Upwards Church

Today, Jesus praises a widow who gave all she had.  Do you know the signs of end times?  Find out today.  What will the return of Jesus be like?  Today’s chapter gives us the answers.  In light of this reality, Jesus reminds us to remain watchful. 

 A Widow Gives All She Has / 21:1-4

21:1-2 Jesus spent much time during his last week on earth in the Temple, teaching, preaching, and dealing with religious leaders (19:45–20:47). At some point during one of his days there, Jesus watched people put their gifts into the collection box for the Temple treasury. Jesus was in the area of the Temple called the court of women. The treasury was there or in an adjoining walkway. Seven boxes were in this area. Worshipers could deposit their Temple tax in these boxes. In addition, six boxes more collected freewill offerings like the one this woman gave. A lot of money came into the Temple treasury during Passover.

The rich people put their gifts into the treasury—large gifts that clattered into the boxes. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two pennies. As a widow, she had few resources for earning money, and may have been without financial support. But she put her coins into the freewill offering box, meaning that this was not a required tax, but a gift.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – BEYOND CONVENIENCE
• This widow gave all she had to live on, in contrast to the way most people handle their money. Those who consider giving a certain percentage of their income to be a great accomplishment resemble those who gave out of their wealth. Here in 21:1-2, Jesus was admiring generous and sacrificial giving. Believers should consider increasing their giving—whether of money, time, or talents—to a point beyond convenience, comfort, or safety.

21:3-4 Jesus judged the poor woman’s gift not by how much she gave, but by how much she had left after giving. The rich did well to give out of their abundance, but they had plenty left. Yet she gave everything and therefore had given more than all the rest of them. The widow could have kept back one coin, but she willingly gave both coins. She gave everything and trusted God to care for her. Jesus wanted the disciples to see this lesson in total surrender of self, commitment to God, and willingness to trust in God’s provision. For more on giving, see 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – TRUE GIVING
• How do you react when you see the offering plate coming toward you? Annoyance, yawning, resignation? Would it change your attitude toward giving of your money to the work of the ministry in your church if you knew that God could do great things with little contributions? That’s the message of Luke 21:3-4. The poor widow’s offering far outclassed all the others because she gave sacrificially, while the others gave recreationally. It is obvious which kind of giving God honors. Which kind does yours resemble?

 Jesus Tells about the Future / 21:5-24

A disciple’s casual remark concerning the splendor of the Temple gave Jesus the opportunity to make an alarming prophecy about the Temple and the end times. This section, along with 17:20-37, parallel the Olivet discourse given in Matthew 24:1-25 and Mark 13:1-23. Jesus spoke of the end times in order to realign his disciples’ priorities and to caution them about being deceived.

21:5-6 Jesus and the disciples would leave Jerusalem every evening of that final week and walk the couple of miles back to Bethany. As they left the city on one of those evenings, some of the disciples commented on the beauty of the Temple itself. The Temple that the disciples were admiring was not Solomon’s Temple—that had been destroyed by the Babylonians in the seventh century b.c. This Temple had been built by Ezra after the return from exile in the sixth century b.c., desecrated by the Seleucids in the second century b.c., reconsecrated by the Maccabees soon afterward, and enormously expanded by Herod the Great over a forty-six-year period. It was a beautiful, imposing structure with a significant history. Although no one knows exactly what it looked like, it must have been magnificent, for in its time it was considered one of the architectural wonders of the world.

Jesus used the disciples’ comments about the Temple to give them a prophetic statement about the fate of the Temple: it will be completely demolished. This happened only a few years later when the Romans sacked Jerusalem in a.d. 70. The Romans fulfilled Jesus’ words to the letter. After fire raged through the Temple, Emperor Titus ordered the leveling of the whole area so that no part of the original walls or buildings remained. Titus considered this punishment for the Jewish rebellion in a.d. 66. The Temple has never been rebuilt; the stones that we can see today, commonly called the “wailing wall” are part of the foundation. Truly the Temple was leveled.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – PEOPLE, NOT BUILDINGS
•  The church is people, not buildings. Even Jesus’ disciples lost sight of the truth at times. They admired the great beauty of the restored and expanded temple in Jerusalem, commenting to one another about its magnificence. Jesus gave them a rather startling lesson on perspective: “The days will come when not one stone will be left upon another.” It must have grieved the disciples, steeped as they were in Jewish tradition, to know this. And yet the church, the people of God—the true temple—would not only survive but also grow and flourish and ultimately conquer hell itself. Buildings are great tools, but people are the church. It’s all right to appreciate a place of worship. Just don’t confuse it with the church.

21:7-9 The disciples’ question had two parts. They wanted to know when the destruction would take place and if there would be any sign ahead of time. Jesus first answered the disciples’ second question about signs. Jesus warned them against false messiahs. He knew that if the disciples looked for signs, they would be susceptible to deception. Many false prophets would display counterfeit signs of spiritual power and authority. Jesus predicted that before his return, many believers would be misled by false teachers coming in his name—that is, claiming to be the Messiah. Jesus said clearly, “Don’t believe them.” According to Scripture, the one clear sign of Christ’s return will be his unmistakable appearance in the clouds that will be seen by all people (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7). Believers never have to wonder whether a certain person is the Messiah. When Jesus returns, believers will know beyond a doubt because he will be evident to all.

Just as false messiahs and religious frauds come and go, so do political and natural crises. However, these do not signal the end of the world. The disciples probably assumed that the Temple would be destroyed only at the end of the age as part of God establishing his new Kingdom. Jesus taught that horrible events would happen, but the end won’t follow immediately. Believers should not panic. God will not lose control of his creation, and his promises will come true.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – THE END IS NEAR!
• Have you heard anyone declare: “The Rapture will happen on ______”? There have been countless predictions in regard to end times throughout the history of the church. Every generation of Christians has believed it would be the last. So far, they all have been wrong. Does that mean that Christians should not study passages like Luke 21 or that these passages are of lesser importance? No, if it’s in the Bible, it’s worth studying. Each verse is beneficial. But believers should approach prophecy with humility, not arrogance and dogmatism. Whatever your beliefs about the end times, realize that you may not have the whole picture and that others may have helpful insights to offer you. If you have been dogmatic about your views, repent and ask God to give you a teachable spirit.

21:10-11 Jesus’ words indicated that there would be a span of time before the end of the age and the coming Kingdom. First, much suffering would occur as a part of life on earth, including wars and natural disasters. These, along with miraculous signs in the heavens, will mean only that history is moving toward a single, final, God-planned goal—the creation of a new earth and a new Kingdom (Revelation 21:1-3). Today we must guard against preoccupation with signs, such as frequency of earthquakes. Instead, we must focus on doing God’s will.

21:12 Without hesitation, Jesus explained that his followers would not escape suffering. Persecution soon began; Luke recorded such in the book of Acts. Jesus didn’t say it, but the disciples would learn that loyalty to Christ meant separation from Judaism. Not only would Jesus’ followers be in trouble with Jews, they would also find themselves standing trial before Gentile kings and governors because of being Jesus’ followers.

21:13-15 These trials in the synagogues and before Gentile rulers would give the disciples an opportunity to testify about Jesus. Standing before Jewish or Roman leadership would be intimidating, but Jesus explained that they could trust him to give them words and a wisdom that would astound their opponents. Notice that Jesus did not guarantee acquittal. James, one of the disciples here listening to Jesus, would be killed because of his faith (Acts 12:1-2).

