The image on it tells where it belongs
Luke 20:20 – 26
(Short Message)
The same event is also written in Matthew 22:15 – 22 and Mark 12:13 – 17.
Differently to Matthew and Mark, Luke expressed them as “spies” (20, 21).
Sending spies to the ministry of God is clearly wrong and a serious misconduct that will also bring God’s judgement.
To hide their evil, they disguised to be sincere (20). It is a great sin to lie to God (Acts 5:4 – 5)
Jesus knew their duplicity (23). Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:14, Revelation 19:13).
Regarding to the Word of God, Hebrews 4:12 says
12 For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:13).
Their question on tax was a trap (20 – 22). But Jesus astonished them by His answer (24 – 26).
Jesus didn’t say “Pay tax”, which expression would make Israelites disagree or upset. Instead, based on the image of Caesar in the coin, money belonged to Ceasar, so Jesus asked them to give back what was Ceasar’s. No one could disagree or upset.
After this, Jesus added, “and to God what is God’s.”
Genesis 1:27 says
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Mankind have the image of God, therefore mankind belong to God and have obligation to God.
Then, what is our obligation to God?
Ecclesiastes 12:13b says
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
Finally, let us read Ecclesiastes 12:1a together.
“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth”
Summary
A coin has the image of governor on it and we know the coin belongs to the government.
Likewise, we have the image of God in us, and we know we belong to God.
The Parable of the Minas
Luke 19:11 – 27
This parable is similar to the Parable of the Talents written in Matthew 25:14-30.
Here, a man of noble birth (12) represents Jesus (Son of David).
Ten Servants received ten minas (13a). Their mission was “putting the money to work” (13b).
Here, the servants are stewards. They do not own the minas. Therefore, it is not allowed “to hide the mina and do nothing”, as the wicked servant in the parable did (20). Putting the money in bank saving account for interest (23) is minimum that a responsible and reasonable servant should do on behalf of the owner of the money. We could interpret “bank” (or, where we deposit) as someone/something that knows how to utilize and will utilize “the money”.
We received health, time, possession, ability, faith and many other things from God to make it work. And we will be accountable to God for what we have done with them. We are not owners of them but we are simply stewards of them. Therefore, it is not allowed to hide them away and do nothing. Instead, we have to put them to work. Based on verse 23, we can know what we should at least do for easiest but guaranteed profit.
Obstacle, Faith, and Healing
35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’
38 He called out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’
39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’
40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 ‘What do you want me to do for you?’
‘Lord, I want to see,’ he replied.
42 Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.’ 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
Message
A blind man was sitting by the roadside begging (35).
According to Mark 10:46, his name was Bartimaeus (which means son of Timaeus).
Sight is important and blindness is inconvenient. Due to blindness, he wasn’t very useful for any job. How hopeless. It forced him to be a beggar, who had to heavily rely on people’s mercy & help.
When he found out that Jesus was passing by (36, 37), he called out for Jesus to have mercy on him (38).
Jesus was the only hope for his healing & new life. But, he couldn’t see or walk to Jesus. Therefore, he had to shout aloud to be heard by Jesus.
Surprisingly, those who led the way rebuked his shout (39a).
Maybe they were too busy in business to lead the parade but forgot humanity …? This rebuke was the same mistake made in Luke 18:15, regarding little children. This time, it was a blind man. They rebuked helpless people who needed Jesus the most. It was against His will as well as freewill of those helpless people.
Here, we can learn people’s objection can be an obstacle in the journey of our faith in Jesus.
But he shouted all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ (39b).
He was persistent despite of people’s objection. His persistence showed his faith.
As a result, Jesus healed him and his new life began (40 – 43).
Summary
People working for the parade of Jesus did not stand in this man’s shoe. Instead they played an obstacle for this man to experience Jesus. It was his own faith in Jesus and his persistence that healed him (42).
The Kingdom of God belongs to the little children
Luke 18:15-17
15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children 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. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
The disciples rebuked people who were bringing babies to Jesus to bless them (15).
Mark 10:14 shows Jesus was indignant for their rebuke.
14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
See v16 – 17.
First of all, Jesus called the children to him (16a).
Previously, Jesus called 12 disciples who were all adults. Is Jesus only for adults? No, here, Jesus calls children to Him (16a).
Second, Jesus advocated children’s right against the hindrance (16b).
Jesus commanded them to let the little children come to Him and not to hinder them (16b).
