Tag: bible

Week 26: A Creditor with Two Debtors

“There was a certain creditor which had two debtors:  the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both.  Tell me therefore which of them will love him most?  Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most.  And he said unto him.  Thou hast rightly judged.”  Luke 7:41-43

My Summary & Reflection

Jesus tells the story of a creditor who is owed money by two different debtors.  One owes him five hundred pence and the other, only owes him fifty.  Neither debtor was able to pay back what was owed, so the man forgave both debts.  Which one of the two debtors will love the creditor who forgave his debts more?  The answer, Jesus confirms, is the one that had the most forgiven.

In this parable, Jesus is comparing financial debts to sins and the creditor to God.  He is saying that God forgives sinners of all sins, both big and small.  Sin, or it’s resulting guilt, is a burden that is carried by the sinner.  And Jesus is saying that the sinners who have much to be forgiven, are more grateful and loving because their relatively heavier burden has been lifted.  In a similar comparison, one person is carrying a weight of twenty-five pounds, and another of a hundred pounds.  The person with the hundred-pound weight will be more grateful if their burden is removed because it is heavier and harder to bear.

 As those that have been sinned against, we learned in an earlier parable, A King Forgiving Debts https://leaveninthemeal.com/2018/08/22/week-5-a-king-forgiving-debts/, that we are expected to be forgiving ourselves of the wrongs of our brothers and sisters in order to expect that same grace be shown to us.  And in a similar way, the greater the wrong that we forgive, the greater the relief for anyone who may be suffering under the burden of guilt.  

And as sinners, we need to humbly admit our wrongdoing and ask for the forgiveness of our brothers and sisters that we have wronged and of God.  We must do so recognizing that forgiveness is not owed to us, but only requested and hoped for.  As we learned in The Prodigal Son https://leaveninthemeal.com/2019/01/09/week-25-the-prodigal-son/, our Father is always happy to receive us back when we’ve gone astray.

Your Reflection

  • As a sinner, do you have trouble admitting your wrongdoing and asking for forgiveness?  What is stopping you?
  • Are you more loving to those who have forgiven you?
  • Are you forgiving or do you hold a grudge?

Week 25: The Prodigal Son

“…A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.  And he divided unto them his living.  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.  And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.  And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him.  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.  And he arose, and came to his father.  But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him.  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.  And they began to be merry.  Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.  And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.  And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.  And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.  And he answering said to his father, Lo these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:  But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.  And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.  It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.”  Luke 15:11-32

My Summary & Reflection 

This parable is familiar to many.  In it, a younger son asks his father for his share of his inheritance while the father still lives.  The father agrees and divides up his assets and provides the required share to the younger son.  After receiving his share, the younger son leaves town and moves to another country where he spends his inheritance wastefully.  When all that he had was now spent, he took a job feeding pigs and was not earning enough money to feed himself.  He then considers returning to his father’s house as he was on the verge of starvation.  Knowing that he had already spent all of his inheritance, and that he had shamed himself and his family, his hope was only to be hired to be a servant in his father’s house.  However, when his father saw his approach, he was so overjoyed that he quickly had him clothed in the finest robes and ordered a feast be held for him.  When the older brother returned from working in his father’s fields, he heard the commotion of a feast and inquired of a servant what was happening.  He was informed that his younger brother had returned and that their father was preparing a feast.  The older brother became jealous and stayed away from the feast.  Their father came out to him and asked why he was missing the feast.  The elder son responded that he had always done everything his father had asked, and never had a feast thrown on his behalf.  Whereas, his younger brother, who had shamed the family, was receiving a feast.  The father said to his elder son, that everything that the father now owns belongs to him.  But he will celebrate because his son, who to him had been dead, was now alive.

