The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at Him. Then He said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honours is detestable in the sight of God. “Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in. But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God’s law to be overturned. For example, a man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery. And anyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”
Luke 16:14-18
As I suggested to you yesterday, “This manager has allowed his quest for a buck to get in the way of his relationships. Does it sound familiar? Of course it does. We have just spent a month looking at a similar situation. I have told you before, the Bible and Jesus use repetition to drive home the point. Here are two parables in which the person in the centre stage has lost the plot. . . Notice how the point is hammered home with a series of repetitions of the same point. This is a very Hebraic way of making the point. But are you getting it?
Well, isn’t that interesting! Even more interesting when you realize what follows this portion today. I am sure too, that you are aware of what is coming up. The story of Lazarus and the rich man. Or is it a parable? Furthermore, is it a coincidence that all of this is grouped together? I don’t think so. The parable of the lost son, the unjust steward and Lazarus and the rich man are clearly linked. Once again we are faced with the question: who is behind this? Is it Luke giving us an ordered account as he said he would do, or is it Jesus who is putting these related passages together? Whoever it is, it is by design. The point is being hammered home in no uncertain terms, which then leaves us with a problem. Why is the passage before us where it is? It would make more sense would it not, to follow the conclusion of the “unjust steward” parable (Luke 16:9-13) with the Lazarus story/parable. It would make it neater and tidier would it not, to go from 16:13 straight to 16:19. Why do we have this portion in the middle about:
- Appearance of righteousness
- People forcing their way into the Kingdom of God
- The law losing its force
- Nothing will pass from the law
- Divorce and remarriage?
Some think this is just a pot pourri of small elements that were jammed in here because there was nowhere else to put them. I.e. the leftover bits were sandwiched in here. Do you agree or not? Somehow we have to work out what the point of all this is. Well, having posed all these questions, I will leave you with the time to ponder them.
You can learn from ANYONE if you ask wise questions; You can learn more from the Bible too by asking wise questions.
Anon
Life is less a matter of getting the right answers and more a matter of asking the right questions.
Anon
A wise man can learn more from a foolish QUESTION than a fool can from a wise ANSWER.
Anon
The quality of your life is set by the questions you ask yourself. The more honest & brave the questions, the further you’ll go.
Rick Warren
If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.
Mark Twain