Day 38. No one can serve 2 masters

Luke 16:1-13 The Unjust Servant

During the time when Jesus was ministering on earth, he often confronted the religious leaders of the day. The Pharisees were one of two prominent groups of religious leaders in Israel. They were devout in their religious practice, however they had made up many written and oral rules to add to the Scriptures of the Old Testament. Their devotion to God became aesthetic, only in appearance. In our modern society, we are often times very much like the pharisees. The Bible and the teachings of Christ take a back seat to Christian catch phrases and assumptions about how we ought to live. The Pharisees believed specifically that man could and should be devoted to gaining wealth and devoted to God, however Jesus turned this notion on its head. The very fact that Jesus ministered to the poor was not only a fulfillment of prophecy about the Messiah, but also was condemning to the pharisees.

Directly before Jesus talks about the rich man who was in Hades and a poor beggar named Lazarus who was in Heaven in Luke 16 we find Jesus' parable of the unjust servant. As we read it is important to remember that Luke also organized this passage placing it directly after the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son. The focus of these parables is God's grace and active pursuit to rescue sinners. In the parable of the unjust servant we see God's expectation for His people to be about the same pursuit rather than gaining riches. In the parable there was a rich man who had a servant in charge of his finances. When people bought grain or oil, this man would keep the books and collect payments. However, he was apparently in some way wasting the master's goods. Perhaps he was treating himself to some unwarranted gifts or simply doing a bad job of keeping up with his responsibilities. Regardless, he was about to get fired. He was afraid of the shame that would come from begging, and he was too weak to do manual labor. So he allowed people to who owed the rich man to pay a portion of their debt and be cleared of the rest. By doing this all the people were in a way indebted to him, and the rich master praised him for it. Jesus when on to say this statement regarding the parable.

Luke 16:8b "...the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light."

What is he saying? Most unbelievers are wiser in the ways of the world than believers are in the ways of God. Worldly people are better at using worldly wisdom than Christians are at using Godly wisdom.

Luke 16:9 "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings."

We as Americans live in perhaps the most wealthy country in the world. Jesus is not saying we should use our wealth to buy off people or to lure them with bribes. He is instructing his followers on how to view money. Money is a part of this unrighteous world which is passing away. We should use wealth to further the kingdom of God not to further our kingdom on earth. Imagine, a family in need has a heating bill, but no oil to warm their house. I pay the heating bill. Will they be more or less receptive to hearing about a God of mercy if I do so? What if I reject the idea of paying the bill, even though I easily could cover the cost, because I want to get a newer I-pod. What does this reveal about me? Am I more concerned about my image, my pleasure, and my position in this world? Or am I more concerned about my opportunity to use my worldly resources to influence someone else by Loving them and sharing the Good News about Jesus.

Imagine this. A church sends money, or people, or Bibles to support missionaries sharing the Gospel in an impoverished country instead of getting the latest style of carpet even though the old carpet still has plenty of usefulness. Will this use of wealth do more or less to further the kingdom of God? A churches priorities are either earthly in focus or not. If the main focus is on the building and not on the building up of the people, it appears to be unjust in the sight of God.

You have the opportunity to get a supersized value meal and a frappe at McDonalds or you can get a more meager meal, and get something for the boy or girl at school or in your neighborhood who doesn't have any friends. Which use of money has more potential to further the kingdom? Money invested in yourself alone or money invested in others as well?

Luke 16:10 "He who is faithful in little things is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much."

Even our smallest decisions about wealth, reveal big motives in our heart. Jesus says that the way we use our money demonstrates our faithfulness and trustworthiness with the eternal things of the kingdom of God. "No one can serve two masters." (16:13a) Don't love money, Don't despise Christ.

Day 37. Thoughts on God, nature, us.

Genesis 1:1 states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” What is God up to these days in this creation?  Some people don’t believe God is working unless they can experience firsthand a miraculous interruption in a natural process or reversal of a negative circumstance. Others think that nature itself is god and god is in all of nature, so then nothing really counts as miraculous since god is everything. The Bible, however, teaches that God is not part of creation, rather He is apart from created things. However, God does actively sustain all things. For a way over-simplified example, I can pick up a ball and hold it in my hand. If I stop holding it? You are brilliant. Yes. It will fall. What if nothing material existed? No atoms. No elements. No gases. No solids. No Planets. No Water. How would something come into existence? Re-read Genesis 1:1.

Just like a ball cannot resist the force of gravity, our universe does not show any evidence of being able to come into existence without some initial cause. Likewise, just like a ball doesn’t hover above the ground without something (or someone) holding it up, the universe is sustained by God. Colossians 1:17 says this about Jesus: “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” All things are held together by Jesus, aka God in the flesh. Amazing. God became part of His creation by taking on flesh, while having the power to hold His creation together, or keep the ball from dropping if you will. God sustains life. We are existing why? Because He says so. Hebrews 1:13a says [Jesus] “is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.”

You think you have a lot to keep track of during the day? God is infinite wisdom. He is infinite power. He is everywhere present, not in creation, but rather sustaining His creation. God is not in all nature and all of nature is not god like Hindus and other pantheists believe. God did not light a fuse and walk away to let chance determine the outcome of a big bang either. A personal God, personally created. An orderly God, suffered disorderly people. A patient God, patiently acted to bring about His plan of redemption in Jesus. God came in the flesh and conquered sin in the flesh to oay the price of punishment in the place of sinful people. Nature is only part of God’s creative activity. The miracle of the incarnation (God becoming fully human as well as fully God) of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus are not just part of nature, these miracles allow all of nature to one day be perfected along with every person who trusts in the Personal, Patient, Perfect Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. God is working. Miracles can happen. But even when we don’t see them, God is working by sustaining the universe, even you! God is working in the hearts of men. God is working through the speaking and hearing of His word. In the beginning God created. In the meantime God is sustaining and saving.

Day 36. Loving others on the road of life.

I was traveling down a two lane highway the other week when I was passed by a small car traveling at a very high rate of speed. Ironically, the young man driving this car pulled in front of me at the same moment we passed a white cross on the right hand side of the road. Sometimes when we are young, we don't think about how fragile life on this earth can be (or when we are older for that matter). With a lack of respect and healthy fear life's fragility, also comes a willingness to make decisions that don't regard the safety of others. Granted, I'm sure all of you reading this are safe drivers, or at least you plan to be when you finally reach your sweet 16. But consider other areas of your life which require consideration for others. We all have hopes, goals, dreams, plans, whatever you want to call them. Whether something simple, like planning to get something out of the fridge a moment after your brother or sister do the same thing. Or maybe we plan to take the afternoon to loaf, but Mom or Dad are busy working at something around the house. Whatever the case think about this: Isn't the second greatest command to "love our neighbor as ourself"? (Mark 12:31). And didn't Jesus say that others would be able to identify His disciples by their love for one another? (Mark 12:31) Perhaps today, you can look for opportunities to live and travel on your road of life thinking of others above yourself, loving others as much as you love yourself, and by doing so bring another cross into view for those around you traveling down the road of life.