 21:16-19 Not only would the disciples face hatred from religious and civil leaders, as well as their own families, they also would be hated by everyone. For Jews to convert to Christianity would soon become very dangerous because they would be hated and ostracized. Jesus’ words also looked forward to the time when hatred of Christians would again occur. Jesus gave a promise however: “But not a hair of your head will perish! By standing firm, you will win your souls.” This does not mean that standing firm earns salvation; instead, it marks those who are already saved. Assurance of salvation will keep believers going through the times of persecution.

What assurance was Jesus giving in light of the eventual martyrdom of James and Peter? Some have taken the reality of the words about being put to death (21:16) and not a hair of one’s head perishing to mean that some will be taken and others will be preserved. But this seems to nullify the whole tone of assurance. Most likely, “not a hair of your head will perish” refers to ultimate deliverance and salvation in Christ’s Kingdom. Some will suffer and some will die, but none of Jesus’ followers will suffer spiritual or eternal loss. On earth, everyone will die, but believers in Jesus will be saved for eternal life.

• LIFE APPLICATION – PAYING THE PRICE
• Has following Christ cost you? Have you lost friendships, business associates, promotions, or even relationships with family members because of your Christian faith and lifestyle? You are not alone. Throughout history, God’s people have suffered great losses for the sake of their beliefs. Jesus even predicted that these things would happen. Of course, it hurts to be ridiculed and outright hated for what you believe. But if that is your experience, remember: you are in good company with countless of other Christians and with Jesus himself. Take the rejection of the world as a confirmation of your acceptance by the Lord.

21:20 Luke 21:20-24 refers not to the end times (the warning for that is recorded in 17:30-36), but to the coming destruction of the city of Jerusalem that would occur in a.d. 70. The verb surrounded pictures the coming siege of the city. Jesus’ words in the next verses explain what the people should do quickly before the city would be completely surrounded and put under siege.

21:21-22 With the armies coming to surround the city, the people who are outside should flee to the hills, those in the city should escape, those in the country should not enter the city. This was the opposite of the usual advice—generally, in time of war, the people outside would go to the city for protection. But not this time. The time of God’s vengeance will have arrived; the city would face the full punishment for its history of unfaithfulness and rebellion against God.

Many of Jesus’ followers would live to see this happen. The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that from a.d. 66, Jewish Zealots clashed with the Romans. Many people realized that rebellion would bring the wrath of the Empire, so they fled to Pella, a town located in the mountains across the Jordan River. As Jesus had said, this proved to be their protection, for when the Roman army swept in, the nation and its capital city were destroyed.

21:23-24 Jesus expressed sympathy and concern for those who would have difficulty fleeing because they were pregnant or had small children. These people literally would be running for their lives from the great distress. If they didn’t get away, they would be brutally killed by the sword or sent away as captives. According to the historian Josephus, ninety-seven thousand people were taken prisoner during the war and over one million were killed.

Jerusalem, the holy city, will be conquered and trampled down by the Gentiles until the age of the Gentiles comes to an end. These would have been horrifying words to any Jew. The “age of the Gentiles” began with Babylon’s destruction of Jerusalem in 586 b.c. and the exile of the Jewish people. No longer an independent nation, Israel was under the control of Gentile rulers. In Jesus’ day, Israel was governed by the Roman Empire, and a Roman general would “trample” the city in a.d. 70. Jesus was saying that the domination of God’s people by his enemies would continue until God decided to end it. The “times of the Gentiles” refers not just to the repeated destructions of Jerusalem, but also to the continuing and mounting persecution of God’s people until the end.

 Jesus Tells about His Return / 21:25-33 / 202

After predicting Jerusalem’s destruction, Jesus described his second coming (21:27). It will be accompanied by all kinds of cosmic signs, instilling terror in those who are unprepared for the end but inspiring hope in those who are anticipating his return. Don’t be caught unprepared; commit yourself to follow Jesus wholeheartedly and to pray fervently (21:34-36).

21:25 The disciples had asked if there would be a sign (21:7); here Jesus gave the answer. Jesus spoke of his return in full glory without any of the limitations he had taken on by becoming human. Jesus was not speaking of his immediate resurrection but of his eventual, glorious return. Some of the signs would be in nature, for nature itself would experience change. As taught in Romans 8 and 2 Peter 3, the entire universe had become involved in humanity’s fallen predicament; thus, the entire universe will be changed when humanity is changed. There will be a variety of changes—the sun going dark, the moon not being seen, stars falling, heavenly bodies being shaken (see Matthew 24:29). Roaring seas shows that nature will be in chaos from one end of the earth to the other (see Psalm 46:2-4; Isaiah 17:12). These words also recall the words of the prophets (Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10-11). What Jesus described here, John saw in his vision (Revelation 6:12-14 ).

21:26 Persecutions and natural disasters will cause great sorrow in the world—people will falter. When believers see these events happening, they should realize that the return of their Messiah is near and that they can look forward to his reign of justice and peace. Rather than being terrified by what is happening in the world, believers should confidently await the Lord’s return, an event that will shake the very heavens.

21:27 The signs will occur, and afterwards everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds with power and great glory. Jesus’ return will be unmistakable. To the Jews, clouds signified divine presence (Exodus 13:21; 19:9; Psalm 97:1-2; Daniel 7:13). Jesus will return as the powerful, glorious, and divine Son of Man. There will be no doubt as to his identity.

21:28 When believers see these events happening, they will know that the return of their Messiah is near, and they can look forward to his reign of justice and peace. Rather than being terrified by what is happening in the world, believers should confidently await Christ’s return to bring justice and restoration to his people.

• LIFE APPLICATION – UPLIFTED
• Watch what happens when someone wins a gold medal in an athletic competition: she throws her hands in the air and lifts up her face. It is so universal that it almost seems part of being human. Victory, or celebration of any kind, causes people to lift up their heads. Conversely, defeat or sorrow makes one’s countenance fall. Jesus said that these signs of the times would be reason to “stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” As frightful as some of those signs will be, Christians need not cower and feel cast down. The signs merely indicate that the King is returning. Does your faith cause you to walk around with your head lifted up, or your face downcast? If you belong to Jesus, hold your head up. He’s coming back for you.

21:29-31 Here Jesus answered the disciples’ other question about “when” the events would occur (21:7). People knew when summer was coming by looking at the fig tree. Seeing the dry, brittle branches becoming tender, filled with sap, and beginning to bud, people knew that summer was near. Just as people can interpret the seasons by watching the signs in nature, so they can know that when they see the events he has been describing taking place, then the Kingdom of God is near. The second coming of Jesus is both certain and near. The fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy would assure the disciples that the other prophecies he had given regarding the end times would also come true.

21:32 There are three main views of the meaning of this generation will not pass: (1) It refers only to those alive at the time Jesus spoke and who still would be alive at the destruction of Jerusalem; (2) it refers only to those who would experience the end times; (3) it refers both to the destruction of Jerusalem and the end times—the destruction of Jerusalem contains within itself the elements of the final end times and thus serves a precursor. The Greek word for “generation” is genea; it refers both to those living at a given time as well as to race or lineage (therefore, Jesus would have been speaking of the Jewish race). This makes the third view most likely.

21:33 Everything may change, and eventually everything will disappear. But one truth is absolutely, eternally certain: Jesus’ words will remain forever. Everything he said will come true.

