the law; what is Jesus saying? God honors hearts that are turned toward him, not outward appearances of piety. God honors our humility, our desire for his help, not our pride in what we have done. And to underscore this, he tells his host not to invite just friends or relatives who will be obligated to invite him for a meal, but to invite those who cannot possibly repay his hospitality: the poor, crippled, blind and lame - those who typically would beg for their food.

Luke 14:15: Jesus tells a parable about a man who's preparing a great banquet for the many guests he's invited. The table is set, the wine poured, the food ready, and the host sends his servants to tell the guests "come; all has been prepared." But one by one they give excuses: I have other business to tend to; I have to inspect oxen I've bought; I've just gotten married. And so the servant reports all this to the host who says "go ask the poor, the blind and the lame to come," and the servant, following these orders, reports "there's still room," and the host says "go out to the highways and bring in anyone you meet so my house will be filled." What we see here is God (the host) preparing a great banquet for those who trust him. He'd invited his people over and over, and the nations of Israel and Judah refused him. Recall how often in the divided kingdom that the people worshiped other gods? They scorned God and refused to obey him. He punished them with defeat and exile. Now their descendants are scorning Jesus, the Messiah. And so God says, "I'll take the message to everyone." We are the beneficiaries of this decision.

Luke 14:25: Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, to the cross. His teaching is becoming more and more intense, and now, while traveling, he tells those in the crowd that there's a cost to being a disciple. "You must hate everything and everyone but me," Jesus says. Does he mean truly "hate" one's family? Here again it's a matter of priorities: Jesus must come first - he must have our full attention, loyalty, energy. We are to love him first, to "seek first the kingdom and all these things will be added." It's not enough to say "Lord, I believe." We must demonstrate belief with action that abandons all personal goals and plans to follow him and him alone. He provides examples of what he means: if you're building a tower or a building, wouldn't you check your bank account before hiring the contractor? Won't a king going to war, check his troops and weapons before declaring war on the enemy? Count the cost, Jesus says. Be aware of what it means to follow the narrow path. "Anyone who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple," Jesus concludes. Earthly attachments weigh us down, and they distract us from what God wants us to be and do.

Luke 14:34: At the very end of this chapter, he sums it up by saying "salt is only good if it has flavor." We are only good disciples if we follow his teachings, if we're surrendered to him. If we have "salt" in our lives, we should flavor the world with it. How does a meal taste without salt? Dull and uninspiring. How is the world around us if we don't influence it for Christ? It lacks purpose, it's evil, it's uninspired to do the good things that the Holy Spirit inspires Christians to do.

Luke 15: In this chapter are three very familiar parables with a common theme: something or someone is lost. All are found. Tying them together is the Father's grace and mercy; we speak of "finding God," but as shown by these parables, truly, God finds us. Curiously, he tells these three stories to a mixed crowd. Not only were the Pharisees and other religious leaders hanging around listening for just one word that they could call blasphemy, but Luke tells us, "tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear him." A parable, as we know, is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Or put another way, it's a story about real people in everyday situations, people and problems everyone can recognize. The story reveals, however, a truth that everyone knows but has perhaps ignored or forgotten. Context is important; the nation of Israel is unique in the history of the world, being God's people. They were promised a Messiah to deliver them, a Savior who would bring redemption. Jesus came in fulfillment of that promise first given in Genesis 3:15, Gen. 12:1-2, and on through the prophets.

The Parables: Jesus teaches in a political and religious hotbed. The Sadducees, the aristocratic Temple party, believed only the Torah was inspired; the Pharisees, the more numerous party of the synagogues, believed in the entire Hebrew scripture - Torah, writings and prophets. Both groups were sticklers for adherence to the law, and to the law, the Pharisees added traditions which they believed just as binding as scripture. In addition, Zealots, a party which advocated the overthrow of Rome by force, were active. So the parables allow him to reach people at different levels. He can challenge the opposition, he can teach those who believe, he can open the eyes of those on the fence. We know that the critics are complaining again that Jesus eats with sinners; in fact, he's at the dinner table when he begins this trio of parables.

Luke 15: Jesus, at the table, and aware of the hubbub around him, tells a story about a lost sheep. A man has a flock of 100 sheep; 99 are with him, but one is missing. He hunts until he finds that one stray and then rejoices as he takes it home with the 99 others. David made the shepherd image of God a reality in the Psalms. "The Lord is my Shepherd" is the first line of a Psalm almost everyone knows. David is known as the shepherd king, he one who sang first to sheep and then to a disturbed king Saul. Kings who followed him were called shepherds of Israel. Jesus, in John's gospel, tells us "I am the good shepherd" (John 10). But to say to Pharisees, "I'm going to tell you about sheep" wasn't guaranteed to take them to a kingly image; they might just as easily imagine a dirty shepherd whose occupation made him ritually unclean. And notice Jesus says "which one of you. . ." so he is asking them metaphorically about their sheep - the people they teach.

