Luke 16:14-31

Dear RTB’ers,

Today, the rich man and Lazarus. My Study Bible had an interesting comment on this “rich man and Lazarus” passage. That comment begins, “If this is a parable…”. I had always read or heard this passage as a parable, but there is no indication in Luke that Jesus is speaking a parable. That is, He could be speaking reality. One interesting item that could point to this story being reality is that one of the characters, Lazarus, is given a name. There is no other character in Jesus’ parables who is given a name (again, credit to my Study Bible for that item). As a parable, the story is certainly noteworthy. But what if it is reality? What if Jesus is giving us information about our afterlife: Abraham’s bosom and Hades (vv. 22, 23); the rich man’s being in torment (v. 23) and anguish in this flame (v. 24b); …a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us. (v. 26) We are blessed to live on this side of the Resurrection: He said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” (v. 31) We know of Someone Who has risen from the dead, never to die again, living as our forever intercessor before His Father. Take that thought with you today. Let Jesus’ Resurrection change you again, today.

Blessings!

Luke 16:1-13

Dear RTB’ers,

I’ve often said that Luke is my favorite gospel. Part of that is his historical bent and his desire to “get it right” (Luke 1:1-4). But I’m sure it’s also because of his focus on money and his concern for the poor and my own life as an economist. Today’s readings are at the top of the list in Luke’s covering of money and our relationship to God.

Jesus’ parable of the dishonest manager has always been confusing to me. In my 2019 comments on this passage I talked about credit card debt, how credit card companies are willing to negotiate with someone who has a great deal of their debt – often much of it from interest charges. The companies are willing to forgive the interest if they can get back the original debt. That’s how this parable makes sense to me, that the dishonest manager may have overcharged the debtors when the original purchase was made. (Credit to my Study Bible for deeper insight on this item.) But I think that sometimes the details of the parables are less important than “the moral of the story”. However, even Jesus summary statement on this parable (v. 9) is confusing to me.

The second part of today’s passage is more straightforward. “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?” (vv. 10-11) Right away, paying taxes as that “very little” comes to mind for me. I’ve always tried to be as honest as possible in preparing our family taxes – but I’ve also tried to get back as much as possible, subject to that integrity item. But I hear of and know of others who “hide money” or inflate deductions or whatever, with a quick dismissal of (their perception of) the government wasting their hard-earned dollars. I’m sure you all have other perspectives on what might be unrighteous wealth in our world today. Here, Jesus’ summary statement makes complete sense, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (v. 13)

Blessings!

Luke 15

Dear RTB’ers,

Today, three parables. The first of these, the Lost Sheep is also included in Matthew’s gospel, but the other two you’ll find only in Luke. When Jesus is recounting parables to His listeners, he is actually making up stories. Yet His stories have stood the test of time. The Prodigal Son is my favorite parable; I probably share that favoritism with many of you. Books have been written about this parable, dissecting it, taking it apart, focusing on the younger son, the older son, the father. And there are so many “take-aways” from this parable, from whatever perspective you take!

Try it right now, as you finish your reading. Become one of these characters, with application in your own life. I have been the younger son; I’ve done some very selfish things in my life and hurt people along the way. I’ve also been the father, welcoming back and embracing a younger brother who had been “lost” to the family for many years. I’ve also been the older brother, full of resentment for this thing or that thing. So which are you? Can you relate to any of these three main characters? It’s a good spiritual exercise, no matter who you “become”! Try it!

Blessings!

Luke 14:25-35

Dear RTB’ers,

Jesus speaking to a great crowd: Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple. (v. 27) We’ve all heard sermons as to what Jesus means by each of us bearing our own cross. I can’t say even now that I understand what Jesus means in that verse, possibly because Jesus also speaks the following words: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) How to reconcile those two passages? Your thoughts…??

Jesus still speaking in the same context as verse 27 above: “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (v. 33, ESV) The NASB has “give up all his own possessions” instead of “renounce all that he has”, to me an even stronger statement. Today is a hard read. I’m wondering where I stand on this “following Jesus” spectrum…??!!

Blessings!

Luke 14:1-24

Dear RTB’ers,

But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (vv. 10-11) I love it when I can see myself in our readings. Years ago, when we lived in Texas we were worshiping at a church that had no building. (Sound familiar?) We met in a private Episcopal school, with use of the entire (small) facility. At one point our pastor and vestry decided that it would be a nice gesture to the school if we had a work day and did a “deep clean” of their facility. So on a given Saturday a large group showed up, and someone had prepared a sheet of paper with all the chores listed that we needed to do. My wife immediately went to the chores sheet and signed us up for the bathrooms! I was surprised; my face must have reflected that and she said to me, “If we take the bathrooms, it’ll be hard for others not to pick some easier chores.” She was right – we went to work, and it all got done. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Blessings!

