Questions Jesus Asked #102

Luke 16:10-12 – “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” NIV

In Luke Chapter 15, Jesus presents His listeners with a series of three parables that illustrate how valuable a single soul is to God.  In Chapter 16, his teaching continues with a parable about an unjust steward or manager of an estate who was mishandling his employer’s (master’s) assets.  When the manager learned that he was going to be fired, he was wise enough to have those people in debted to his master adjust their balances to a lower figure.  This would put him in good graces with the debtors (who he probably cheated in the first place) and make his employer look generous.  Jesus still called him a “dishonest manager,” but commented that he “acted shrewdly,” because he had used “worldly wealth to gain friends” for himself.      

            Jesus continues with this obvious statement in verse 10: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Then He proceeds to ask a question that compares handling “worldly wealth” to handling “true riches.”   So, what are “true riches?”   Considering the context, I think that He is speaking about things pertaining to the Kingdom of Heaven, e.g., the Gospel, the Mission of proclaiming the Kingdom, and Discipling followers to become more like Jesus.          

Read more: Questions Jesus Asked #102

              If one cannot be trusted with correctly handling material resources which can be seen and counted, Jesus questions whether they can be trusted with Kingdom (spiritual) resources which cannot be easily perceived without the Holy Spirit’s help.  (11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?)           

            His follow up question is:  12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?  Who is the someone else?  Is Jesus still talking about worldly wealth, or has He shifted back to asking about true riches?   May I suggest that Jesus is again talking about Kingdom values and the stewardship or management of the Gospel and the Mission of Making Disciples. This can lead to some questions to consider personally and corporately as a group of believers:

Some questions to consider: How am I managing the material resources that God has entrusted to me (us)?  If I am a Christ-follower, does my management of those resources reflect well on myself and my Lord Jesus?  

            When it comes to managing the spiritual resources (the Gospel, spiritual gifts, love and grace shown to me, etc.) entrusted to me as a Christ-follower, how am I (are we) doing?  Does my management of those spiritual resources reflect well on my (our) Lord Jesus?

Questions Jesus Asked #101

A couple of years ago I took a break from this blog and my series “Questions Jesus Asked” to be able to devote some time to a friend who needed help getting back on track with God. They did get back on track with Jesus, and I feel led to complete this series about questions Jesus asked to His first followers and still asks to those who would follow Him today.

Luke 15:1-10  – 15 Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 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.

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”    NIV

            These questions are contained in a series of parables that contain Jesus’ response to the Pharisee’s criticism of Jesus, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 

Luke 15:1-10  – 15 Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 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.

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”    NIV

            These questions are contained in a series of parables that contain Jesus’ response to the Pharisee’s criticism of Jesus, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”