The younger son, who had spent all of his inheritance, knew that he had sinned against his father, and against himself and therefore did not expect anything other than perhaps the compassion of his father to allow him to be hired as a servant at the home where he formerly lived.  However, his father, as our Father, is always happy to receive anyone who returns to him.  The path that the younger son had chosen, was one that was leading toward death, both spiritually and physically.  But when he humbled himself to return to his father, to admit his wrong, his march toward death was averted.  That is why the father exclaimed that “for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again.”  This story shows the joy with which all sinners who return to the Lord will be received.  It says that no matter what any of us have done to separate ourselves from our Father’s blessings, we will always be welcomed back if we humble ourselves and return to him.  

For the elder brother, who had always remained true to his father’s commands, he felt angry and jealous that such a big feast would be held for his disobedient brother.  But, like in the parable of A Householder Hiring Workers https://leaveninthemeal.com/2018/09/05/week-7-a-householder-hiring-workers/, the elder son is assured that he loses nothing by being happy that his brother has returned to the path of life.  He will still receive everything that he had been promised.  He will not only receive his promised inheritance, but he also receives a brother that had been lost, but now is found.  Therefore, we should all be rejoicing for our brothers and sisters as they are welcomed back by our Father and they will enrich us as they rejoin our eternal family.

Your Reflection

  • Do you believe that you will be forgiven your transgressions against your Father?
  • Are you ready to return to Him with humility and hope?
  • Are you happy for your sisters and brothers to find their way back to your Father?

Week 24: An Invitation to a Feast

“…A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:  And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.  And they all with one consent began to make excuse.  The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.  And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.  And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.  So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things.  Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.  And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.  And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.  For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.”  Luke 14:16-24

My Summary & Reflection

 In this parable, a man hosts a feast and invites his many friends.  He sends out his servant to let the invited guests know that the feast is ready to begin.  One by one, the guests each make a different excuse for why they cannot attend the feast.  One invited guest says that he must look after some land that he had just purchased.  Another invited guest claims that he needed to examine some livestock that he had just bought.  A third guest blamed his absence on the fact that he had just married and could not attend.  The servant returned and told his master of the different excuses provided by the invitees.  The master of the house then told the servant to go out into the streets and invite all that he could to come and attend his feast instead of those that had originally been invited.  The master of the house noted that none who was originally invited will benefit from his feast. 

This story is similar to the parable of A King Hosts a Wedding for His Son. https://leaveninthemeal.com/2018/09/19/week-9-a-king-hosts-a-wedding-for-his-son/ In both parables, those originally invited to a grand celebration make excuses for why they cannot attend.  In both parables, the invited guests claim that they are too busy to come when called.  They claimed to be too busy to receive the blessings that had been set out for them by their hosts.  And in both cases, it seems that those invited did not appreciate the gravity of the invitation that they were declining.  This invitation was not just an invitation to a dinner, but an invitation to eternal life and by declining it to focus on building their earthly possessions, they were in fact forfeiting their own souls.

There’s a commonly used phrase that a person can’t see the forest for the trees.  This basically means that because someone is surrounded by the trees, they can’t comprehend the forest that they are a part of.  Or to decipher this metaphor, the surrounding details can obscure the bigger picture that we’re a part of.  In the same way, those who were invited to the feast in this parable, could not see past their day to day earthly concerns to accept the grander plan they were a part of.  They couldn’t see that they were declining their own eternity, in exchange for the temporary.

Your Reflection

  • Is your focus on the temporary or the permanent?  How can you know?
  • Have you accepted your invitation to the great feast?

Week 22: An Unfruitful Tree

“…A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.  Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?  And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shall cut it down.”  Luke 13:6-9

My Summary & Reflection

In this parable a man had fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came to the tree looking for fruit for three years, but each time the tree was barren of fruit.  He then talked to the groundskeeper and told him to cut down the tree as it was a burden to the ground where it stood. The groundskeeper answered the vineyard owner by asking for an opportunity to try to save the tree.  The groundskeeper would tend to the tree and fertilize it over the next year. If the tree would then become fruitful, it would be saved.  If not, then it would be cut down.