Third, Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to the little children (16c).
Forth, Jesus said anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it (17).
How are children better than adults?
- I. A little child is innocent
A little child is innocent while an adult is contaminated.
The adult needs to repent the sin to restore the innocence.
- II. A little child receives the kingdom of God (17)
A little child is humble, obedient and trusts. This appears in the fact that a little child receives the kingdom of God as it is.
“will never enter it” (17) gives serious warning to adults who lack the characteristics of a little child (e.g., innocence, humility, obedience, faith).
Not looking back
Luke 17:20 – 37
Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come (20a).
Jesus taught them based on how people tend to misunderstand about the kingdom of God (20b-24).
The prerequisite of it is the Passion of the Christ (25).
People may miss it out because of wrong priority in life because the coming of the kingdom of God will be …
- I. Just as it was in the days of Noah (26- 27)
See v26-27.
26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
Jesus reminds us of the days of Noah because the days of the Son of Man will be likewise (26).
In the days of Noah, they didn’t prepare for the Flood that was to come. Only Noah was building the Ark of Salvation. They were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, but the Flood came and destroyed them all on the day Noah entered the Ark (27).
Nowadays people’s entire focus seems the present life on the earth. As expressed in v27a, they are busy eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage.
This paragraph teaches us to prepare for the days of the Son of Man.
Noah’s preparation looked ‘out of spec’ behaviour in the view point of people in the world because they thought everything was going well as usual.
But building the Ark was absolute necessity and wisest choice in life.
Let us be like Noah who diligently built the Ark of salvation.
- II. It was the same in the days of Lot (28 – 37)
See v28.
28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
Jesus reminds us of the days of Lot because the days of the Son of Man will be likewise (28a).
In the days of Lot, they didn’t prepare for the Fire & Sulfur that was to come. Only Lot was a righteous man among villains in Sodom and Gomorra cities. They were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building (28), but the Fire & Sulfur came and destroyed them all on the day Lot left the Sodom city (29).
Relevant story is written in Genesis 19.
When the two angels urgently brought Lot, his wife and two daughters out of the city leaving their possessions behind, they told the family “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” (Genesis 19:16, 17)
Despite of their warning, Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26).
This background knowledge helps us understand v30 – 33.
30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.
32 Remember Lot’s wife!
33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.
Jesus said “Remember Lot’s wife” (32), who disobeyed and became a pillar of salt. The interpretation on v30-32 is found in v33.
33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.
Lot’s wife probably looked back because she might miss her city life of convenience, comfort or luxury. Maybe she was simply curious, too. Her looking back could be because of her possession she left behind. Anyways she disobeyed and became a pillar of salt.
Looking back of Lot’s wife was like “tried to keep their life” (33a).
“will lose it” (33b) explains the fate of Lot’s wife.
Another verse on ‘not to look back’ is Luke 9:62.
62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
A verse on ‘salt” is Matthew 5:13.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
Normal salt is sodium chloride that is salty and dissolved in water.
A pillar of salt Lot’s wife became might be limestone (calcium carbonate), which is a water insoluble salt and does not have saltiness.
See v37.
37 “Where, Lord?” they asked.
He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”
Disciples wanted to know where the judgement would take place in the days of the Son of Man.
His answer was “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.” (37b)
A dead body represents incurable moral and spiritual corruption [1].
The vultures represent judgement.
References
[1] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 118). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Servanthood before God
Luke 17:7-10
7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
- I. We are unworthy servants
Verse 10 tells us the conclusion:
10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Luke 17:7-10 asks us to know ourselves as a servant simply doing his/her duty given by the Master. So, we don’t call ourselves MVP or VIP who deserves priority rewards. Even just after coming back from hard work in the field, a servant should patiently attend the master first and then himself/herself as the last. Therefore, this teaches us to be humble and patient.
Here, patience we are talking about is very different from asceticism. Our patience is from our trust that God will care for our needs.
Let us review the lesson from the Exodus. During the Exodus, people complained when they were thirsty or hungry in the dessert on their way to the promise land after escaping the slavery at Egypt. The Exodus teaches us “trust” and, therefore, “patience”. We trust God, we know God cares for our needs and therefore we can wait for God. Man of faith has wisdom to wait, is spiritual and patient, while many people in the world are impatient.
- II. Knowing ourselves under the light of the truth
We should know ourselves under the light of the truth as the Bible requires so.
