When the Emperor of God descends from heaven displaying his power, having all the angels of heaven surrounding him, then he will rule from his throne and every person on earth will be collected and will stand before His throne. He will judge them all and will divide them up as a rag picker will separate the useful from the trash. And the recyclable he will stand at his right, and the trash he will stand at his left.
The King will proclaim to the right, “I welcome you, those whom my Father speaks well of. You may now possess the Kingdom—my Kingdom—which has been made ready for you, the righteous of humanity, from the creation of the world. You are worthy of this, because of your assistance to me. I was hungry in your neighborhood, and you gave me food. I was parched, passing by your dwelling, and you offered me some water. I was an immigrant and outcast and you let me in your house for the night. I was walking around freezing, and you give me your coat. I was sick and you nursed me to health. I was in prison and you came and met my needs. You listened to me when I was lonely. You kept me safe when I was fearful. You gave me work when I was in need and paid me at the end of the day.”
These righteous will answer the Emperor thus, “Our Lord, we thank you. But are you sure you are speaking of us? Did we really see you hungry and feed you? Did we see you needing a drink and gave you something? When did we see you—you of all people-- an outcast and bring you into our house? When were you freezing and we gave you clothes or a blanket? And when, my Lord, when were you in prison and we had opportunity to visit you?”
And the Emperor will answer them, “Listen carefully—whatever you did it to these disciples of mine—even these lowly ones— you did the same to me.”
Then the Emperor will turn to his other side. “You will leave me, you whom the Father curses with his every breath. You will be cast into the punishment which was created for Satan and his messengers. Because I came to your town, hungry, and you told me to get a job. I came to your street, parched with thirst, and you wouldn’t talk to me. I was an immigrant, a homeless person, a mentally ill person on the street, a traveler and you refused me entrance at your doorstep. I was shivering in the cold and you passed by me, although you had closets full of coats, shelves full of extra blankets you weren’t using. I became bed-ridden and disabled and you were too busy with your own life to assist me, or even check in on me. I was in prison, through no fault of my own, and in a locked mental health facility and in the state hospital and you didn’t even write to me, let alone visit me. You cannot live with me in my kingdom, since you did not share your life with me when I was with you.”
They will respond, “But Great Lord, I’m sure you weren’t hungry or thirsty! And you couldn’t have been an outcast or freezing. You were never in our neighborhood—I would remember! And you, being sick—I don’t think so. And you would never have been in prison or a mental health hospital. And if you were, we would have been there for you, serving you, Lord!”
The Emperor answers, “Listen carefully, inasmuch as you did not serve these lowly ones, you did not serve me. I was there, through my disciples, as crazy as they seemed, as insignificant as they seemed, and you didn’t let them in your life. Even so, I don’t want you in mine.”
And they will leave the Lord and go to eternal punishment. But those who acted with justice lived with the Lord eternally.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Faithfulness To The Absent King
Matthew 25:31-46 and Giving
Although often called, “The parable of the sheep and the goats”, it is really a straightforward description of judgment day which initiates the kingdom of God, being neither a parable nor is the phrase “sheep and the goats” anything more than a passing simile.
“My Brothers”
There have been various interpretations of the phrase, “my brothers”, which proves to be the crux of the text. Some have interpreted this phrase to mean the Jews, some to be the poor of the world, and more. However, this phrase is repeated two other times in Matthew, in chapter 12:50—“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” And in 28:10 where Jesus is sending a message to “my brothers” to meet him in Galilee. Both of these specifically designates his disciples. “The will of my Father” has already been associated earlier in Matthew as the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 7:21-24). Thus, these “brothers” of Jesus are those who live out the teaching of Jesus, become his disciples and so suffer loss because of it. This completely parallels the beatitudes, which speak of the persecuted and poor of those who are righteous inheriting the kingdom. Here in Matthew 25, we see this promise fulfilled—the brothers of Jesus and those who assisted them receiving the kingdom of God enter into the kingdom of the one finally coming to rule. It is also interesting to note that the beatitudes mark the first pericope of the first body of teaching in Matthew, while the description of the coming of the Son of Man is the final pericope of the final body of teaching in Matthew. The other phrase to indicate the identity of these brothers is the phrase “the least of these”. Although many translations put the word “even” in the English, the Greek has no equivalent. It is better seen as Jesus’ personal title for the disciples, “the little ones”, or “the least”, as seen in Matthew 10:42; 18:6, 10, 14, as “the little ones”. While specifically a different Greek word, the concept remains close, (see Luke 16:9—“He who is faithful to The Least, will be faithful in much…”)
Judgment in Matthew
There are many other passages in Matthew that deal with the righteous receiving the kingdom, and the unrighteous being punished:
• Matthew 7:21-27—Description of punishment of those who say “Lord” but do not obey Jesus; parable of the two houses.
