Day 40: Team Briefing #2 (Luke 16:1–17:10)
Today’s Passage: Luke 16:1-17:10
I am taking this large section of Scripture because it both begins with Jesus shifting his attention to the disciples, and ends with his comments directed toward them. In between, the religious of the day challenge Jesus’ thoughts.
Starting in the middle, the religious of the day mock Jesus’ teaching about settling accounts. In his parable, there is money left on the table. Jesus engages them in an interesting way. First he tells them God knows their hearts. Then he comments on the Law and how it will remain longer than heaven and earth. And then there is the singular comment about divorce. I think this is as much a challenge to the religious sitting around him, as it is about divorce. Who knows what their situation was regarding their own marriages. It seems to me that he is specifically challenging them with this comment.
My speculating a bit on divorce is not meant to justify divorce. Not at all. It just seems like he has squeezed in this little tidbit in order to call them out. The rest of the text needs no interpretation. The religious of the day loved money, and so Jesus gives them a glimpse of what eternity holds for those who serve that master. Note money in and of itself is not bad, it is the love of money that corrupts. How much does it corrupt? If they did not hear Moses, they won’t hear even a person who rises from the dead—wow!
He returns to his team. His comments are set against the religious of the day, their attitude and behavior. Jesus’ words are strong and spot-on. For his team, there will be many temptations. For his team, it will be easy to decide to let others serve them. Both are deadly. How many people today look at the church and consider it either corrupt, lazy, or both? I imagine you read that as a judgmental comment. It is meant more as an observation of how people view the church…which is why Jesus is so strong in his comments about temptation and laboring for the kingdom.