• LIFE APPLICATION – ETERNAL OR TEMPORAL?
• Political trends come and go. Office seekers keep a close watch on each day’s opinion polls. Fashions have a very short life expectancy. A life’s savings can be lost or squandered. Music groups and other entertainers are the rage one day and forgotten the next. Every certainty that the world values so highly is temporal at best. Contrast them with Jesus’ words: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” If your beliefs, values, and philosophy of life are not based on Christ’s supremacy and his authoritative words, you are headed for eventual collapse. Your life’s work will die when you do.

Jesus Tells about Remaining Watchful / 21:34-38

Jesus concluded his teaching on the end times (21:5-38) with a grave warning to his disciples. They were to guard against letting the worries of this life or the pleasures of the world distract them from the truth—especially, the truth that the Son of Man would return, in judgment. They were to be always prepared for his return. They could be fully prepared by praying that God would help them persevere in faith until Christ’s return.

21:34-36 Believers know that Jesus will indeed return. But because no one knows when this great event will occur (Matthew 24:36), Jesus told his followers to watch out, and not let the temptations or worries of this life distract them from being ready. That day will come unexpectedly, and it will come upon everyone—no exceptions. There will be no opportunity for last-minute repentance or bargaining. The choice that each person has already made will determine his or her eternal destiny.

For Jesus’ followers to keep a constant watch and pray pictures an attitude toward life that seeks to stay away from evil and to follow and obey Jesus. Both watching and praying are volitional actions—as believers await Jesus’ return, they work to further his Kingdom. Only with a focus on him can believers escape the horrors to come. Only through obedience to him will they be able to stand before the Son of Man when he returns.

• LIFE APPLICATION – READY TO MOVE
• Jesus told the disciples to keep a constant watch for his return. Although nearly two thousand years have passed since he spoke these words, their truth remains: Christ is coming again, and believers need to watch and be spiritually fit. This means working faithfully at the tasks God has given them. Don’t let your mind and spirit be dulled by careless living, drinking, or the foolish pursuit of pleasure. Don’t let life’s anxieties overburden you. Be ready to move at God’s command and welcome his return. “For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2 nlt, see also Revelation 16:15).

21:37-38 During this final week on the earth, Jesus went every day to the Temple to teach the people (samples of that teaching have been recorded in chapters 20–21). He left the city in the evening and spent the night on the Mount of Olives, probably in the city of Bethany (Matthew 21:17). He returned the next morning, and already crowds of people had gathered to hear him.

Only 3 days left, the best is yet to come.  Darrell

Sources:  Life Application Bible Commentary,  Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

For more about The Ridge Fellowship go to www.ridgefellowship.com

It’s a showdown.  In this corner… the God of the universe in human form… Jesus Christ!  In that corner… the jealous power brokers…Religious Leaders!  They go several rounds at each other.  Jesus has knocked them out once again.  From here on the religious leaders will plan to fight dirty.  They will scheme to take Jesus down no matter what it cost them, even their souls.   

 Religious Leaders Challenge Jesus’ Authority / 20:1-8

 20:1-2 Soon after Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple, Jesus returned to the Temple to teach and preach. While he was there, a delegation of leading priests, teachers of religious law, and other leaders stopped Jesus. These were representative of the three groups that made up the Jewish ruling council (Jesus already had predicted that the Jewish religious authorities would reject him, see 9:22). Apparently the council had met after the clearing of the Temple, enraged by Jesus’ actions, but unable to decide how to handle him. They then sent this representative group to question Jesus regarding his actions, hoping he would say something treasonous or blasphemous. They demanded to know by whose authority he had thrown out the merchants from the Temple.

• LIFE APPLICATION – WHOSE AUTHORITY?
• In an individualistic and self-centered society such as our own, the individual has become increasingly his or her own authority.  People are encouraged to look within themselves for religious direction. Just as Jesus confronted the arrogant religious authorities of Israel two thousand years ago, Jesus confronts today’s arrogance and hypocrisy. Will you reject his authority and hate him? Or will you accept his authority and live by his commands?

20:3-4 Jesus countered the Jewish religious teachers’ question with a question. Jesus knew that the religious leaders’ attitude toward John the Baptist would reveal their attitude toward him. With this question, Jesus was implying that his authority came from the same source as John the Baptist’s. John had called the people to repentance, and the people had expressed their repentance through baptism, a symbol of the cleansing of one’s sins. So Jesus asked these religious leaders what they thought: Did John’s baptism come from heaven, from God, or was it merely human?

20:5-8 These leaders weren’t interested in Jesus’ authority or in the truth. They really didn’t want an answer; instead, they wanted to trap Jesus. But they found themselves looking completely foolish. If they answered that John’s baptism had come from heaven (with God’s authority), then they would be incriminating themselves for not listening to John. On the other hand, if they rejected John as having any divine authority and said that his baptism was merely human, they would infuriate the crowd. So they remained silent, but their silence spoke volumes. Because they refused to answer, Jesus said that he too would refuse to answer their question. By his silence, Jesus had already answered. His authority was the same as John the Baptist’s. John was clearly a prophet of God, and Jesus also was commissioned by God to call all who would listen to him.

• LIFE APPLICATION – A TIME FOR SILENCE
• In this argument, Jesus refused to answer the leaders’ question (20:8). When you engage someone in a discussion of matters of faith, you will find out fairly quickly whether that person is truly interested in what you have to say or only interested in arguing. If the person is interested, take as much time and effort as you can in giving him or her answers and information. If the person merely wants a debate, don’t oblige. It is pointless to give intellectual responses to issues of the heart. The real battleground for that person is not in the mind but in the heart. Until the person has an open heart, as well as an open mind, intellectual discussions will likely only serve to harden his or her disbelief. Save your breath . . . and wait until God prepares the heart.

Jesus Tells the Parable of the Evil Tenants / 20:9-19

After his confrontation of the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus told a parable that revealed the spiritual realities behind his conflict with them. The parable indirectly answered their question about his authority, showed them that he knew about their plan to kill him, and revealed the judgment that awaited them.

20:9 The characters in this story are easy to identify. The owner of the vineyard is God; the vineyard is Israel; the tenant farmers are the religious leaders; the servants are the prophets and priests God sent to Israel; the son is the Messiah, Jesus; the others are the Gentiles. The comparison of Israel to a vineyard is common in the Old Testament (Psalm 80:8-13; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 12:10; Hosea 10:1). It pictures God’s work (someone has to plant a vineyard) and patient care in tending and caring for his people.

Jesus described a common business method of the time—an absentee owner who hired tenant farmers to care for the fields and crops. The tenant farmers paid their “rent” by giving a portion of the crop to the landowner, who would send servants at harvest time to collect it. Tensions often arose; records exist of bitter disputes between landowners and their tenants.

20:10-12 When the grape harvest came, the landowner sent one of his servants to collect the “rent”—namely his share of the crop. The “servants” represented the prophets and priests whom God had sent over the years to the nation of Israel. The picture of angry farmers beating the landowner’s servants and sending them on their way without any “rent” pictured the religious leaders who were entrusted with the care of the vineyard. Instead of listening to the prophets, they had treated them shamefully and sent them away, stubbornly refusing to listen. Some had been beaten (Jeremiah 26:7-11; 38:1-28), and some had been killed (tradition says that Isaiah was killed; John the Baptist had been killed, Matthew 14:1-12), and some had been stoned (2 Chronicles 24:21). Jesus was reminding the religious leaders that God’s prophets often had been ridiculed and persecuted by God’s people.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – GIVE BACK TO GOD
• Have you ever given a child a gift—a toy, perhaps, or a stuffed animal—and then asked to have it back just for a moment? If so, you may have met with a less-than-positive response. In fact, the child may have become downright nasty: “Mine! My toy!” The fact that you gave it to her means nothing to her. All she cares about is her own immediate desire to have the thing she wants. Everyone can see what is wrong with acting that way; hopefully, most people outgrow such behavior. And yet how childish people can be when God is the giver and they are the recipients of his benevolence! Like the ungrateful farmers in this parable, they selfishly cling to those things he has given them and resent it when they are asked to give back to him some measure of his gifts. God, like the owner, expects a return. Has God given you a gift—money, abilities, opportunities—that you are clutching tightly to yourself, refusing to use for his purposes? Learn a lesson from a bunch of agricultural ingrates: give back to God freely and gratefully.