• Matthew 8:11-12—Statement of judgment of those who apparently will receive the kingdom.
• Matthew 10:14, 40-42—Promise of reward for those who assist the righteous and the prophets.
• Matthew 11:20-24—Prophecy of judgment of the cities who rejected Jesus although works of power were done there
• Matthew 12:36-37—Prophecy that on the day of judgment individuals will be judged on the basis of their careless words.
• Matthew 12:39-41—This generation will be condemned by Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba because they listened to their prophets and one greater than those prophets has come to them.
• Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43—Parable of the wheat and tares
• Matthew 13:47-50—Parable of the fish in the net
• Matthew 16:27—Son of man will come to repay everyone according to what he has done
• Matthew 18:23-35—Parable of the unforgiving servant
• Matthew 21:28-32—Parable of the two sons; Sinners entering kingdom before the Pharisees
• Matthew 21:33-41—Parable of the tenants in the vineyard
• Matthew 22:2-14—Parable of the wedding banquet
• Matthew 24:44-25:13—Warning to be ready; parable of the 10 virgins.
• Matthew 25:14-30—Parable of the talents
Hospitality and Judgment
Out of these passages, Matthew 10:40-42 is most significant in comparison with the description in Matthew 25:31-46. Both in that passage and in this one, it is the one who offers hospitality or mercy to those who are righteous that are focused on, rather than the righteous themselves. The ones who “welcome” the righteous are said to gain the reward of the righteous. The term “welcome” is already used in 10:14, speaking of the hospitality the apostles should receive. If they should not receive this hospitality, Jesus says, then “it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment.”
Genesis 18 and 19 offer a significant paradigm in relation to Matthew 10 and 25. Yahweh and two others appeared to Abraham, and Abraham bowed before them, begging them to accept his humble hospitality. After they accepted, he proceeded to offer them a great feast. There is no indication that Abraham understood his visitors to be powers of heaven, but simply to be strangers passing by. In opposition to this example is the reaction of Sodom to two of the same strangers. They enter the town, and the one righteous person in the town offer them hospitality—but it turns out he does so primarily out of fear of what the rest of the town would do. For even as Abraham went out of his way to offer hospitality to the strangers, so did Sodom go out of their way to do evil to the same strangers, threatening them with perverse acts of sex. This type of treatment of strangers is cause enough to destroy the town and the outlying areas. Jesus compares the towns who refuse to offer hospitality to the apostles with Sodom, but he claims that the punishment will be worse for those who reject the apostles than it was for Sodom.
All of this emphasized the place of those who may not be a prophet or an apostle themselves, but who come in contact with them. The prophet, righteous one or apostle of Jesus (in 25:31-46 called “my brothers”) becomes the point of reward or punishment, depending on how one responds to them. Should one respond with hospitality and kindness (as the teaching of Jesus commands—Matthew 7:12; 9:13; 12:7), then that one will be rewarded in the final judgment. Should one not offer hospitality or kindness to the righteous one, then he will be punished on the final day. This is the paradigm of Genesis 18 and 19, Matthew 10 and Matthew 25.
Faithfulness to the Absent King
There is one other significant point of Matthew 25:31-46. The act on which punishment or reward rests is not primarily an act of kindness, although it reflects a heart of mercy. If it was simply kindness Jesus was looking for, then to act this way to any stranger or poor person would do. However, Jesus emphasizes that it is “my brothers” who are the key point—the righteous ones who follow Jesus. In Matthew 10:42, the focus in on giving hospitality “in the name of a disciple”—“disciple” being a distinctive term of a follower of Jesus. Thus, the reward is not just given to those who are kind to those who are righteous in general, but specifically those who offer hospitality to those who are followers of Jesus. The emphasis is not mercy in general, but a display of faithfulness to Jesus by enacting his command of mercy to those who come in his name.
