October 22, 2014
Luke 16-18
Many people scratch their heads over the parable of the Shrewd Manager. How can Jesus use such a cheat as a positive example? But I love the punchline: “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves (like the crafty manager did), so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Read this closely; it’s the Lord telling us to use our money to win souls. They are the friends we win; they are the ones who will welcome us, one day, into heaven. If you haven’t read it in a while, find Vachel Lindsey’s poem, “General William Booth Enters heaven.” It’s a great example of the truth of this parable.
I also love the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Isn’t it great that the rich man is nameless, and the no-account poor man has the name of one of Jesus’ best friends? What a powerful story!
Early in Luke 17, we read the account of the ten lepers who were healed. Is it true that only one in ten people would return to say thanks for such a gift?
Luke 18 begins with two more wonderful parables not found elsewhere. The parable of the Persistent Widow teaches us to keep on praying, even when we don’t see the answer. The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector teaches us that God gives grace and mercy to the humble, not the prideful! Luke 18 ends with material we’ve read in the first two gospels: the Rich Young Ruler, Jesus’ predictions of his death, and the healing of a blind beggar.
Your fellow pilgrim through the New Testament,
Pastor Gary
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