20:13 The fact that this landowner had not already punished the farmers for their treatment of his servants shows a man of great patience. This pictures God, who has been very patient with his people over the centuries, even when they stubbornly refused to listen to his messages through the prophets. So the landowner sent his son to collect the fruit of the vineyard in hopes that the farmers would give him due honor and respect. This “son” refers to Jesus (see also 3:22; 9:35). With these words, Jesus implicitly answered the religious leaders’ question regarding the source of his authority (20:2). Like the son in this parable, Jesus had been sent on behalf of the Father. He was acting with God the Father’s authority. The son had been sent to the stubborn and rebellious nation of Israel to win them back to God.

20:14-16 The historical situation behind this section reflects the law that property would go to anyone in possession of it when the master died. The tenants probably thought that the arrival of the son (the heir) meant that his father had died. They reasoned, therefore, that if they killed the son, they could claim the property (the estate) as their own. So they murdered the son. With these words, Jesus was revealing to the religious leaders his knowledge of their desire to kill him.

• LIFE APPLICATION-SEIZE THE INHERITANCE?
• What person in his right mind would think that he could kill someone and then ask to have the victim’s inheritance given to him? Yet that is precisely the situation described by Jesus in the parable of the vineyard owner and the tenants. Jesus said that the vicious, unruly tenants actually went so far as to kill the owner’s son, thinking they could then seize the inheritance. Jesus’ listeners must have been shocked. But, ironically, Jesus was referring to how Israel had treated God’s prophets and how they would treat God’s Son yet still thought they could have God’s inheritance.
• American culture today is also guilty of benefiting from a Christian heritage—the “inheritance”—while people try to kill off any connection to Jesus. Society wants the positive results without crediting the cause of them. What else explains the universal celebration of Christmas while trying to outlaw public displays of manger scenes? That’s like having a birthday party and telling the guest of honor he’s not welcome. Where did the notion of love, peace, and family unity come from? The Bible teaches that people reap what they sow. Make sure you aren’t benefiting from our Christian legacy while your life denies Christ.

Jesus asked his listeners what they thought the owner would do to his tenant farmers when he found out that they had killed his son. The answer: He will come and kill those tenants. Over hundreds of years, Israel’s kings and religious leaders had rejected God’s prophets—beating, humiliating, and killing them. Most recently, John the Baptist had been rejected as a prophet by Israel’s leaders. Finally Jesus, the beloved Son of God, already rejected by the religious leaders, would be killed. Jesus explained that the Jewish leaders would be punished for his death because in rejecting the messengers and the Son, they were rejecting God himself.

Jesus added that not only would the wicked tenant farmers be killed, but that the owner would lease the vineyard to others. God’s judgment on the Jewish people who rejected him would result in the transfer of the privileges of ownership “to others,” namely, the Gentiles. Jesus was speaking of the beginning of the Christian church among the Gentiles.

• LIFE APPLICATION – BROKEN OR CRUSHED?
• The word “broken” conjures up uniformly negative images: broken bones, broken hearts, broken toys. You don’t want something you value to be broken. Conversely, in God’s dictionary, brokenness is not only good but also essential. He uses only people whose hearts, volition, and pride have been broken. Jesus gives a double warning: those who “fall on that stone”—himself—will be broken to pieces, while those “on whom it falls” will be crushed. God offers a choice of “brokennesses.” Those who cast themselves on Jesus, submitting their wills and all that they are to him, will be broken by him of arrogance, hard-heartedness, self-centeredness. It is not a pleasant process but an absolutely necessary one. For those who do not submit to him, he will ultimately “fall on them,” an experience that can only be described as “crushing.” The choice is yours: broken before him, or crushed by him.

20:17-18 Quoting Psalm 118:22, Jesus showed the unbelieving leaders that even their rejection of the Messiah had been prophesied in Scripture. Psalm 118 was a key part of the Passover Service—all the pilgrims coming to Passover would recite 118:25-26 as they came to Jerusalem. The religious leaders had been reciting this passage for years without understanding or applying it (see John 5:39-40). In Jesus’ quotation, the “son” of the parable became the stone of this prophecy; the “tenant farmers” of the parable became the builders. Rejecting the cornerstone was dangerous. A person could be tripped or crushed (judged and punished).

Jesus used this metaphor to show that one stone can affect people different ways, depending on how they relate to it (see Isaiah 8:14-15; 28:16; Daniel 2:34, 44-45). Ideally they will build on it; many, however, will trip over it. Although Jesus had been rejected by many of his people, he would become the “cornerstone” of his new building, the church (see Acts 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:6-7).

20:19 This delegation that had been sent to demand answers from Jesus (20:1-2) realized that Jesus was pointing at them—they were the farmers in the story. They would have arrested Jesus on the spot, but he was still surrounded by crowds of eager listeners, and they were afraid there would be a riot. There was nothing to do but go away to gather new ideas and think of new questions to try to trap Jesus.

 Religious Leaders Question Jesus about Paying Taxes / 20:20-26

Although the religious leaders had been outwitted by Jesus once (20:1-8), they did not give up. They returned with another carefully thought-out question to trap him. This new question related to taxation: to pay or not to pay taxes to Rome. If Jesus answered in the affirmative either way, he would be in a predicament. It was a perfect trap, or so the Pharisees thought.

20:20 The religious leaders continued their attempts to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the authorities. They sent secret agents pretending to be honest men. These men addressed Jesus as if he were a mediator, inviting him to settle their dispute regarding whether or not to pay taxes to Caesar.

• LIFE APPLICATION – LISTENER OR CRITIC?
• There is a story about the comedian W. C. Fields (never noted for his Christian beliefs) reading the Bible on his deathbed. “Getting religious at the eleventh hour?” someone asked him. “No,” Fields replied. “Just checking for loopholes.” There are different reasons for investigating Jesus’ life and works. People can come to him openly and honestly, sincerely wanting to know what he is all about and what it means to be his follower. Or they can come to him like the spies, only looking for something to criticize. God knows everyone’s heart. He knows whether a person comes to him as a seeker or a cynic. Ask him to give you an open, receptive heart to hear his truth.

20:21-22 Pretending to be honest men (20:20), these spies flattered Jesus before asking him a question that was a hot topic in Palestine at the time, “Is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government or not?” Obviously it was lawful according to Caesar, but was it lawful according to God’s law? The Jews hated having to pay taxes to Rome. If Jesus said they should pay taxes, they would call him a traitor to their nation and their religion. But if he said they should not, the religious leaders could report him to Rome as a rebel. The crowd waited expectantly for Jesus’ answer. Jesus’ questioners thought they had him this time, but he outwitted them again.