Luke 15:5: When the shepherd found the one lost sheep he carried it home. Even though it's one of 100, he rejoices in its salvation. The flock is complete. The average family might only own 5 or 6 sheep, but together, an extended family could own 50 or more. And a family member or two would be charged with responsibility of caring for the combined sheep. Jesus' point in the parable is that the shepherd actively searches for those who are lost. Those who are away from God, who have yet to repent, must be found by the shepherds - in this case, the Pharisees who have taken on the role of law-keepers and law-teachers. Jesus thus criticizes their smug joy in their own piety but their abdication of responsibility for seeking those who are away from God. The rejoicing is twofold: first by the shepherd and his family or community. When someone in a church repents and returns to fellowship, the entire faith family rejoices with him or her. And heaven also rejoices, Jesus says, adding "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 one who's gone astray is in danger of permanent separation from God; it's no wonder heaven rejoices when the sinner returns and repents.

Luke 15:8: The lost coin represents a great deal to the woman in the parable because she thoroughly sweeps the house to find it. Her 10 coins may represent her entire savings; the loss of one could be significant. And that coin, lost and then sought with all diligence, when found leads to rejoicing. Jesus says "the angels rejoice in heaven over one sinner who repents." In both the lost and found sheep, the lost and found coin parables, Jesus pictures both the community and heaven rejoicing over a repentant sinner. He's saying to the Pharisees, "you don't rejoice when people are healed or forgiven. Why not?" We've seen over and over their criticism, their anger, when Jesus heals on the Sabbath. And the Sabbath represents a day when the synagogue community is together. If a human community can rejoice when a sheep or a coin is recovered, should it not all the more rejoice when a fellow human is recovered?

Luke 15:11: And now the parable of the Lost Son, or as it is popularly known, the Prodigal Son. This archetypal narrative has many elements which make it visual and universal: first, a family (father and 2 sons); second, there's discontentment. The younger son doesn't want to wait around for his father's death to enjoy his inheritance. Third, the young son "sows wild oats," and the picture is of a young man at liberty, all restraint cast off because he's away from parental control and he has a pocket full of money. The money attracts friends who help him spend, spend, spend in "wild living." (After he returns home, the older son accuses him of spending his money on prostitutes v. 30). In literature, this is called a "coming of age" story because after the young man's money is gone, his friends also leave, and he's stuck, far from home, without food or comfort. The reality of adulthood smacks him in the face. Is he ready for responsibility? He ends up in a pigpen (what a symbol!) and there has an epiphany: "when he came to his senses," the NIV has it. Older translations read "when he came to himself," and that I like. He wakes up and sees how far he's fallen. His remorse and disillusionment with "riotous living" is clear. And he rehearses a speech he'll tell his father. He aims to go home, and request that instead of living as a son, he become a servant because then he'll have a place to sleep and food to eat. Notice how basic his requirements have become.

Luke 15:20: He starts home, and "when he was 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." To my mind, this is one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible. God watches for us to come to him. And when we do, he doesn't lecture us or pout or say "why didn't you come home sooner." Or "where have you been?" He doesn't ask for a report. He simply puts his arms around us and welcomes us home. And the son tries to get out his speech: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you and I am no longer worthy to be called your son." What humility we hear in this - a stark contrast to the proud, self-confident son who left with his inheritance. Now he understand the real world and all his father had done for him. He's had an education; he knows both sides. He's ready to be home and repents his folly. His father has already turned to the servants to order a big party. And he replaces the son's raggedy clothes with "the best robe" and shoes and a ring that makes him not a servant, but a son. He's always been a son; he always will be. But his nearness to the father is his responsibility. God loves us, but he waits for us to come to him in repentance. When we do, he gathers us into his loving embrace just like the father did. The older son, not unexpectedly, is upset. There's music and the sounds of a party while he's out working in the field. He asks a servant about it and is told "your brother is home and your dad's killed the fatted calf." The older son stomps back home but won't join the party. His father pleads with him to forget the past and join the celebration: "for your brother was dead and is alive, he was lost and is found." We're left with a question about the older brother: will he reconcile with his father and brother? Will he get over his resentment? We don't know.

Luke 15 parables in sum: In all three of these parables there's loss, recovery and rejoicing. Jesus is speaking to the crowds about God's love, and to the Pharisees, too. But he's also saying to the community of the synagogue (and the church today), be generous. Help each other repent and rejoice in your salvation. Because when we accept God's gift of redemption through Christ, we are given new life.

