Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“Or what woman who has ten drachmas, if she loses one drachma, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the drachma that I had lost!’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”” (Luke 15:8-10)

Chapter fifteen is three parables, all showing the value we have in the eyes of God. We are like a lost sheep the owner goes to find regardless of how long and difficult the search. We are like a lost coin, a lost piece of inheritance so costly that we do everything we must to find it – not stopping until we do. And we are loved like a father who cares nothing for what we did and everything about how we were willing to humble ourselves and come home. Just to BE home.

Chapter sixteen is three parables about riches and how they should be affecting our hearts. First, the parable of the servant unable to survive on his own but who got caught being dishonest. But before he was cast out, he used his position to get many people to owe him favours. That way he had some way of support once he was on the street – calling in favours. he was commended for acting prudently (if not honestly). Jesus told them that no one can serve two masters. You either served one or the other. If you were faithful in a little, you could be trusted in a lot. We need to be prudent with they way we deal with money and HOW we deal with it (God’s way or the world’s way). We cannot serve God if we are also trying to serve the world’s system of debt and wealth.

The Pharisees scoffed at this – they valued money IMMENSELY (they loved it). They derided Him for His attitude. Jesus told them God knew what was in their hearts. He told them that until John (the baptizer, last prophet of the Old Covenant), the Law of Moses had been preached. But now the kingdom of God was being preached and many were leaning into it. But the Law wasn’t gone. The Law was kept in the kingdom. If you loved God and your neighbour, you’d keep the commandments. For example, seeking divorce and marrying another meant seeking adultery (16:18). Seeking reconciliation BEFORE divorcing would be rejecting adultery.

The third parable was about a rich man and a poor man. The rich man loved his riches and cared nothing for the poor man. He did not love the Word. He cared for nothing but his good material life. But once they died, the tables were turned. The rich man was in torment apart from God’s presence and had terrible eternal torment. The poor man, however, was living a good eternal life: with God. Jesus told them the scriptures and the evidence of the prophet’s words were enough to get you into the right place: whole hearted relationship with God.

Chapter seventeen continues Jesus’ sayings. He taught about a proper forgiving attitude toward others. About the importance of teaching children the truth. About serving others and serving God with good attention and full effort. Not to seek to aggrandize yourself above others. About how we can take authority in Him over the world around us – when it gives Him glory and not for our own selfish purposes (James 4:3).

As Jesus travelled to Jerusalem, ten lepers approached Him (they were between Samaria and Galilee). They sought healing from Jesus. Jesus told them they should go show themselves to the priests (the requirement to be pronounced free of leprosy). As they went to the Temple, they were cleansed. Only one of them came back, worshipping Jesus and giving thanks. And that one was a SAMARITAN – one wouldn’t have been able to see the priests in the first place (not a Jew). Jesus rejoiced in His trust and told Him to get up because his trust had made him well (not just cleansed).

When Jesus was asked WHEN the kingdom of God would come, Jesus told them to remember that the kingdom of God was within them. They were thinking of the rise of the Jewish nation and being free from the shackles of the Roman occupation. Jesus told them there would be no warning for THAT. It would come like a lightning flash. It would be like when the Flood came. The world would keep on going until it came and then everything would be changed. Jesus warned them that when the Day of the Lord came, it would happen so suddenly people would not be able to escape it. When the truly wicked were removed they would be taken even when others were beside them. They asked Jesus where these wicked would be taken. Jesus told them to where the scavengers would be gathered to feast.

Summary

Key Players: God, Jesus, Disciples, Pharisees, Jews

Key Verse(s): Luke 15:8-10; 16:14-18; 17:11-19