God told Adam “for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19b). Adam disobeyed His command and God reminded him of his humble origin.
Paul knew the crown of righteousness was ready in store (2 Timothy 4:8), the reason of which is written in 2 Timothy 4:7. But, Paul described himself as the worst of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15, 16), despite of his being most outstanding apostle of Jesus.
Baptist John introduced himself as “the voice” (John 1:23) to emphasize his mission as a messenger for the Christ. He knew that himself was the voice prophesized in Isaiah 40:3.
And today we learned of servanthood before God that we should say ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’ (10).
Having enough time with God in 2017
Luke 14:12 – 24
- I. Wise Inviter (12 – 14)
In Luke 14:12 – 14, Jesus teaches us to be a wise inviter.
See v12.
12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
Then who should we invite?
Jesus asks us “invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” (13).
The reason is written in v14.
14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
- II. The Parable of the Great Banquet (15 – 24)
Here the Great Banquet represents the feast in the Kingdom of God (15).
Interestingly, the parable in Luke 14:15-24 shows how the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame were invited to & attended a great banquet. It was because originally invited guests rejected the invitation.
Why did they reject the invitation? They had different excuses.
One have just bought a field (18).
One have just bought five yoke of oxen (19).
One have just got married (20).
Here, they didn’t say they would be late, but they wouldn’t come at all. They look like good & practical reasons. But the field, oxen, and marriage would be still there after first attending the banquet! They were excuses!! The world mattered so much to them and they rejected the salvation from God.
By rejecting the invitation,
First of all, they rejected God’s gracious Salvation.
It is greater value than anything in the world. It was God who invites them. But people’s priority was in the world, all their resource was spent and then, they said no time with God. It is the greatest mistake to refuse God and His Salvation (21).
Second, they disqualified themselves to attend the great banquet (24).
They all implied they would attend if they were not as busy (18 – 20). In their point of view, they would get other chances to attend a great banquet. But the Bible says,
24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
How terrible warning is this! Many people in the world would belong to this category due to excuses and delay originated from their wrong priority in life.
SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
People may have many reasons to refuse invitation from God as shown in verses 18 – 20. But the Bible says they are “excuses”.
As for students, they are busy for assignments, tests, exams or part-time works. Depending on universities, they could be too busy, especially if they are taking full-time work load.
But, “I do not have enough time for God” is merely an “EXCUSE”.
Really what they do not have enough is “God’s love between them”. They are naughty and unfair in group projects. Basically, they are not truly helping each other. Also, they tend to help each other only between people from the same nation. God’s love can break the barriers between nations. And we should break them with God’s love.
Imagine a person who is not saved is busy and gets no time to think of God and His Salvation for him. How miserable and how terrible situation it is!
To create more time with God, students got to help each other with God’s true love. They can create study group and sincerely help each other in each course. Otherwise no one could get the best possible mark for each course because they don’t have enough time basically. In highly demanding universities, students need 8 days of study per week to complete 4 courses in a semester, but they have only 7 days per week. They are tested indirectly on their team work, group study and cooperation. Good team work, group study and cooperation will be only successful if with God’s love to each other. Therefore, in universities, students need to learn “God’s love” the most. If then, should they say “I don’t have enough time to study the Bible”? God’s love is written in the Bible and they need the Bible study the most rather than challenging 8 days of study load to do in 7 days weekly alone.
In reality, students are experiencing naughtiness, evil, and unfairness at school. They find themselves in situations far, far from God’s love. And again, schools need God’s love. When they experience such things, they can project how their life in future in the society after school would be like. And again, the world needs God’s love. There are good people sown by the Son of God and bad people sown by the devil in the world (Matthew 13:24-30, 13:36-43). So, bad people will be bad and haters will hate. I would prefer to form a group with good people rather than trying to change bad people after joining any group.
It would be an option to study 3 courses per semester or part-time to solve the problem of “Not enough time with God”, if this option is available. If this option is not available, and group study or team work in God’s love can’t be assumed, too many hours of study may be required. It could affect the health (Ecclesiastes 12:12b). And, also similar things could happen, that Simon (Peter) worked extraordinarily hard to catch fish all night, he caught none (Luke 5:5). And life is unpredictable (Ecclesiastes 9:11, 12) because it is up to God’s hand, which humans cannot truly comprehend (Ecclesiastes 8:17).
Let us not neglect our God-given values (life, innocence, salvation, …) while pursuing world-promising values. Uni graduators may certainly live better lives in the world. But the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame could be better off due to their humility (to accept God’s gracious offer of Salvation).