This parable, along with others offered by Jesus, leads me to the conclusion that Jesus is saying that men and women have a purpose here on earth.  Like the fig tree, whose purpose it is to provide figs fit to eat, so too do we have a purpose.  Our fruits are our words and deeds that either conform to the directives provided us by Jesus or they don’t; Or they either fulfill the mission to which we are specially gifted or they don’t.  As discussed in A Tree is Known by its Fruit, Jesus said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits…” Matthew 7:16 Another parable in which Jesus alludes to our purpose is Man Distributing Talents.  In it, Jesus talks about a man being entrusted with valuable things and his ultimate fate being determined by how productive he is with what he is given.  Similarly, in this way, this parable talks of what happens to a person, who is given all that he needs, and still is not productive.  As in the fig tree, this unproductive person will be cut down.

In this parable, I believe that Jesus is referring to himself as the groundskeeper.  He is the one asking for the chance to save the tree. He took it upon himself to care for the tree and to fertilize it in order that it might have the chance to be productive and to survive.  But ultimately, it is up to the tree to either produce or not.  The groundskeeper can provide support and guidance, but it is the tree that must produce. If a fig tree doesn’t produce figs, then why is it there utilizing the space and the resources of the earth?  It will be cut down.  Just as a fig tree must fulfill its purpose,so must we.

Your Reflection

  • Are you being an unfruitful tree?  How can you change that?
  • What is your purpose and how can you achieve it?

Week 21: The Mote and the Beam

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is thine own eye?  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold, a beam is in thine own eye?  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”  Matthew 7:3-5

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is thine own eye?  Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.”  Luke 6:41-42

My Summary & Reflection

This parable begins with a question, why are you focused on a mote in your brother’s eye, but not on the beam that is in your own eye?  How can you try to pull out the mote in your brother’s eye, when your own vision is obstructed?  Jesus instructs us to first remove the beam from our eye so that we can see clearly in order to remove the mote in our brother’s eye.

In this parable, Jesus is comparing flaws with motes and beams. A mote is a speck of something like dust. A beam is long piece of something like metal or wood.  Therefore, a person with a mote in his eye would be one with a minor flaw and a person with a beam in his eye would be one with a major flaw.  Jesus is asking, why are you, who is so majorly flawed, focused on the minor flaws of another?  First, you need to remove your own flaws that are obstructing your view, then you can try to help your brother with his.

As in the Praying with Humility parable, this one also instructs us to look inward at ourselves instead of outward at others with our criticisms.  Being critical of others is easy because every one of us is flawed.  It is the work of fixing our own failures and shortcomings that is hard.  In the same way that we should not look on others with envy, we also should not look on others with contempt.  Our flaws may not look like someone else’s and some may be easier to hide, but we all have them.  So,we should look at ourselves and others with compassion as we focus our efforts to improve ourselves.  It is only after we have done the hard work of removing our own major flaws that we can see clearly to help guide our brothers and sisters.  As Jesus says, “Can the blind lead the blind?  Shall they not both fall into the ditch?” Luke 6:39

Your Reflection

  • Is there a beam in your eye?  Is your focus on getting rid of it or in hiding it?
  • Are you as critical of yourself as you are of others?
  • Are you as compassionate for yourself as you are for others?

Week 20: Praying with Humility

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”  Luke 18:10-14

My Summary & Reflection

In this parable, Jesus tells us of the prayers of two men, one a Pharisee and the other a publican.  A Pharisee was a strict adherent of Jewish law and a respected member of society.  A publican was a tax collector, which was an occupation looked upon with scorn as the taxes were collected for the Romans under whose empire the Jewish people lived.  First, the Pharisee stood and offered up his prayer to God.  He thanked God that he was better than the sinners of the world, including the publican.  He also noted to God, how faithful in his observance of law that he had been.  Next, the publican, with lowered eyes, offered up his prayer.  In it he prayed for mercy for himself and called himself a sinner.  Jesus then tells us that the publican who humbled himself will be looked upon more favorably than the Pharisee who exalted himself.