Luke 16: Jesus continues to teach through parables. In the first part of the chapter, we find a parable that commentators agree is difficult. His disciples are Jesus' primary audience, but doubtless, others are listening and they hear Jesus introduce a man who's been entrusted with the day to day affairs of a large estate. He runs the staff and the business while the owner follows other pursuits. In other words, the manager has a great deal of power over the money and property, and apparently, he's been using his power to line his own pockets. The manager could have been selling stuff on the side and pocketing the money; he could have been giving things away to friends. In any case, the business owner is not getting all he's due and the manager is called to account for the shortfall. About to be fired, the manager thinks up a way to guarantee his future. He calls in the accounts receivable: each one who owed his master a debt was told he owed less than the record showed. The business owner noted this shrewd move and commended the manager. We can assume that the manager kept his job because the business owner, observing his tactics, may have believed he could put that acumen to work to make both of them richer. The big question here is why Jesus praises this dishonest manager; note that he does NOT praise his dishonesty. What he commends is his "shrewdness" or creative thinking. Some commentaries believe that the manager, charging enormous interest on the purchases of the debtors, simply erases the interest owed. Or perhaps he had inflated the prices of the items and now reduces them. In any event, his master will still get his money, but the manager won't get his cut. He'll keep his job, and if not, he'll have friends elsewhere to whom he can look for help. It is ingenious in a selfish, "me first" kind of thinking. If we see his creativity as a human ability, it can, Jesus implies, be put to use for better purposes.

Commentary: Here's how one expositor interprets this story:

Luke 16:10: He tells the disciples that whoever can be trusted to use a small amount of wealth in a responsible way will be entrusted with more. Being trustworthy and not dishonest is the key here. The young son who squandered all his inheritance was not trustworthy, but he came home humble. He didn't try, through dishonest means, to get back into his father's graces. And Jesus adds "you cannot serve two masters." Our minds and our hearts must be on God's ways and God's kingdom. Remember Jesus said "store up treasure in heaven, for where your treasure is there will your heart be also." He says much the same thing when he sums up: "You can't serve God and money." In v. 14, we read "The Pharisees, who loved money, sneered at this." Now we have the point: status in this world is not to be our aim; our hearts must be right with God, and that alone must be our priority.

Luke 16:16: As a parenthetical paragraph, Jesus touches on two other issues before returning to the topic of riches. First, he says God's love was shown in giving the law and sending prophets; John was the final prophet. But now, he says, the good news of the kingdom of God is here. Or to put it another way, the Old Covenant was represented by the law and the prophets; the New Covenant is represented by Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross, the final piece in God's plan of salvation. But the law itself will not disappear; our obligation to follow the moral teachings of the law continues. We abide by the law because of our love for God who has redeemed us, and we are able to follow the principles of the law by the power of the Holy Spirit. The second issue is divorce. In both Matthew and Mark Jesus teaches in more detail on this matter, and as in those gospels, we can infer that someone in the crowd has asked about divorce. Jesus makes a simple statement: divorce your wife and marry another woman and you commit adultery. The law was clear on this; Moses, as Jesus taught in Matthew 19, allowed divorce "because of the hardness of your hearts." God's original plan was for one man and one woman to become one and remain so until death parted them (Gen. 2:24).

Luke 16:19: In another parable, Jesus returns to his teaching on riches. Here we read about a man who lived in luxury and outside his gate was a beggar, covered with sores, named Lazarus. The poor sick man saw the rich man's abundant meals and craved just the scraps. Jesus implies that the rich man ignored the beggar when he says "the dogs came and licked his sores." When both men died, Lazarus was carried to heaven, or "Abraham's bosom," by angels, but the rich man was sent to hell. From this tormented vantage point, he can see Lazarus and Abraham and with their positions reversed, he asks for a drop of water to be brought to him. Abraham replies that during his lifetime the rich man had all the good things that Lazarus lacked. We shouldn't think that the rich man was condemned for being rich or that Lazarus was given heaven for being poor. Rather, the rich man was condemned for his selfishness, and Lazarus taken to heaven because of his faith in God. Abraham explains to the rich man that there is too wide a gulf between them; it's impossible for Lazarus to bring him water. So the rich man begs Abraham to send someone to warn his brothers, but he's told, "they have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them." And the rich man, who had had Moses and the prophets himself, said "if someone from the dead goes, they will repent," but Abraham says, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."

Jesus' point: What Jesus is saying points directly to the Pharisees, Sadducees and teachers of the law, comfortable in their self-righteousness and wealth. They are the rich men who have no mercy on the poor, nor do they bother themselves to try to reach out to those who are without God. Remember the lost sheep and coin parables? Jesus condemned the religious establishment of his day for selfishly keeping the law and the knowledge of God's love to themselves. In the final exchange between the rich man and Abraham, we see Jesus himself: he will die and rise again, and they will still not believe in him.

Next week: more parables, and Jesus enters Jerusalem for the final week of his life.

Homework for those who want to go deeper:

Let's close in prayer.