This fits the paradigm of a king returning to his people after an absence, as the context of 25:31-46 seems to indicate. The parable of the talents (25:14-30) immediately precedes it, describing the judgment of a property owner over his slaves about their work during an absence. The slaves were rewarded or punished in accordance with the instructions of the property owner. The parable of the ten virgins (25:1-13) describes the judgment of the virgins’ actions (or inactions) while awaiting the coming of the bridegroom. The virgins were included or excluded depending on their state of readiness when the bridegroom came. Before that (24:45-51) is the analogy of a slave who needs to be working for when his master arrives. If the slave is not working, he will be punished, but if he is faithful to the master by working when he is absent, then the master will reward him.
All of these parables speak of faithfulness to an absent master through actions. A slave is faithful to his master in his absence by working hard. A virgin is faithful to her coming bridegroom by being prepared in her responsibility. A steward is faithful to his master by increasing his money while he is absent. Even so, while the king is absent, faithfulness is given to him in his absence by caring for his appointed servants—those who obey Jesus’ commands and who suffer loss and persecution for it. On this is the day of judgment based.
Summary
Thus, the teaching of Matthew 25:31-46 can be summarized: While awaiting the coming of the Son of Man, those faithful to Jesus will be characterized by offering hospitality and mercy to those who suffer due to being obedient to Jesus. On the day of judgment, those who offered such mercy will be included in the kingdom, while those who refused will be excluded and punished eternally.
Although often called, “The parable of the sheep and the goats”, it is really a straightforward description of judgment day which initiates the kingdom of God, being neither a parable nor is the phrase “sheep and the goats” anything more than a passing simile.
“My Brothers”
There have been various interpretations of the phrase, “my brothers”, which proves to be the crux of the text. Some have interpreted this phrase to mean the Jews, some to be the poor of the world, and more. However, this phrase is repeated two other times in Matthew, in chapter 12:50—“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” And in 28:10 where Jesus is sending a message to “my brothers” to meet him in Galilee. Both of these specifically designates his disciples. “The will of my Father” has already been associated earlier in Matthew as the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 7:21-24). Thus, these “brothers” of Jesus are those who live out the teaching of Jesus, become his disciples and so suffer loss because of it. This completely parallels the beatitudes, which speak of the persecuted and poor of those who are righteous inheriting the kingdom. Here in Matthew 25, we see this promise fulfilled—the brothers of Jesus and those who assisted them receiving the kingdom of God enter into the kingdom of the one finally coming to rule. It is also interesting to note that the beatitudes mark the first pericope of the first body of teaching in Matthew, while the description of the coming of the Son of Man is the final pericope of the final body of teaching in Matthew. The other phrase to indicate the identity of these brothers is the phrase “the least of these”. Although many translations put the word “even” in the English, the Greek has no equivalent. It is better seen as Jesus’ personal title for the disciples, “the little ones”, or “the least”, as seen in Matthew 10:42; 18:6, 10, 14, as “the little ones”. While specifically a different Greek word, the concept remains close, (see Luke 16:9—“He who is faithful to The Least, will be faithful in much…”)
Judgment in Matthew
There are many other passages in Matthew that deal with the righteous receiving the kingdom, and the unrighteous being punished:
• Matthew 7:21-27—Description of punishment of those who say “Lord” but do not obey Jesus; parable of the two houses.
• Matthew 8:11-12—Statement of judgment of those who apparently will receive the kingdom.
• Matthew 10:14, 40-42—Promise of reward for those who assist the righteous and the prophets.
• Matthew 11:20-24—Prophecy of judgment of the cities who rejected Jesus although works of power were done there
• Matthew 12:36-37—Prophecy that on the day of judgment individuals will be judged on the basis of their careless words.
• Matthew 12:39-41—This generation will be condemned by Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba because they listened to their prophets and one greater than those prophets has come to them.
• Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43—Parable of the wheat and tares
• Matthew 13:47-50—Parable of the fish in the net
• Matthew 16:27—Son of man will come to repay everyone according to what he has done
• Matthew 18:23-35—Parable of the unforgiving servant
• Matthew 21:28-32—Parable of the two sons; Sinners entering kingdom before the Pharisees
• Matthew 21:33-41—Parable of the tenants in the vineyard
• Matthew 22:2-14—Parable of the wedding banquet
• Matthew 24:44-25:13—Warning to be ready; parable of the 10 virgins.