20:23-25 Jesus asked someone in the crowd to show him a Roman coin. This would have been a silver coin with a picture of the reigning Caesar on it. The tax paid to Rome was paid in these coins. The title referred to Caesar as divine and as “chief priest.” The Caesars were worshiped as gods by the pagans, so the claim to divinity on the coin itself repulsed the Jews. In addition, Caesar’s image on the coins was a constant reminder of Israel’s subjection to Rome.

Jesus’ answer surprised everyone: “Give to Caesar what belongs to him. But everything that belongs to God must be given to God.” Having a coin meant being part of that country, so citizens should acknowledge the authority of Caesar and pay for the benefits accorded to them by his empire (for example, peace and an efficient road system). They would lose much and gain little if they refused to pay Caesar’s taxes (see Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; 1 Peter 2:13-17).

Paying the taxes, however, did not have to mean submission to the divinity claimed by the emperor through the inscription on the coins. Caesar had the right to claim their tax money, but he had no claim on their souls. The Jews had a responsibility to give to God what was his. While they lived in the Roman world, the Jews had to face the dual reality of subjection to Rome and responsibility to God. Jesus explained that they could do both if they kept their priorities straight. The tax would be paid as long as Rome held sway over Judea, but God had rights on eternity and on their lives.

*We too must also give to God what is God’s.  Our taxes today may be “taken” out of our check, but we still should willingly, lovingly and out of faith give God the tithe or 10% he asks for.

 20:26 In his reply, Jesus did not show rebellion against Caesar, nor did he show any disloyalty to God and his law. This answer amazed and silenced Jesus’ questioners. Their amazement showed that Jesus had been victorious over his opponents. They had tried to trap him, but he stayed one step ahead of them (see also 20:39-40).

 Religious Leaders Question Jesus about the Resurrection / 20:27-40

Jesus had already evaded two traps laid by the Jewish religious leaders—one involving his authority and then one on Roman taxation. They were determined to embarrass Jesus. The Sadducees used a standard theological question they had often used to discredit the idea of a resurrection, which was a belief of the Pharisees. Jesus rose to this occasion, as well, and he exposed the Sadducees’ ignorance of the Scripture and of God’s infinite power.

20:27 No sooner had one delegation withdrawn from Jesus in amazement than another appeared to take up the cause. The Sadducees were a group of conservative Jewish religious leaders who honored only the Pentateuch—Genesis through Deuteronomy—as Scripture. They did not believe in a resurrection of the dead because they could find no mention of it in those books.

20:28 In the law, Moses had written that if a man were to die without a son, his unmarried brother (or nearest male relative) should marry the widow and produce children. The first son of this marriage would be considered the heir of the dead man (Deuteronomy 25:5-6). The main purpose of the instruction was to produce an heir and guarantee that the family would not lose their land. The book of Ruth gives an example of this law in operation (Ruth 3:1–4:12; see also Genesis 38:1-26). This law, called “levirate” marriage, protected the widow (in that culture widows usually had no means to support themselves) and allowed the family line to continue.

20:29-33 In order to show what they perceived as the absurdity of believing in the resurrection, the Sadducees offered a hypothetical situation in which the same woman married and outlived seven brothers, but never had any children. This particular woman would have had a real problem because when she and her seven husbands would be resurrected, the Sadducees asked, “Whose wife will she be?” Their problem lay in their view of resurrection, and the God who, throughout Scripture, promised it. The Sadducees had brought God down to their level and decided that because they could not make sense out of resurrection life, God couldn’t raise the dead. They did not consider for a moment that God, Creator and Sustainer of all life, could not only raise the dead, but create entirely new lives that would be different from what people had on this earth.

20:34-36 Jesus pointed out that there are differences between life in this age and life in the age to come. The resurrection life in heaven will not be merely a continuation of life on this earth. Here in this world, people marry and are given in marriage. However, those who do get to heaven will find that their lives are not merely extended into eternity, but that everything is different. They won’t be marrying or being given in marriage (as per the Sadducees question). They will never die again. Believers anticipate a resurrection to a life of no more tears or sorrow (Revelation 21:4).

• LIFE APPLICATION- NO MARRIAGE IN HEAVEN?
• Many people are jolted at the prospect of eternal life without marriage with their partner on earth and the physical relationship that goes along with it because it is one of earth’s greatest pleasures. At first reading, Jesus seems to imply as much here.
• At its very best, sexual activity creates a great sense of oneness between lovers, a superb moment of intense intimacy, and wonderful physical feelings. Lovers wish their excitement would last and last, but too quickly life returns to normal.
• People who ponder eternity (and who doesn’t?) are right to hope that the freedom, intensity, and intimacy they experience now will be transformed, expanded, and made utterly glorious in new life with God in heaven, where joys last and last, and never grow old.
• Believers don’t know what God has planned, but they trust in his love. The beauty and excitement they feel now is not a trick but a foretaste of an even better experience.
• In the new heaven and new earth, the relationships among all Christian brothers and sisters will be so intense, so filled with love, that earthly marital bliss will seem shallow by comparison.

In the new heaven and new earth, marriage will no longer be needed. Inheritance laws and property rights will be irrelevant. It is important to human beings in this world, but it will not be a needed feature of the Kingdom. In addition, marriage is needed in this world in order to produce children and thereby continue the human race. This also will not be needed in the Kingdom because no one can die there. Death will have been banished and will not affect people in the Kingdom (Revelation 20:14).

Believers will be like angels regarding marriage. Having been raised to new life, those in heaven will no longer be governed by physical laws but will be like angels; that is, believers will share the immortal and exalted nature of angels, living above physical needs.

Jesus was not teaching that people will not recognize their spouses in heaven, thereby dissolving the eternal aspect of marriage. Nor was he doing away with sexual differences or teaching that people will be asexual beings after death. Nor was he teaching that the angels are asexual. Little can be learned about sex and marriage in heaven from this one statement by Jesus. His point was simply that people must not think of the next life as an extension of life as they now know it. Relationships in this life are limited by time, death, and sin; in the new heaven and new earth they will be different from here and now.

20:37-38 After addressing their question about marriage, Jesus answered the Sadducees’ assumption about the resurrection which was the real issue. Jesus based his answer on the writings of Moses, an authority the Sadducees respected. Even Moses proved that there is a resurrection for when he wrote about the burning bush, he wrote of the patriarchs as though they were still alive (Exodus 3:6). , from God’s perspective, they were alive. God had a continuing relationship with these men because of the truth of the resurrection. In Matthew and Mark, the entire quote from Exodus 3:6 is used, with God saying, “I am the God of . . .”—with the argument being that God, speaking in the present tense, was affirming his continuing relationship with these men. Therefore he is the God of the living, not the dead. God continues his relationship with them because they are all alive to him. Death separates people from their loved ones on earth, but it cannot separate believers from God.

20:39-40 The teachers of religious law (Pharisees), who also had been attempting to trick Jesus, had to congratulate Jesus on this answer to the Sadducees. This question had probably stumped the Pharisees for some time, and at last the Sadducees had been duly silenced. At this time, the questions ended, for no one dared to ask any more.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – OFFENSE VS DEFENSE
• When discussing their faith with others, believers often find themselves on the defensive: answering objections, giving reasons for their beliefs, communicating what often seems incommunicable. No wonder many believers are uncomfortable witnessing to others. They may be able to give reasons for their faith (1 Peter 3:15), but there is also a place for putting the skeptic on the defensive. Sometimes it may be difficult to give answers for one’s faith, but it is even more difficult to defend a lack of belief or outright cynicism. Jesus turned the tables in such a fashion. After meeting the challenges of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes, Jesus asked them some penetrating questions, designed to expose the shallowness of their unbelief. Defense, as any championship sports team will tell you, is crucial, but so is the ability to put the other team on the defensive. Are you knowledgeable enough about your beliefs to go on the offensive? If not, consider taking a class or reading a book in apologetics.