God will humble (or exalt) you at the final judgment
Luke 14:7 – 11
Let us start the interesting bible study today!
The Bible is the best seller that gives us wisdom & inspiration to answer our various issues in life.
In Luke 14:7 – 11, Jesus teaches us to be a humble invitee.
First, Jesus asks us “do not take the place of honour” (8a).
He gives the reason being possible presence of ‘more distinguished guest’ (8b). He gives a caution for “being humiliated”, otherwise (9).
Second, Jesus asks us “take the lowest place” (10a), so that the host will come to say “Friend, move up to a better place” and this will result in being honoured before everyone (10b).
I think this is how the heaven is like where everyone humbles himself/herself and competes for the lowest position, and the host honours each of them. Therefore, the community of true believers will reflect the heaven. And the true believers will bring the heaven to the world.
If everyone exalts himself/herself and fights for the highest position, it would be the hell.
Lastly, Jesus declares the ironical truth,
“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (11)
Amen.
Let us take this as our universal principle of all time: the humbling themselves will be exalted and the exalting themselves will be humbled.
[1] interprets these divine passives to be “God will humble (or exalt) you at the final judgment”.
Lord, we thank you for teaching us the truth. Your Word is the truth. We fear you before the truth. We repent our sins of all prides. Please help us humble as citizens of the heaven would be.
[References]
[1] Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke (Vol. 24, p. 390). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Extending Mercy Without Limit
Luke 13:10 – 17
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”
15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
I. A woman crippled by a spirit for 18 years
The person Jesus healed was a woman crippled by a spirit for eighteen years (11).
This woman was crippled for a long time – eighteen years. Jesus considers he/she who suffers hunger, thirst, alienation, nakedness, illness, or imprisonment being himself, as written in Matthew 25:34-40. See Matthew 25:40.
40 ‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
God promises to care for us if we first care for His (Matthew 6:33).
A (evil) spirit can cause serious physiological problems that are beyond medical science. So, we need prayer life to get help from the Holy Spirit. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16b). See James 5:14-16.
14 Is anyone among you ill? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
II. The amazing Healer and his opponents
There existed people who opposed Jesus during His ministry. In this case, Jesus was teaching inside a synagogue (10), and the synagogue leader spoke out against miraculous healing performed by Jesus on the Sabbath (14) even though the synagogue leader was supposed to understand God’s will better than others, but he certainly understood it worse.
Sick people came for healing on the Sabbath, which caused Jesus, the synagogue leader thought, to break the Sabbath law. So, he asked people not to come for healing on the Sabbath (14). He tried to indirectly discredit, criticize, and undermine the miraculous healing performed by Jesus.
The synagogue leader tried to limit ‘mercy’ while Jesus extended his ‘mercy’.
What he didn’t know was God’s mercy toward this woman. Jesus called him a ‘hypocrite’ because it was common for people to show mercy to animals on the Sabbath (15), but he opposed showing mercy to the woman who had been suffering for 18 years.
Jesus is God, the Creator and the Law Giver. God puts compassion above ritual (Matthew 9:13). Showing mercy shouldn’t be limited to 6 days, and showing mercy should be allowed on the Sabbath.
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). He said
9 Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?’ (Luke 6:9)
Therefore, to do good and save life are lawful every day, including the Sabbath.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. (1 John 3:7)
This verse says, ‘do what is right, then you are righteous, just as Jesus is righteous.’
Let’s be reasonable. Opposing the Son of God who showed mercy was certainly wrong. Showing mercy to the woman crippled for a long time was certainly right.
faith, love and holiness with propriety
There is difference in “uprightness” between men and women as written in the Bible.
while I was still searching but not finding—
I found one upright man among a thousand,
but not one upright woman among them all (Ecclesiastes 7:28).
The Bible says that man was not created for woman, but woman for man. (1 Corinthians 11:9).
The man has three kinds of helpers.
Superior helper: God (Psalm 121:2)
Equal helper: Woman (Genesis 2:18)
Inferior helper: Animals (Genesis 2:20)
Due to the Sin, woman’s position was lowered (Genesis 3:16).
Due to the Christ, woman’s position was restored (For example, as shown in John 20:11-18, a woman became the first witness of the resurrection.)
Finally, practical guidance written in 1 Timothy 2:9-15 is shown below:
9 I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