• Matthew 25:14-30—Parable of the talents
Hospitality and Judgment
Out of these passages, Matthew 10:40-42 is most significant in comparison with the description in Matthew 25:31-46. Both in that passage and in this one, it is the one who offers hospitality or mercy to those who are righteous that are focused on, rather than the righteous themselves. The ones who “welcome” the righteous are said to gain the reward of the righteous. The term “welcome” is already used in 10:14, speaking of the hospitality the apostles should receive. If they should not receive this hospitality, Jesus says, then “it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment.”
Genesis 18 and 19 offer a significant paradigm in relation to Matthew 10 and 25. Yahweh and two others appeared to Abraham, and Abraham bowed before them, begging them to accept his humble hospitality. After they accepted, he proceeded to offer them a great feast. There is no indication that Abraham understood his visitors to be powers of heaven, but simply to be strangers passing by. In opposition to this example is the reaction of Sodom to two of the same strangers. They enter the town, and the one righteous person in the town offer them hospitality—but it turns out he does so primarily out of fear of what the rest of the town would do. For even as Abraham went out of his way to offer hospitality to the strangers, so did Sodom go out of their way to do evil to the same strangers, threatening them with perverse acts of sex. This type of treatment of strangers is cause enough to destroy the town and the outlying areas. Jesus compares the towns who refuse to offer hospitality to the apostles with Sodom, but he claims that the punishment will be worse for those who reject the apostles than it was for Sodom.
All of this emphasized the place of those who may not be a prophet or an apostle themselves, but who come in contact with them. The prophet, righteous one or apostle of Jesus (in 25:31-46 called “my brothers”) becomes the point of reward or punishment, depending on how one responds to them. Should one respond with hospitality and kindness (as the teaching of Jesus commands—Matthew 7:12; 9:13; 12:7), then that one will be rewarded in the final judgment. Should one not offer hospitality or kindness to the righteous one, then he will be punished on the final day. This is the paradigm of Genesis 18 and 19, Matthew 10 and Matthew 25.
Faithfulness to the Absent King
There is one other significant point of Matthew 25:31-46. The act on which punishment or reward rests is not primarily an act of kindness, although it reflects a heart of mercy. If it was simply kindness Jesus was looking for, then to act this way to any stranger or poor person would do. However, Jesus emphasizes that it is “my brothers” who are the key point—the righteous ones who follow Jesus. In Matthew 10:42, the focus in on giving hospitality “in the name of a disciple”—“disciple” being a distinctive term of a follower of Jesus. Thus, the reward is not just given to those who are kind to those who are righteous in general, but specifically those who offer hospitality to those who are followers of Jesus. The emphasis is not mercy in general, but a display of faithfulness to Jesus by enacting his command of mercy to those who come in his name.
This fits the paradigm of a king returning to his people after an absence, as the context of 25:31-46 seems to indicate. The parable of the talents (25:14-30) immediately precedes it, describing the judgment of a property owner over his slaves about their work during an absence. The slaves were rewarded or punished in accordance with the instructions of the property owner. The parable of the ten virgins (25:1-13) describes the judgment of the virgins’ actions (or inactions) while awaiting the coming of the bridegroom. The virgins were included or excluded depending on their state of readiness when the bridegroom came. Before that (24:45-51) is the analogy of a slave who needs to be working for when his master arrives. If the slave is not working, he will be punished, but if he is faithful to the master by working when he is absent, then the master will reward him.
All of these parables speak of faithfulness to an absent master through actions. A slave is faithful to his master in his absence by working hard. A virgin is faithful to her coming bridegroom by being prepared in her responsibility. A steward is faithful to his master by increasing his money while he is absent. Even so, while the king is absent, faithfulness is given to him in his absence by caring for his appointed servants—those who obey Jesus’ commands and who suffer loss and persecution for it. On this is the day of judgment based.
Summary
Thus, the teaching of Matthew 25:31-46 can be summarized: While awaiting the coming of the Son of Man, those faithful to Jesus will be characterized by offering hospitality and mercy to those who suffer due to being obedient to Jesus. On the day of judgment, those who offered such mercy will be included in the kingdom, while those who refused will be excluded and punished eternally.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Eat The Rich
Many people despise wealth, but few know how to give it away.
-FRANCOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD
-FRANCOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD
Friday, October 17, 2008
Greed And The Ideal Society
Giving and the Needy in Luke and Acts
A. John’s Teaching of Repentance
So John began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." And the crowds were questioning him, saying, "Then what shall we do?" And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise." And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than what you have been ordered to." Luke 3:7-13
John the Baptist preached repentance in a similar way that Jesus did (e.g. Luke 13:1-5). Both John and Jesus—especially in Luke—had an ethical message tied with one’s dependence on God. And they both had an ethical message concerning wealth, which Luke highlights. John’s message on repentance is related to God’s coming new rule—that everyone needed to prepare themselves for God’s coming, and those who are ethically unprepared will be punished. The punishment John speaks of is no longer being considered a child of Abraham—or of receiving Abraham’s blessing.
When dealing with specific ethical issues, John was direct. If you have two of something and someone has need, give your extra to them. John emphasizes the willingness, rather than a socialized government, because repentance is an individual decision to follow God rather than the way one used to live. For those who are tax collectors, John commands them to not cheat, but to just accept the wages they are offered—he gives a similar command to soldiers (the local police). It must be noted, here, that compassion and integrity in the use of one’s wealth and resources are a minimum standard for those who wish to enter God’s kingdom.
B. The Sermon on the Plain
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-- pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return. Luke 6:32-38
The Sermon on the Plain is the foundational teaching of Jesus in the book of Luke. In the center of it, associated with his teaching on loving one’s enemies, Jesus speaks about giving. Jesus’ teaching on loving one’s enemies is not just about those who do things hateful toward one, but about treating everyone with equal love, even as God treats everyone with equal love in giving and providing needs. Jesus did not say that one needed to like everyone equally, but to provide for their needs equally—no matter what they have done to you. And if one would treat an enemy this way, then certainly one would treat a stranger who has done one no harm the same way.
Jesus specifically speaks about lending to people. This could be lending money or other resources. Deuteronomy 15 also speaks of lending, commanding the Israelites to lend to those in need, even if it looks as if you might not receive it back (Deut. 15:7-10). Jesus is affirming this, and broadening it to those who might be disobedient to God as well. Then Jesus mentions that those who give in this way—without exclusion, to meet needs, even if the debt is unreturned—would be rewarded by God even more than one gave.
C. Jesus’ Simple Command
Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Fill your wallet with benefits that will never run out. You will have an account in heaven that will provide all you need, where no one can steal it and nothing can destroy it. For where your resources are, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:33-34)
Jesus makes it clear—we are to give our resources to the needy. This is a command to all the disciples, not just a few (Luke 12:22). He made this statement after a long speech about the danger of accumulating wealth and the need to trust in God for one’s needs (Luke 12:13-31). Just after this statement, Jesus speaks about the coming kingdom which will overtake the earth, where the “master” will destroy the “slave” who does not take his master’s possessions and provide for other servants from it (Luke 12:35-48).
In this passage, Jesus is giving a command. It is not just a “good idea,” as if Jesus’ ethical commands are something that a good Christian can just ignore or accept, depending on how they feel that day. Obeying Jesus’ commands are a requirement for entering the kingdom of God (Luke 6:46-49). Nor is this statement an opportunity for rewards. The statement “having treasure in heaven” is used to speak about gaining the kingdom of God at all (Matthew 6:19-21;Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22—in the last two, “treasure in heaven” is used to parallel “salvation” and “entering the kingdom.”).
D. The Surrendering King
Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So then, none of you can be my disciples who does not renounce all of his possessions. Luke 14:31-33
Jesus tells a parable here about a king who is going into battle against another king. Our unfortunate king, however, has far less soldiers in his army than his opponent and will surely be destroyed on the field of battle. Thus, he must make preparations for surrender. In the ancient way of warfare, this means two things: first of all, he must agree to submit to the victorious king and become his slave, under his orders. Secondly, he must give up all of what he has in his treasury—any silver, gold or other precious items he has in savings. In this way, he is humbled, but he retains his reign and people. (I Kings 14:25-26; 15:17-19; II Kings 12:17-18; II Kings 14:13-14; II Kings 16:8-9; II Kings 18:14-15; II Kings 24:12-14).
Jesus is telling this parable in order to make a point about our relationship to God. God is the victorious king, who is coming with a great army and will defeat us, unless we repent and submit to Jesus as our Lord and King. But God demands more than our submission, Jesus says. He is also demanding all of our possessions. We need to make all of our possessions available to God, for his service.