*For good apologetic or defense of the faith material, check out the writings Lee Strobel or Josh McDowell.

 Religious Leaders Cannot Answer Jesus’ Question / 20:41-44

Jesus had already emerged victorious over his opponents on three separate occasions (20:1-8, 20-26, 27-40). Jesus took the offense, challenging his opponents with a question of his own: Who is the Son of David? With this question, Jesus identified the weakness of the religious teachers’ thinking. They had not sufficiently examined what the Scripture said about the coming Messiah.

20:41-44 Jesus asked the leaders a question about the Messiah’s identity. He turned to Psalm 110:1 and asked how the Messiah is said to be the son of David. Jesus quoted these words, explaining what the religious leaders should have understood. David wrote, “The Lord said to my Lord.” The first “Lord” is Yahweh, the Hebrew name for God the Father. The second “Lord” in Hebrew is Adonai and refers to David speaking of the coming Messiah as his “Lord.” The phrase, sit in honor at my right hand, means that the Messiah would sit at the right side of God’s throne, the place of highest honor and authority in God’s coming Kingdom. “Until I humble your enemies” describes the final conquering of sin and evil. There is an inherent problem in the prophecy because it makes no sense that David would call the Messiah “Lord” when the Lord was also his “son.” The only way to understand this is to see the Messiah as more than a mere human being (see Romans 1:2-4). David himself didn’t think the Messiah would be just one of his descendants; instead, David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said that the Messiah would be God. The answer to Jesus’ question is that David was clearly saying the Messiah was his Lord. By this statement, Jesus was revealing his divine identity. The divine Messiah had, indeed, come in human form; he was standing among them.

 Jesus Warns against the Religious Leaders / 20:45-47

Luke, like the other Synoptic writers (see Matthew 23:1-12; Mark 12:38-40), concluded this section, which describes the confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders (19:45–21:4), with Jesus’ severe condemnation of the teachers of religious law. Their concern for outward appearances over the condition of their own hearts, especially their total inattention to justice and mercy, was despicable in God’s eyes.

20:45-47 The teachers of religious law loved the benefits associated with their position, and they sometimes cheated the poor in order to get even more benefits. Jesus warned his followers to beware of them. They were supposed to be just what their title implied—teachers who led people into the truth of God; instead, they loved the “perks” of their position and did just the opposite. They led people away from God.

The reference to parading in flowing robes and being bowed to in the marketplaces pictured these religious leaders who went through the market in their long robes receiving bows of respect from everyone. These actions were motivated by vanity. They loved the seats of honor in the synagogues and at banquets because those seats were reserved for the most important people. The accusation of cheating widows out of their property pictured the teachers’ abuse of their trusted position. Because they received no pay for their services, they depended on the hospitality of devout Jews. It was considered an act of piety for people to help them. But some of these religious men were using their position to defraud the gullible. They were in a position to exploit people, cheating the poor out of everything they had, and taking advantage of the rich. How could they deserve anything but condemnation! Their lengthy public prayers, Jesus said, amounted to no more than a cover up. Their long prayers were not conversations with the Lord, but were merely ploys to make people think they were especially holy. Through their pious actions they hoped to gain status, recognition, and respect.

The punishment for these leaders would be especially severe because as teachers they were responsible for shaping the faith of the people. Jesus solemnly announced, “Their punishment will be the greater.”

How strange to think that the teachers of the law would receive the worst punishment. But behind their appearance of holiness and respectability, they were arrogant, crafty, selfish, and uncaring. Jesus exposed their evil hearts. He showed that despite their pious words, they were neglecting God’s laws and doing as they pleased. Religious deeds do not cancel sin.  God will punish people who use their position of responsibility to cheat others. Whatever resources you have been given, use them to help others and not just yourself.

Until tomorrow, Darrell

Sources:  Life Application Bible Commentary, Life Application Bible Notes, Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

For more about The Ridge Fellowship see: www.ridgefellowship.com

Are you up a tree? Zacchaeus was but came down for Jesus (19:5-6).  Are you a risk taker for Christ?  Jesus says, “Use it or lose it” (19:26).   He also says, “If we are quiet the stones will cry out.” (19:40 ) He sheds tears for the lost city (19:41-42), and kicks booty in the Temple (19:45-46). Great reading today!  

Jesus & Zacchaeus / 19:1-10

In Jericho, Jesus invited himself to the home of Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector. Apparently Zacchaeus was a corrupt tax collector. Although he was despised and hated, he became an impressive example of a rich man coming to salvation. With Zacchaeus, Jesus accomplished the impossible. He sought out a wealthy sinner and called him to repentance and salvation.

19:1-2 After healing a blind man outside the city (18:35-43), Jesus entered Jericho. Zacchaeus was a tax collector, influential and very rich. To finance their great world empire, the Romans levied heavy taxes on all nations under their control. The Jews opposed these taxes because they supported a secular government and its pagan gods, but they were still forced to pay. Some of their own countrymen became tax collectors, lured by the wealth such a position promised.

• LIFE APPLICATION – LOVE FOR ALL
• In every society, certain groups of people are considered outcasts because of their political views, immoral behavior, or lifestyle. Don’t give in to social pressure to avoid these people. Jesus loves them, and they need to hear his Good News.

19:3-4 Zacchaeus, like the rest of the people in Jericho, was curious to see this man whose healings and teachings had been astounding people all over the country. Moments earlier, a blind man sitting on the side of the road had been healed (18:42-43). The news had spread, and Zacchaeus wanted to get a look at Jesus. The text reveals another detail about this wealthy tax collector: he was so short that he could not see over the people in the crowd. Zacchaeus would not be put off. He ran on down the road and climbed a sycamore tree. The sycamore tree was easy to climb, it was like an oak tree with wide lateral branches.

19:5-7 Up in the tree, Zacchaeus watched the approaching crowd. He wanted to see Jesus, and apparently Jesus wanted to see him. Many places in Luke reveal Jesus having knowledge of people’s inner thoughts and needs (see 5:22; 6:8; 7:39-40; 8:46; 9:47). As always, every act of Jesus was part of a divine plan—he said he must go to Zacchaeus’s home. Zacchaeus climbed down quickly and took Jesus home.

But why Zacchaeus? In fact, many in the crowd were unhappy with Jesus’ choice of hosts: the crowds were displeased that he had gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner. Zacchaeus must have been a pretty bad character, for the crowd reacted with great displeasure that Jesus would have chosen him out of everyone. No one else in the crowd could have known that Jesus’ visit would change this tax collector’s life.

• LIFE APPLICATION- TAKING THE INITIATIVE
• Jesus took the first step in reaching out to Zacchaeus. He cut through the exclusivity of the Jews and approached this outsider. Often the first step in making a friend is the most difficult one. Take the initiative.
• Avoid prejudgments based on appearance or social status.
• Learn something about the other person before you approach.
•  Let your overture be open and your demeanor engaging. Don’t demand friendship; offer it.
• Spend time. Listen attentively and share something personal.