Luke 13:18-35

Dear RTB’ers,

He went on His way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. (Luke 13:22) Almost a month ago we saw that Jesus had set His face toward Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51) My Study Bible noted that He is now in a region known as Perea, a narrow strip of land just across the Jordan River from Samaria. Matthew, Mark, and John all agree on this item: When Jesus had finished these words, He left Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan… (Matthew 19:1; also Mark 10:1 and John 10:40). So His listeners are no longer His fellow Galileans, but are now Israelites who relate more to Jerusalem than Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee.

I shudder every time I read the following verses (Jesus speaking to the crowd): “Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ ” (vv. 26-27) Matthew’s words are even stronger: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you…’” (Matthew 7:21-23) I never knew you. Or US…??!! A scary thought…! Then He goes on to tell the crowd that they will see themselves cast out – His Chosen People! – replaced by Gentiles from all over the world, …from east and west, and from north and south… (v. 29). I never knew you!

Blessings!

Luke 13:1-17

Dear RTB’ers,

Jesus speaking: “No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 12:3,5) It’s a small thing, but I can’t recall any other incidents in the gospels where Jesus message is “repent”. He often speaks of “the Kingdom” and He has various ways where He speaks of “salvation” (or being saved) or forgiveness of sins, but if I think of a message of repentance, I think of John the Baptist. Small item.

Today’s incident of Jesus healing this woman (Luke 13:10-17) appears only in Luke’s gospel. There are other incidents in all four gospels of Jesus healing on the Sabbath, and there are other incidents of Him healing someone while He was in a synagogue, and there are various physical maladies that He healed, but the woman doubled over stands unique. There are a couple of interesting features about this incident. First, the woman did not ask specifically to be healed; Jesus simply called her over. Naturally she may have been in the synagogue on that Sabbath day hoping for healing (see the synagogue official’s comment in v. 14b), but we do not see her seeking Jesus out. Second, Jesus somehow knows this woman, knows that she has been doubled over for eighteen years. Third, the contrast of this incident with that of the woman with the hemorrhage (Mark 5:25-34) is striking. That woman sought Jesus out specifically; He appeared to be surprised at her touch: “Who touched My garments?” (Mark 5:30b); and He responded further to her about her faith (Mark 5:34). The woman doubled-over is simply here and gone. Following Jesus’ words of healing, His attention turns to the synagogue official.

What I take from this incident is that we are (I am!) also unique. God knows each of us in His own special way. He knows our needs before we ask and He provides for us in ways that we do not even recognize. He calls us and it’s our choice to respond or not. I find in my heart a new love for this “here and gone” woman doubled over. I hope each of you does also!

Blessings!

Luke 12:35-59

Dear RTB’ers,

“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”(v. 48b) There is two-step expectation here, “given much” and “entrusted much”. If you’ve been given much, yes, much will be required. But being “entrusted with much” is going a step further – much more will be expected of leaders than followers. We can apply these expectations individually and corporately. Individually, we’ve all been given much, both physically and spiritually, and much will be required of us. And many (all?) of us are leaders in our households, our ministries, our regular activities. Here Jesus “demands the more”. What is that “more” that is expected of each of us?

Corporately, I think of our church. We at St. Andrew’s have been given and entrusted with much, with a committed, corporate expectation to “glorify Jesus Christ as a community of disciples on mission”. We are Anglicans, members of ADOTS and ACNA. We’ve all left something behind in order to follow our St. Andrew’s, our ADOTS, and our ACNA leaders. We are each serving those St. Andrew’s, ADOTS, and ACNA visions in our own way and as a body. And we have to ask ourselves if we, individually and corporately, are giving “the more”. Again, what is that “more” that is expected of us? More…?

Blessings!

Luke 12:13-34

Dear RTB’ers,

It is hard for me to post a comment on a daily reading when almost the entire reading is Jesus’ teachings. Today we have more of His teachings that are parallel to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Matthew’s gospel has this Sermon isolated into three chapters (Matthew 5, 6, and 7), whereas Luke’s gospel has similar teaching spread around in various chapters (6, 11, 12, 18). Scholars have argued that Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount could well have occurred as described in Matthew, but also that this Sermon constituted the core of Jesus’ teachings, and that He probably spoke these words on many occasions in His travels. Luke having these teachings spread through many chapters supports this latter supposition.

Many of us are retired, with a “nest egg” of retirement savings stored up for these later years. So naturally from today’s readings we ask what Jesus is asking of us. In today’s reading Jesus tells us to “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.” (v. 33a)  Later Jesus responds to the “rich, young ruler” with an even stronger challenge, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22b) So what is His charge to us, here in Versailles in 2024? It’s a good discussion question (witness many Men’s Group discussions on this topic), but in the end it’s a question we each have to ask ourselves.

Blessings! 

Fred