I think that this parable is about the dangers of being self-satisfied.  As a religious adherent in a world filled with sin, it’s easy to look around at those who we feel are under performing and say to ourselves, “Well, at least I’m not a thief or at least I’m not an adulterer,” as the Pharisee did.  Or to pat ourselves on the back for our tithe, or our fast, or our attendance at church services.  But what Jesus is saying is that our prayers to God are not about comparing ourselves to one another as each of us has our own flaws, but in comparing ourselves with that which is not flawed, which is God.  As Jesus says in Luke 18:19, “...none is good, save one, that is God.”  Because as faithful as each of us is, we are all flawed and all are in need of God’s mercy.

This parable is also about the dangers of looking down on someone else’s spirituality.  In his prayer, the Pharisee thanked God that he wasn’t like the publican.  Meanwhile, the publican was praying for forgiveness and for mercy from God.  As the scripture notes, those who humble themselves will be exalted.  The publican saw his own flaws and, prayed with the humility of a sinner seeking mercy.  The publican was self-aware in a way that the Pharisee wasn’t.  The publican was able to view himself critically, while the Pharisee was not.  And for that, Jesus says, the Pharisee in his boastfulness will be made low.

Your Reflection

  • Are you tempted to compare yourself favorably to those around you?  If so, why?
  • How can you look at yourself more critically, and pray for mercy for your own flaws?
  • How can you start to look at others with compassion instead of competition?

Week 19: A True Neighbor

“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed leaving him half dead.  And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?”  Luke 10:30-36

My Summary & Reflection

A man was travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was mugged by some thieves.  These thieves stripped the man of his clothes and beat him, leaving him alone and half dead.  After the thieves had gone, along came a priest who saw the critically injured man.  But the priest merely passed by him without offering any assistance.  A while later a Levite, a respected member of the community, also journeyed along the same route.  He, too, saw the man who had been beaten and robbed.  And he, too, passed by the man without offering any assistance.  Finally, a Samaritan, who was not a member of the beaten man’s faith or community, travelled along the route as well.  When the Samaritan saw the poor condition of the man, he bound up the man’s wounds, and took him to a nearby inn.  Before he left the next day, he paid the host of the inn to take care of the man.  Jesus then ends the parable by asking, which of these men was a neighbor to the man who had been robbed and beaten?

This parable is often titled, “The Good Samaritan.”  I entitled it, “A True Neighbor” because it occurred to me that the point of this parable was not that the man who showed mercy to the person who had been robbed and beaten was a Samaritan, but that he was a true neighbor despite any cultural or other boundaries.  To put this parable in context, this story was told to a man while discussing the requirement to “[love] thy neighbor as thyself.”  The man asks Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  The parable goes on to show how neither the priest nor the Levite, both respected members of the community to which the beaten man belonged, acted as neighbors to the man.  They both ignored his wounded condition and, in fact, left him alone to die.  It was only the Samaritan, a cultural stranger and a foreigner to the injured man’s community, who acted as a true neighbor.  He stepped up and stepped in to provide life-saving assistance to someone he seemingly had no obligation to, for no benefit to himself.  He not only provided his own time to care for the man, but he also provided money to the innkeeper to care for the man until the man was able to care for himself.

This parable ends with the question, “which of these men was a neighbor?” The man to whom Jesus was speaking replies, “He that shewed mercy on him.”  To that Jesus replies “Go, and do thou likewise.”  With that, Jesus is telling each of us that everyone, regardless of the boundaries that we have divided ourselves with, is a neighbor to be shown mercy.  We should each love one another, regardless of our earthly status, culture, faith, or any separations as we love ourselves.  We are all neighbors with one another.