19:8 Some grumbled, but Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was ready for a change in his life. After Jesus took the initiative with him, Zacchaeus took the initiative to follow wherever the path of obedience to Jesus might lead. The rich young man had come asking and had gone away empty, unable to give up his money and possessions (18:18-23). Zacchaeus, however, was able to give away his wealth in order to follow Jesus. This is the heart attitude that Jesus was looking for. Perceiving it in Zacchaeus, he quickly brought this man the Good News. So eager was Zacchaeus to rid himself of the shackles of wealth that he said he would pay back four times as much of the overage that he had charged people. His attitude was correct, and his actions showed his inner desire to obey. Zacchaeus was setting his priorities right and he would be ready for the Kingdom.

• LIFE APPLICATION – FAITH AND ACTION
• Judging from the crowd’s reaction to him, Zacchaeus must have been a very crooked tax collector. But after he met Jesus, he realized that his life needed straightening out. By giving to the poor and making restitution—with generous interest—to those he had cheated, Zacchaeus demonstrated inward change by outward action. It is not enough to follow Jesus in your head or heart alone. You must show your faith by changed behavior. Has your faith resulted in action? What changes do you need to make?

19:9-10 This tax collector was perceived as a traitor by his people, so they would not have considered him a son of Abraham. Yet, by opening his heart to Jesus, he proved himself to be not only a son of Abraham in the sense of a Jew looking for the Kingdom, but also a son of Abraham in the truest sense of the word because he experienced salvation. Salvation came to Zacchaeus, not because he did good deeds, but because he truly believed in Jesus and set aside anything that might get in the way of obeying him. To the grumblers, detractors, and self-righteous, to those who thought they were saved simply because they were descendants of Abraham,*Jesus explained his mission—he came to seek and save those who are lost.

*Saving the lost is what Jesus is all about.

Jesus Tells the Parable of the King’s Ten Servants / 19:11-27

Because the crowd was expecting the coming Kingdom of God, Jesus told them a parable that corrected their misunderstanding about the nature of the Kingdom. Here, as in 12:35-40 (the parable of the servants waiting for their master), Jesus tied responsible stewardship of resources to the coming Kingdom of God. The first parable emphasized the importance of being alert and watchful, for the master may return suddenly and at any time. This parable encourages listeners to wisely use their resources for the master’s benefit. The implication is clear. Believers are accountable to Jesus for the way they use their time, money, and abilities.

19:11 The people still hoped for a political leader who would set up an earthly Kingdom and get rid of Roman domination. The fact that Jesus had been steadily heading toward Jerusalem fueled speculation that he was going there to begin the Kingdom of God. So Jesus wanted to correct this wrong impression. This story showed Jesus’ followers what they were to do during the time between Jesus’ departure and his second coming. Because believers today live in that time period, it applies directly to them as well. Christians have been given excellent resources to build and expand God’s Kingdom. Jesus expects them to use these talents so that the Kingdom grows.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – ALERT LISTENING
• The crowd did well to listen to Jesus, but clearly they were hearing, not his message, but their own wishes for a leader to send Roman troops packing. How easy it is to project one’s own needs and expectations onto Jesus.
• When you hear God’s Word preached or taught, do you  immediately interpret it based on your own agenda?
•  Screen out items that don’t match your personal desires?
•  Take notes but file them away without applying them to your life?
• God will challenge and change your life, but you must listen and learn. Don’t put God’s Word in your file drawer; use it to reorganize all your files. Alert listening means hearing God despite our “earplugs” of prejudice and self-assurance. It requires a willingness to act.

 19:12-13 In the world of the Roman Empire, when a man was going to become king, he would go to Rome to receive the appointment, and then return to his land to begin his rule. This nobleman was called away. Since this trip could take several months, the man in this parable made sure that his financial situation did not become stagnant while he was gone. He gathered ten servants and gave them ten pounds of silver to invest for him while he was gone, each servant receiving one pound.

In these words, Jesus was making it clear that there would be a time interval between his presence with them and the time when he would come to set up his Kingdom. Like this king, he would go away to a distant country (heaven) and would be gone for an undetermined amount of time. In the meantime, his servants here would be given responsibilities to handle.

19:14-15 The king in this parable had subjects who hated him and did not want him made king. After his return, he called in the servants to give an accounting for what they had done with the money and what their profits were. He fully anticipated that they had made more money with his money through wise business and investments.

19:16-17 The first servant reported a tremendous gain—he took the money entrusted to him and made ten times the original amount. The king, knowing that his servant had been trustworthy and wise with that fairly small amount of money, told this servant he would be entrusted with far more responsibility. So the king made him governor of ten cities. The servant would share in his master’s rule because he had shown faithfulness with the little that had been entrusted to him (see also 16:10).

 *A time of accounting will come for all believers. Christians can know they are saved and will be with God in his Kingdom, but they will be judged for how they have used what God has entrusted to them during his absence and their time on earth. God will reward faithful servants.

 19:18-19 The second servant also had a gain—not as much as the first, but still he had done a fine job and was commended by the king. This servant also was rewarded in proportion to his ability—five cities for earning five times the original amount.

19:20-21 We are not told of the other seven servants, but this third servant received mention because of his failure to do what his master had expected of him. There would have been only two groups: those who used the master’s money well (the amount they made seems to have been inconsequential), and those who did nothing, as this servant here who brought back only the original amount. He had hid it and kept it safe. This servant was afraid of the master, and that fear had led him to inactivity. He was afraid that his master expected too much, so he did nothing at all. Perhaps there was a bit of anger that he had to do all the work, while the master took the profits—taking what wasn’t his.

• LIFE APPLICATION – RISK TAKING
• The problem with Mr. One Talent was his giving lip service to doing his master’s will (he agreed to do it), but he did not make the necessary effort. This manager’s cover-up for his laziness and disobedience was “I played it safe.” Christ will not reprimand his followers for risk taking and failure, but for unfaithfulness. Do you seek the safe and secure solution to the demands of discipleship? Christ was the great risk taker; he forsook all to be your Lord. In your service for Christ, playing it safe may amount to squandering your opportunity.

19:22-23 If the servant had been so afraid, he should have at least put the money in the bank in order for it to earn some interest. There were several reasons for his failure and for the king’s anger. The king punished the man because he didn’t share his master’s interest in the Kingdom; he didn’t trust his master’s intentions; his only concern was for himself; and he did nothing to use the money.

Like the king in this story, God has given you gifts to use for the benefit of his Kingdom. Some people, like this servant, don’t mind being identified in a nominal way with Jesus, but when given responsibility or expectations, they refuse to do anything and do not want to be made accountable to God. Are you willing to use faithfully what he has entrusted to you? The results, the “earnings,” are ultimately in God’s hands, but believers are responsible to use what they have to glorify God.

19:24-27 The king took the money away from the faithless servant and gave it to the one who had proved to be responsible with it. Although the others standing around wondered why the king would give more to the one who already had the most, the king was acting wisely in giving more resources to the most effective servant. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given so they can continue to produce. Those who are unfaithful because they refuse to take advantage of any opportunities they have—will end up losing even what they had been given.

The parable ends with the ultimate judgment on those who had actively rebelled against the king. They would be slaughtered. When Jesus returns, his enemies will be judged and sentenced to eternity without him.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – ACTIVE FAITH
• Jesus’ parable teaches the importance of investing for the kingdom. Unused resources and opportunities disappear. Undeveloped relationships and ideas fall by the wayside. For Jesus’ faithful servants, faith is not being passive while others are active, waiting while others are busy, or stalling while others are problem solving.

*Faith makes maximum use of talents and resources, operates freely without worry and self-centeredness, energetically pursues God’s mission in the world, and shows increasing love for people on the fringes. Are you a faithful and productive servant for Christ?