E. The Sneaky Steward
Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.' And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. 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. He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." Luke 16:1-13
The parable of the steward is problematic for many because of the unethical practice of the steward. However, Jesus is not advocating a lack of integrity. Rather, he is emphasizing the “shrewdness” of the steward—the fact that he is facing a difficulty, and he is willing to sacrifice his wealth to secure his future. Even so, Jesus is recommending to the “sons of light” that they sacrifice their wealth for the sake of the coming age—the kingdom of God. Jesus’ recommendation is to give wealth to the needy who will be entering God’s kingdom. In that way, he says, they will secure you a place in the kingdom. Jesus subtlely shifts the focus of leadership in God’s kingdom from the wealthy to the poor—as he does often in the gospels (e.g. Luke 6:20-26). Thus, the “faithful” use of “unrighteous” wealth is to give it to the needy who are honoring God with their lives. And, in fact, Jesus reminds us, our wealth does not belong to us at all, but God—we are but stewards. Thus, we need to ask, not “what are wise investments” but “what are God’s investments?” Jesus answers this question by saying that the investments God wants us to participate in is giving to his people who are needy. Then the two masters saying is given—and in this context it is implying, “For what use will you use your money? For the sake of creating more money and wealth—thus serving the wealth itself? Or will you use it for God and give it away to those who are in need?”
F. The Rich Man and Lazarus
Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers-- in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'" Luke 16:19-31
There are many issues in this parable, and many questions to be answered. But the main ethical issue is easily discovered: The rich man was tortured after death because he lived in wealth, but refused to give to the needy man right at his gate. The message of Moses and the Prophets is to give to the needy (Deuteronomy 15:4-11; Isaiah 3:14-15; Isaiah 58:5-10; Jeremiah 5:26-29; Ezekiel 16:49; Ezekiel 18:10-13; Amos 5:12-15). If wealthy men do not listen to this message, they will be judged by God.
G. Zaccheus, the Righteous Wealthy
He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:1-10
Zaccheus is the converse of much which is taught in the gospels and James—a wealthy man who is a true son of Abraham. How is this? Because he was surrendering half of his possessions to the poor and is following John the Baptist’s (and Moses’) instructions on not cheating others (Luke 3:12-13; Exodus 22:1). The only two differences are his obedience to Jesus and his pronouncement of giving to the poor. This confirms what Jesus teaches in other places: the rich man is saved by giving to the poor.
H. The Devourers and the Sacrificers
Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation." And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on." Luke 20:46-21:4
The gospel writers (Mark 12:38-44 and Luke) place together two items about widows. In the first, Jesus describes scribes—the educated theologians of his day—as devouring widow’s houses. In the next, they give an illustration of a widow who was losing her last means of support. She was taught that she should give her last penny to the “building project” of the temple, and so she followed suit, for she felt that she needed to give such wealth in order to be obedient to God (as the scribes taught).
Jesus, on the one hand, is praising the widow for her complete sacrifice to God, even to the detriment of herself. Such complete surrender displays the faith in God that Jesus spoke about.
On the other hand, Jesus (and the gospel writers) was criticizing the scribes for demanding that a widow give her last cent to a building, while she herself has nothing to live on. Such a teaching, Jesus implies, is opposed to God’s requirement of mercy to the needy.
I. The Example of the Early Church
And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:44-47
And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. Acts 4:33-37
The early Christian community took seriously what Jesus taught about giving. In following Jesus’ command, they took the following actions:
a. They made all of their resources available.
If there was a need, they gave up all that they had for that need. They didn’t keep for themselves property that could have been better used for the poor. They opened their homes to the needy and they provided food for those who were hungry.
b. They sold items so the money could be used.
They voluntarily gave up what they had, sometimes sacrificially, in order to provide for the needy. This didn’t mean that they got rid of everything they had—many still kept lands and homes they needed—but they sold all they could and all that God was leading them to.
c. They gave to the church, knowing that the church would give the money to the needy.
They didn’t give to the temple, where they met. Nor did they pay unnecessary religious taxes. But, instead, they gave to those whom Jesus told them to give—those in need.
In this way it could be said, “There were no needy among them.” Even so, it could be with us if we followed Jesus’ principles of giving.
Even so, when we give to God, we do not just find the nearest church and give it to them. Rather, we give to the needy. It is the needy who are especially protected by God, and it says again and again in God’s word that those who give to the needy are actually giving to God. In fact, Jesus critiqued the Jewish religious leaders who told people to give to the temple to the detriment of giving to the needy in their community . Giving to the church is good, but only if they give to the needy.