Your Reflection

  • Why do you think that the priest and the Levite passed by without offering aid to the injured man?
  • If you had been on that road, what would you have done?
  • In Jesus’ eyes, are you a loving neighbor?
  • What keeps you from being a loving neighbor?

Week 18: A Tree is Known by its Fruit

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  Ye shall know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”  Matthew 7:16-20

“For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  For every tree is known by his own fruit.  For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.”  Luke 6:43-44

My Summary & Reflection

There are really two comparisons made in this parable as told by Matthew. In the first, Jesus tells his disciples to beware false prophets and compares those false prophets to wolves in sheep’s clothing.  In the second, described by Matthew and Luke, Jesus then goes on to explain how false prophets can be identified.  In that way he compares the prophets to fruit-bearing trees.  He says that the false prophets can be identified by their fruit.

The wolf in sheep’s clothing is a common metaphor to many of us.  In it, a wolf disguises himself as a sheep and blends in with the herd to avoid arousing fear among either the sheep or the shepherd.  The wolf’s intent, however, is to devour the sheep.  In the same way, Jesus identifies some people as false prophets who wrap themselves in the attire of the righteous, but inwardly their goal is destruction.  Sadly, we all have seen examples of this on the news and maybe in our own lives.  These examples are numerous and can be found among members of the ministry as well as teachers, coaches, doctors, and others who portray themselves to be upstanding citizens, but who turn out to be predators who prey on the young, the weak, and the helpless.

In this parable, Jesus tells his disciples that these false prophets can be identified by the results of their works, or their fruits.  Just as a tree bears fruit that is in alignment with its nature, similarly the results of a person’s works will align with his or her nature.  We cannot merely look at a person’s appearance and accurately assess their character, either for good or for ill.  So, before placing your faith in a person, you must in today’s parlance, check their references.

To paraphrase Maya Angelou, if a person shows you who they are, believe them.  That is what Jesus is saying.  He’s saying that a person’s true nature will be revealed through their works and their words.  “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”  Luke 6:45 There will be evidence of the desires of their heart.  Each of us has to remain clear-eyed so that we will believe what is being revealed to us and not let ourselves be fooled by appearance, or title, eloquence, or any other superficial presentation.

Your Reflection

  • Have you examined the fruit of those in whom you place your trust?
  • Would anyone recognize the fruit that you bear as the fruit of a Christian?
  • What would the fruit of a Christian look like?

Week 17: Adding New to the Old

“No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.  Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.”  Matthew 9:16-17

“No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.  And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.  But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.  No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.”  Luke 5:36-39

My Summary & Reflection

In this parable, Jesus is advising against trying to add on something entirely new, to something that is old and worn.  He says that a person shouldn’t attach a new piece of cloth to an old garment because it will only cause the tear to be made worse.  Similarly, he says that a person shouldn’t put new wine into old bottles because the bottles will break and the wine will run out.  Also, in Luke, Jesus says that no one who having drunk old wine, appreciates the new because he thinks that the old is better.

To understand this parable, it is helpful to have some context.  Jesus told this parable after receiving criticism from the Pharisees, who were religious leaders in his time, as well as from the disciples of John the Baptist.  They wanted to know why Jesus would dine and spend time with sinners.  They also wanted to know why the disciples of Jesus did not fast, as did the Pharisees and the disciples of John.  Jesus then shares this parable.  In it, I believe Jesus was comparing himself to the new cloth and to the new wine, with the old cloth and the old wine, being the religious traditions of the day.

Have you ever heard the expression, cut from a different cloth?  That, I think, is what Jesus is saying that he is.  He is something new, something that the people haven’t seen before.  He’s not John the Baptist nor is he Moses, he is something new and he has a new message for a new generation.  As Jesus says when asked about dining with sinners, “they that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.”  He is identifying himself as the healer for the sin-sick soul.  He and his message are not an easy add on to the existing traditions, but are in fact something completely new.  Jesus, through his life and teachings, created not just an add on to the religion of the day but created a new religion.