Jesus Rides into Jerusalem on a Donkey / 19:28-44

Until this point, Luke presented a sampling of Jesus’ ministry—his teaching and his miracles. But with this description of Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem, Luke, just like the other Gospel writers, slowed down his narrative, taking time to present the powerful details of Jesus’ final week leading up to the cross.

19:28-31 Jesus and the disciples approached Bethphage and Bethany, two towns about one mile apart, situated on the Mount of Olives to the east of Jerusalem. Bethany was the home of his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus whom Jesus had visited before (10:38; see also John 11:1). When Jesus spoke these words, they were probably in Bethphage, sending two disciples to bring a colt. By this time Jesus was extremely well known. Everyone coming to Jerusalem for Passover had heard of him, and, for a time, the popular mood was favorable toward him. The Lord needs it was all the disciples had to say, and the colt’s owners gladly turned their animal over to them. The specification that this be a colt that has never been ridden is significant in light of the ancient rule that only animals that had not been used for ordinary purposes were appropriate for sacred purposes (Numbers 19:2; Deuteronomy 21:3; 1 Samuel 6:7).

19:32-35 The two disciples did as they were told, and found the colt exactly as they were told. Donkeys and colts were valuable; what the disciples did amounted to coming along and taking someone’s car. But they said what Jesus told them to say. Mark wrote that Jesus also said the colt would be returned (Mark 11:3). The owners let the colt go, and the disciples brought it to Jesus. In Matthew, a donkey and a colt are mentioned (Matthew 21:2). This was the same event, but Matthew focused on the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 which indicates a donkey and a colt, thus affirming Jesus’ royalty. The disciples then threw their garments over the colt, making a seat for Jesus. With this act of entering Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt, Jesus was fulfilling prophecy and affirming his messianic royalty. He came in royal fashion, not as a warring king on a horse or in a chariot, but as a gentle and peaceable king on a donkey’s colt.

19:36-37 The custom of spreading coats on the ground ahead of a royal personage can also be seen in 2 Kings 9:12-13. This was Sunday of the week that Jesus would be crucified, and the great Passover festival was about to begin. Jews would come to Jerusalem from all over the Roman world during this week-long celebration to remember the great Exodus from Egypt (see Exodus 12:37-51). Many in the crowd had heard of or had seen Jesus and were hoping he would come to the Temple (John 11:55-57). People lined the roads, and Jesus already had a crowd of followers who, when they saw what he was doing, began to shout and sing as they walked along. According to the other Gospels, many others joined the celebration of praise. The Gospel of John (12:13) also describes the people cutting down branches from the trees, probably from olive or fig trees, to wave in welcome.

19:38 The expression “Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord” may have been recited as part of the Passover tradition—as a blessing given by the people in Jerusalem to the visiting pilgrims (see Psalm 118:25-26). The people lined the road, praising God, waving branches, and throwing their cloaks in front of the colt as it passed before them. “Long live the King” was the meaning behind their joyful shouts because they knew that Jesus was intentionally fulfilling prophecy.

19:39-40 The Pharisees thought that the crowd’s words were sacrilegious and blasphemous. They asked Jesus to keep his people quiet. But Jesus said that if the people were quiet, the stones would burst into cheers (see Habakkuk 2:11)

• LIFE APPLICATION – THE STONES WILL CRY OUT
• Jesus confronted these Pharisees who rejected his authority. They had political interests to protect, so any praising and confessing of Jesus as the Messiah threatened their position. Today, believers still face pressures that make them uncomfortable when they should witness for Jesus. If you truly know who Jesus is and love him as God’s true Messiah, speak out for him.

19:41-42 Only Luke recorded this lament by Jesus. In contrast to the great joy of the crowd, the man on the donkey began to cry at the sight of the city. The name of the city has “peace” as part of its meaning (Hebrews 7:2), but the people of the city did not know what would bring them peace. The “city of peace” was blind to the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). If the people had known what was truly happening and had recognized it for what it was, they could have found peace. But the Jewish leaders had rejected their Messiah (19:39, 47); they had refused God’s offer of salvation in Jesus Christ when they were visited by God himself. Now the truth would be hidden, and soon their nation would suffer.

• LIFE APPLICATION- ON THIS DAY
• Christian faith often seems like a long, long process. God’s Word had been delivered to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for many centuries. Jesus wept because the people of Jerusalem had failed to see God’s truth. Those who delay their commitment to Christ make the same mistake. Encourage others not to postpone Christ as if he were second priority. Their acceptance of the Savior is of utmost importance, and their service to his kingdom is needed.

People highly desire this peace that only Christ can give. Share with others the good news of God’s gift to them. Urge them to accept the gift before the opportunity passes.

19:43-44 About forty years after Jesus said these words, they came true. In a.d. 66, the Jews revolted against Roman control. Three years later Titus, son of the Emperor Vespasian, was sent to crush the rebellion. Six hundred thousand Jews were killed during Titus’s onslaught. This would occur as judgment because though some of the people believed (such as the disciples and other faithful followers), most had rejected the opportunity God offered them. But God did not turn away from the Jewish people who obeyed him. He continues to offer salvation to both Jews and Gentiles.

 Jesus Clears the Temple Again / 19:45-48

Jesus directly confronted those who dared to try to make an exorbitant profit in the very Temple of God. He had expelled these people before (John 2:12-25). Here Jesus again stood for what was right, confronting those who dared to participate in wickedness under the guise of religiosity.

19:45-46 This is the second time that Jesus cleared the Temple and drove out the merchants from their stalls. These “merchants” were the people who sold goods to worshipers. Jesus told them, in no uncertain terms, why he was so angry and why he acted as he did in throwing these merchants out of the Temple. He quoted from Isaiah 56:7 explaining that God’s purpose was for the Temple to be a place of prayer, but the merchants had turned it into a den of thieves. Their treatment of pilgrims who had traveled and needed to count on them for service, their exorbitant rates, and their cheating of the customers had made them no better than thieves hiding out together in a “den.” But this “den” was God’s Temple—no wonder Jesus was angry.

• LIFE APPLICATION- HOUSE OF PRAYER
• Jesus said that the temple was to be a place of prayer. How do people describe your church? Has busyness or neglect turned your church away from its mission to pray? What can you do to understand prayer better?  Practice prayer more regularly?  Lead others in the church toward prayer as a priority?

 19:47-48 During his last week on earth, Jesus was still busy—teaching daily in the Temple. He traveled into the city each morning, then retired out to the environs, perhaps to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethany (Matthew 21:17; Mark 11:11). Jesus had many enemies who kept looking for a way to kill him. These enemies were the Jewish religious leaders themselves—the people who, above everyone else, should have been the first to recognize and rejoice in the arrival of their Messiah. The leaders of the people probably included wealthy leaders in politics, commerce, and law. They had several reasons for wanting to get rid of Jesus. He had damaged business in the Temple by driving the merchants out. In addition, he was preaching against injustice, and his teachings often favored the poor over the rich. Further, his great popularity was in danger of attracting Rome’s attention, and the leaders of Israel wanted as little as possible to do with Rome.

Despite their plans, however, these people could not do anything. The man they wanted to kill came daily to the Temple, but he was far too popular with the people.

 * He cleansed the temple for us.  He is the temple (place of worship) for us.  He now lives in our temple (our body when we receive him) Jesus is everything!

 Until tomorrow, Darrell

Sources:  Bible Knowledge Commentary, Life Application Bible Commentary, Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary, New American Commentary, Preaching the Word

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