A. John’s Teaching of Repentance
So John began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." And the crowds were questioning him, saying, "Then what shall we do?" And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise." And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than what you have been ordered to." Luke 3:7-13
John the Baptist preached repentance in a similar way that Jesus did (e.g. Luke 13:1-5). Both John and Jesus—especially in Luke—had an ethical message tied with one’s dependence on God. And they both had an ethical message concerning wealth, which Luke highlights. John’s message on repentance is related to God’s coming new rule—that everyone needed to prepare themselves for God’s coming, and those who are ethically unprepared will be punished. The punishment John speaks of is no longer being considered a child of Abraham—or of receiving Abraham’s blessing.
When dealing with specific ethical issues, John was direct. If you have two of something and someone has need, give your extra to them. John emphasizes the willingness, rather than a socialized government, because repentance is an individual decision to follow God rather than the way one used to live. For those who are tax collectors, John commands them to not cheat, but to just accept the wages they are offered—he gives a similar command to soldiers (the local police). It must be noted, here, that compassion and integrity in the use of one’s wealth and resources are a minimum standard for those who wish to enter God’s kingdom.
B. The Sermon on the Plain
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-- pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return. Luke 6:32-38
The Sermon on the Plain is the foundational teaching of Jesus in the book of Luke. In the center of it, associated with his teaching on loving one’s enemies, Jesus speaks about giving. Jesus’ teaching on loving one’s enemies is not just about those who do things hateful toward one, but about treating everyone with equal love, even as God treats everyone with equal love in giving and providing needs. Jesus did not say that one needed to like everyone equally, but to provide for their needs equally—no matter what they have done to you. And if one would treat an enemy this way, then certainly one would treat a stranger who has done one no harm the same way.
Jesus specifically speaks about lending to people. This could be lending money or other resources. Deuteronomy 15 also speaks of lending, commanding the Israelites to lend to those in need, even if it looks as if you might not receive it back (Deut. 15:7-10). Jesus is affirming this, and broadening it to those who might be disobedient to God as well. Then Jesus mentions that those who give in this way—without exclusion, to meet needs, even if the debt is unreturned—would be rewarded by God even more than one gave.
C. Jesus’ Simple Command
Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Fill your wallet with benefits that will never run out. You will have an account in heaven that will provide all you need, where no one can steal it and nothing can destroy it. For where your resources are, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:33-34)
Jesus makes it clear—we are to give our resources to the needy. This is a command to all the disciples, not just a few (Luke 12:22). He made this statement after a long speech about the danger of accumulating wealth and the need to trust in God for one’s needs (Luke 12:13-31). Just after this statement, Jesus speaks about the coming kingdom which will overtake the earth, where the “master” will destroy the “slave” who does not take his master’s possessions and provide for other servants from it (Luke 12:35-48).
In this passage, Jesus is giving a command. It is not just a “good idea,” as if Jesus’ ethical commands are something that a good Christian can just ignore or accept, depending on how they feel that day. Obeying Jesus’ commands are a requirement for entering the kingdom of God (Luke 6:46-49). Nor is this statement an opportunity for rewards. The statement “having treasure in heaven” is used to speak about gaining the kingdom of God at all (Matthew 6:19-21;Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22—in the last two, “treasure in heaven” is used to parallel “salvation” and “entering the kingdom.”).
D. The Surrendering King
Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So then, none of you can be my disciples who does not renounce all of his possessions. Luke 14:31-33
Jesus tells a parable here about a king who is going into battle against another king. Our unfortunate king, however, has far less soldiers in his army than his opponent and will surely be destroyed on the field of battle. Thus, he must make preparations for surrender. In the ancient way of warfare, this means two things: first of all, he must agree to submit to the victorious king and become his slave, under his orders. Secondly, he must give up all of what he has in his treasury—any silver, gold or other precious items he has in savings. In this way, he is humbled, but he retains his reign and people. (I Kings 14:25-26; 15:17-19; II Kings 12:17-18; II Kings 14:13-14; II Kings 16:8-9; II Kings 18:14-15; II Kings 24:12-14).
Jesus is telling this parable in order to make a point about our relationship to God. God is the victorious king, who is coming with a great army and will defeat us, unless we repent and submit to Jesus as our Lord and King. But God demands more than our submission, Jesus says. He is also demanding all of our possessions. We need to make all of our possessions available to God, for his service.