He also compares himself to the new wine.  In Luke, he also says that the new wine, after having just consumed the old, is generally not appreciated.  Similarly, the new message that Jesus was delivering was also not easily appreciated by the religious of the day.  If they still have the taste of the old wine on their tongue, it may take some time to find the flavor and appreciate the new.  Similarly, if you have studied and believe in an old tradition, anything new or different will seem odd and jarring at first.  It is only after a time, that you may come to appreciate what is beautiful about that which is new and different.

Your Reflection

  • How difficult do you find it to change, to give up old habits and traditions?
  • Have you tried just adding on Christianity to your existing lifestyle?  If so, what was the result?

Week 16: A Rich Man’s Request

“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise, Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, through one rose from the dead.”  Luke 16:19-31

My Summary & Reflection

Jesus tells this story of a rich man who lived an extravagant and easy life on earth and compared it with Lazarus, who was a beggar who lived off the crumbs left by the rich man.  Both men died.  Lazarus, the beggar, went to heaven, where he was pampered and provided for in luxury.  The rich man went to hell, where he suffered in its flames.  The rich man cries out to Abraham to send Lazarus to provide him with water to ease his suffering.  But Abraham replies to the rich man that he had his comfort on earth, and now it was Lazarus’ turn to receive his blessings.  Abraham further notes that there is a gulf between Lazarus and the rich man in death that cannot be crossed.

The rich man then makes a second request.  This time he asks that Lazarus be sent to his father’s house, where his brothers still lived, in order to warn them to repent before they suffer the same fate as he.  Abraham said that the brothers already have notice of what to do from the guidance provided by Moses and the prophets.   The rich man replied that they would believe the guidance if it was provided by one that they knew had been dead.  Abraham replied, that if Moses and the prophets could not persuade them, they would not change even if someone rose from the dead.

Luke describes this story as being told to the Pharisees, “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”  Luke 16:15. In other parables, the kingdom of heaven is described.  In this story, a rendering of life after death is described.  There are a few pieces of this story that catch my attention.  The first is that the rich man, even after death and even though he himself is suffering in hell, seems to still see Lazarus as a servant, or someone less than him.  The entreaties to end his suffering are not directed to Lazarus, but to Abraham.  Perhaps the rich man sees Abraham as a man like himself, who he can talk to and he still sees Lazarus as a beggar or a servant who can be ordered this way or that at his master’s bidding.

The rich man is never described in the story as being particularly cruel or evil.  Neither is Lazarus described as being particularly kind or good.  The only distinction drawn between their lives on earth were the rich man’s plenty and Lazarus’ lack.

In the story, Abraham also describes a gulf dividing heaven from hell that cannot be crossed.  This implies that the separation that occurs between those chosen to move forward and those left behind in torment is a permanent one.  It is only the actions on earth that determine a person’s destiny.  Those who are condemned can’t have a change of heart after death, that will allow them into the kingdom.  Nor, will those permitted entrance be judged again.

Lastly, the request that Lazarus be brought back to life to provide testimony to the rich man’s family, so that they would repent and avoid his negative consequences, was denied as well, but for different reasons.  Abraham doesn’t mention any gulf between the kingdom of heaven and earth that cannot be crossed.  This, perhaps, is a foreshadowing of the resurrection of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, or Jesus’ own resurrection.  Abraham merely denies the request on the grounds that those who refused to follow the tenets of Moses and the prophets, will not follow even one who has resurrected from the dead.  It implies that the rich man’s brothers’ hearts are already hardened and that even a great miracle will not move them toward a path that will lead them to repent.

Your Reflection

  • Are your trying to “justify yourselves before men” or are your goals aligned with the teachings of Jesus?
  • Does it make you feel comforted or afraid to know that God knows your heart?