E. The Sneaky Steward
Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.' And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. 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. He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." Luke 16:1-13
The parable of the steward is problematic for many because of the unethical practice of the steward. However, Jesus is not advocating a lack of integrity. Rather, he is emphasizing the “shrewdness” of the steward—the fact that he is facing a difficulty, and he is willing to sacrifice his wealth to secure his future. Even so, Jesus is recommending to the “sons of light” that they sacrifice their wealth for the sake of the coming age—the kingdom of God. Jesus’ recommendation is to give wealth to the needy who will be entering God’s kingdom. In that way, he says, they will secure you a place in the kingdom. Jesus subtlely shifts the focus of leadership in God’s kingdom from the wealthy to the poor—as he does often in the gospels (e.g. Luke 6:20-26). Thus, the “faithful” use of “unrighteous” wealth is to give it to the needy who are honoring God with their lives. And, in fact, Jesus reminds us, our wealth does not belong to us at all, but God—we are but stewards. Thus, we need to ask, not “what are wise investments” but “what are God’s investments?” Jesus answers this question by saying that the investments God wants us to participate in is giving to his people who are needy. Then the two masters saying is given—and in this context it is implying, “For what use will you use your money? For the sake of creating more money and wealth—thus serving the wealth itself? Or will you use it for God and give it away to those who are in need?”
F. The Rich Man and Lazarus
Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers-- in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'" Luke 16:19-31
There are many issues in this parable, and many questions to be answered. But the main ethical issue is easily discovered: The rich man was tortured after death because he lived in wealth, but refused to give to the needy man right at his gate. The message of Moses and the Prophets is to give to the needy (Deuteronomy 15:4-11; Isaiah 3:14-15; Isaiah 58:5-10; Jeremiah 5:26-29; Ezekiel 16:49; Ezekiel 18:10-13; Amos 5:12-15). If wealthy men do not listen to this message, they will be judged by God.
G. Zaccheus, the Righteous Wealthy
He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:1-10
Zaccheus is the converse of much which is taught in the gospels and James—a wealthy man who is a true son of Abraham. How is this? Because he was surrendering half of his possessions to the poor and is following John the Baptist’s (and Moses’) instructions on not cheating others (Luke 3:12-13; Exodus 22:1). The only two differences are his obedience to Jesus and his pronouncement of giving to the poor. This confirms what Jesus teaches in other places: the rich man is saved by giving to the poor.
H. The Devourers and the Sacrificers
Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation." And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on." Luke 20:46-21:4
The gospel writers (Mark 12:38-44 and Luke) place together two items about widows. In the first, Jesus describes scribes—the educated theologians of his day—as devouring widow’s houses. In the next, they give an illustration of a widow who was losing her last means of support. She was taught that she should give her last penny to the “building project” of the temple, and so she followed suit, for she felt that she needed to give such wealth in order to be obedient to God (as the scribes taught).
Jesus, on the one hand, is praising the widow for her complete sacrifice to God, even to the detriment of herself. Such complete surrender displays the faith in God that Jesus spoke about.
On the other hand, Jesus (and the gospel writers) was criticizing the scribes for demanding that a widow give her last cent to a building, while she herself has nothing to live on. Such a teaching, Jesus implies, is opposed to God’s requirement of mercy to the needy.
I. The Example of the Early Church
And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:44-47
And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. Acts 4:33-37
The early Christian community took seriously what Jesus taught about giving. In following Jesus’ command, they took the following actions:
a. They made all of their resources available.
If there was a need, they gave up all that they had for that need. They didn’t keep for themselves property that could have been better used for the poor. They opened their homes to the needy and they provided food for those who were hungry.
b. They sold items so the money could be used.
They voluntarily gave up what they had, sometimes sacrificially, in order to provide for the needy. This didn’t mean that they got rid of everything they had—many still kept lands and homes they needed—but they sold all they could and all that God was leading them to.
c. They gave to the church, knowing that the church would give the money to the needy.
They didn’t give to the temple, where they met. Nor did they pay unnecessary religious taxes. But, instead, they gave to those whom Jesus told them to give—those in need.
In this way it could be said, “There were no needy among them.” Even so, it could be with us if we followed Jesus’ principles of giving.
Even so, when we give to God, we do not just find the nearest church and give it to them. Rather, we give to the needy. It is the needy who are especially protected by God, and it says again and again in God’s word that those who give to the needy are actually giving to God. In fact, Jesus critiqued the Jewish religious leaders who told people to give to the temple to the detriment of giving to the needy in their community . Giving to the church is good, but only if they give to the needy.
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